|
The year is 1999, my paternal Grandmother lit up a seemingly 10' long cigarette her blonde perm wiggled as she bounced her cloven hoof foot to a rhythm only she could hear. Several times a widow she watched glazed over as my father lay drugged and bloated in a chair. He didn't have much longer on the earth - Her home was probably one of the coolest mid century modern homes, it was built in 1961 and had marvelous views of the San Fernando Valley. Time stopped in that house shortly after the untimely death of her third husband in 1973. The couches had yellowed plastic on them, - "you know Ma, Dan will be driving next year... why don't you give him your car.... you don't even drive anymore" - The car he was referring to was a 1970 Firebird formula 400 - it was yellow, with the same hood yours has, it had a white vinyl interior and a white vinyl top. It smelled like cigarette smoke and hairspray. She lived in the Hollywood hills and would drive the car once a week to the market and beauty shop and once a month to the republican women's club meeting. She would start the car up and put it in reverse out of her long winding driveway, once she got to the street she would put it in neutral and coast it down the hill. headed up the hill she would put the car in low and putt up the hill. When my dad was in better health we would occasionally take the car out and "blow the carbon out of it" - the fucker could move - It still had the Wide O val tires on it from new so my dad was a bit timid with it. I had fantasies of driving it to school, to the beach or even taking a girl out in it - My two cousins had kinda warned me about what was going to happen, as they both had made bids for the car over the years. My one cousin had recently fallen out of grace with her for dating a girl that wasn't white. The other cousin, a lawyer, later helped me change my last name. As the cigarette burned down she turned her nose up at me and said "I'd rather donate to Jerrys kids it than give it to him" - my dad looked at me with jaundiced, glazed over eyes and said "well there you go..."
|
#
¿
Nov 3, 2020 05:50
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 22, 2024 15:32 |
|