i remember spending my weekends walking around my suburban neighbourhood - i would've been in my later teen years - nights were often spent hanging out with friends, or holed up in my bedroom listening to serious music, trying to read as many classic novels i could get my head around and understand - during the day id lounge around and later on i'd walk around - i worked a couple of nights a week at a local service station that no-one went to - because of this i'd often be up all night and sleep in until midday - there was something so satisfying waking up in a brightly sun-lit room - no alarm to say so - the rest of the day with nothing to do - still warm in my jeans and tshirt
one of the great pleasures i got out of joining the work-force was being able to buy any album, any cd, i wanted - i no-longer had to wait an agonising week and a half for another pay-allowance from my father so i could gather up the remaining $5 required to buy "waiting for the sun" by the doors, or something like that - now that i worked, i could buy whatever i liked, whenever i liked - blowing all my pay on music - it was a liberating feeling - still is
i loved music, and still do - i love having a large music collection, and scanning it at any given time, not knowing what album im going to end up listening to - just keep scanning till something gets my attention - and i think there is something in that - i don't pick what music to play - sometimes it's just time to put on a richmond fontaine album, like i have right now - in hindsight, the day im about to tell you about would've been a great richmond fontaine album kinda day - but i didn't even know their music back then - i knew their vibe, just not their music
where i grew up, there is this long wide straight road on the outskirts of the residential neighbourhood - along this road lined numerous factories, warehouses, junk-pits, empty lots, quarry-holes, that all had the "protected by a guard-dog" kinda vibe, despite the fact they were all vacant or abandoned - in one pocket between a factory and an empty lot, you got a great view of the city skyline, from 20km away - everything always looks hazy from 20km away - there were always jokes about the "saturday night drags" racing down this road illegally, which wouldn't surprise me as there were always pretty impressive burn-out marks tattooed all over the bitumen- im not sure ive developed some of those imagined memories, but im sure i remember hearing some of those saturday night drag races as a kid in bed, with the window open above my head
one weekend i was walking along this road on the way to the most local cd-store - it was a 20minute or so walk, but that was meant nothing to me, and still doesn't - i was used to it, and it was the way of my life - and still is - there are no footpaths along this road, so i walked along the road, a lonely figure, im sure - like tex perkins on the cover of "sweet nothing", or trying anyway - before long, midway down this long wide industrial, the dull grey clouds began to spit, and 50m later it begun to rain - i don't like umbrellas, as they just seem a little too careful - i'd like to think i have other more important things to worry about - so i let the rain fall on me, as i still do to this day - i didn't care - i wasn't doing anything - i don't think i even had any money on me - i was just walking down to the cd-store to browse all the cds there - to have a look - see what's new - see what's in the bargain bin, and see what's still in the bargain bin - to look at the band names like tom waits, you am i, the church, wondering if i'd ever be chosen and fall into their worlds
behind me a heard a car cruising down the road towards me - i moved to my left, closer to the gutter to get out of it's way - and as any lonesome wander can sense, i turned around when i realised this car was slowing down behind me - it pulled to a stop beside me - it was a taxi
- hey mate, where abouts are you going?
- no sorry man, i don't need a lift, im okay
- it's raining mate, come on, where you going? - his voice raised a little as the rain shifted up a gear
- just to jb hi-fi, but i don't have any money
it was at this point i felt embarrassed - internally i yelled at myself saying i should've said the train station or something - who goes to a cd-shop with no money?
- it's okay mate, get in, i'll drop you off
i got in, in the front seat - something i rarely do anymore as i'd prefer to just chill in the back seat by myself, and let the driver text and call whoever he wants to - i reminded the driver that i didn't have any money, and i was serious, but he was cool - he just happy to get me out of the rain, and reminded me that it wasn't a lot drive to where i was going anyway - so i took the lift, too young to really appreciate his kindness, and to appreciate how rare an act like this is
i remember it had pretty much stopped raining by the time we got to the cd-store, and i felt a little pang-of guilt due to that - he left after i quickly thanked him, and i took to browsing the cds - by the time i had finished not buying anything, the rain had kicked in again, and i begun the walk home
whenever i tell people this story, they immediately joke about how the taxi-driver was probably trying to "pick me up" or something - i always joke back saying - no, i swear he didn't want anything.... i mean, i gave him one kiss, but that was it - but it's true, he was just helping me out in the rain - this was probably twelve years ago now, and it's one of those strange memories im never going to be able to forget - it just lingers in the back, in the same way i do now every time i get into a taxi
No comments:
Post a Comment