july 21st
No place is sacred.
At the one-thousandth step, after the sixth vending machine and Linda’s second bathroom break, the grand staircase opened into a large room. That was what the sign had said. It was simple, composed of block letters: No place is sacred. I chuckled at it, gasping for air.
Linda came up five minutes later.
You didn’t wait for me, she said.
What do you mean, I said. I’m waiting right now. This is me waiting.
No, she said. I mean, earlier you didn’t wait.
How can you wait earlier? I said. That’s just going slower?
That’s what I meant, Linda said.
She was out of breath now, and looking at the wall. No place is more sacred, she said.
What?
That’s what the wall says.
No it doesn’t, I said. It’s the opposite.
I don’t want to argue, she said.
Just then, a turtle crossed our path. I hadn’t seen any animals at all, over the entire journey.
How do you think a turtle got here?, Linda asked. Do you think he climbed?
I wouldn’t have it any other way, I said. Looking at the turtle, and caring for it, and running her fingers over its shell, Linda looked beautiful. I smiled because she was mine. I grabbed her and put my tongue into her mouth and felt for her tongue.
Stop it, she said.
What, I said.
It’s hot outside, she said.
What do you think married people who live in the desert do?
People don’t live in the desert, Linda said.
People live everywhere, I said. That’s obvious. That’s why they’re starting to build all those new houses near our house.
I’m sorry, she said. You can always kiss me. That’s what marriage means.
Whatever you say, I said, and kissed her.
The priests thought we were being very cute, but they had to do their job.
Excuse me, one of them tapped my shoulder. Don’t touch here.
Don’t touch? I asked. Can I look, I joked.
No, he said, this is a sacred place. And then he started laughing. I didn’t know who to believe; the laughing priest, or the serious priest. So I asked him what he meant.
Why do we go up high? He asked us.
To be closer to god or something, Linda said. She was being very cute.
No, he said, to be alone. He watched the turtle walk in front of us very slowly, as if it were waiting for someone.
At the one-thousandth step, after the sixth vending machine and Linda’s second bathroom break, the grand staircase opened into a large room. That was what the sign had said. It was simple, composed of block letters: No place is sacred. I chuckled at it, gasping for air.
Linda came up five minutes later.
You didn’t wait for me, she said.
What do you mean, I said. I’m waiting right now. This is me waiting.
No, she said. I mean, earlier you didn’t wait.
How can you wait earlier? I said. That’s just going slower?
That’s what I meant, Linda said.
She was out of breath now, and looking at the wall. No place is more sacred, she said.
What?
That’s what the wall says.
No it doesn’t, I said. It’s the opposite.
I don’t want to argue, she said.
Just then, a turtle crossed our path. I hadn’t seen any animals at all, over the entire journey.
How do you think a turtle got here?, Linda asked. Do you think he climbed?
I wouldn’t have it any other way, I said. Looking at the turtle, and caring for it, and running her fingers over its shell, Linda looked beautiful. I smiled because she was mine. I grabbed her and put my tongue into her mouth and felt for her tongue.
Stop it, she said.
What, I said.
It’s hot outside, she said.
What do you think married people who live in the desert do?
People don’t live in the desert, Linda said.
People live everywhere, I said. That’s obvious. That’s why they’re starting to build all those new houses near our house.
I’m sorry, she said. You can always kiss me. That’s what marriage means.
Whatever you say, I said, and kissed her.
The priests thought we were being very cute, but they had to do their job.
Excuse me, one of them tapped my shoulder. Don’t touch here.
Don’t touch? I asked. Can I look, I joked.
No, he said, this is a sacred place. And then he started laughing. I didn’t know who to believe; the laughing priest, or the serious priest. So I asked him what he meant.
Why do we go up high? He asked us.
To be closer to god or something, Linda said. She was being very cute.
No, he said, to be alone. He watched the turtle walk in front of us very slowly, as if it were waiting for someone.
posted by AQ at 21:41
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