There was this rainy night the drops were huge and cold and the car was all fogged up it was the car before you will remember the white Subaru your dad had cracked the windshield with a ladder and shake from the Junipers was always on the seats you were crying it was hot in the car it was winter I think it was December Chase parking lot Capitol Hill I was waiting for your dad I got out to talk to you hunched in the hatchback I held your hands tiny hands you gripped my fingers I wanted you to say hand it's so beautiful such a beautiful word but you didn't say it you couldn't say it yet you just stopped crying you were so beautiful and so funny your dad came I climbed out to my side then a lady said whats his name I said his name is Noah she said that's Nuaccchhhhh in Arabic kind of spitting on me and I smiled and I felt like a smashed plate at a wedding so happy and proud of that one harsh syllable and of you who didn't say hand yet because you were just born and of the orange street light and the rain and the chortling engine choking fog steaming night and our breath sweet in the juniper beat up car and the way we held each others hands because we were measuring the distance between us and measuring the wait measuring the way it feels to be in time but not sure how long we might stay---
Just fyi readers the latter pronominal references "we" refer to narrator and baby Noah
ReplyDeleteFirst, I loved this. Second, comparing your happiness and pride to a smashed plate at a wedding was brilliant. Third, "latter pronominal references"--you've entered linguist brain.
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