Setting: A balcony late in the evening over a lifting concrete driveway
into a heavily mortgaged two-car garage with a big mortgaged house and a beautiful mortgaged garden attached to it. The Eucalypt that’s lifting the driveway has been cut down to the stump because the neighbours were concerned it would drop on their house.
The gears that open the garage door are still warm. The house is very big. With the garden it’s perfect for: two people with a big family, two shared kids, plans for more kids, two demanding exes, and lots of friends. There’s an incredible view that goes from the bottom of the driveway and into a valley. The valley is part of a National Park; it’s protected.
On the balcony, a conversation is erupting. There’s about a 12 foot drop to the driveway. The drop to the bottom of the valley is bigger, but as it turns out, you can’t find a way to get from the balcony into the bottom of the valley in one go. It’s not as though you don’t start looking for it though.
to want for not enough stuff
is not to want for nothing
happiness is not enough
but i love you but sorry
he said but love’s not enough
no happiness is not enough
no love’s not enough
no. happiness is not enough
no. love’s not enough
NO.
NO!
YES!
YES?
but to want for nothing
is to not want for happiness
exactly.
what do you mean
exactly?
that’s it.
that’s enough
but i love you like you
and your voice
and my guitar
and some trees for me to climb
and a beach for you to swim…
i can build a cubby house
i can be the man
you can swim and sing
you can paint the ceiling
that’s all!
…?…?…
you’ve changed.
you changed me.
I’m sorry.
I’m not!
You know I can build a cubby house.
Yeah, I know. You built it
for your Grandma and your Grandpa.
No. I built it, and I showed it
to my Grandma and my Grandpa.
Yeah whatever.
What?
Whatever.
That’s it.
That’s enough.
But what about when I said
I didn’t want to
cut down that Eucalypt?
July 4th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Eventually, you figure out how to get from the balcony to the bottom of the valley. You grow wings, and you glide in.
July 5th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
Good stuff! Great reading.
Sounds like a good house too!