Just Another Saturday Night

Computer Virus. Ray will clean it up when he gets home, until then...

Chuck is home. He and Natalie sleep in his room. It is a room off another room, it was an office. My office. At one time it was nicely outfitted with a unique desk, chairs, credenza, lamps, bookcase. It is now his bedroom and it is a mess. We moved him up to this room to prepare the room downstairs for a tenant. That tenant turned out to be Richa.

Richa is from northern India. She is petite, not skinny, thin, brown-skinned, hair cut in a bob, almond eyes, lilting voice, easy laughter, good humor, intelligent, kind. Love changed her life.

Saturday night she came upstairs, to the main floor from her room, sat on the fireplace ledge and we visited while I was sorting through bills. She was bored. "Well why don't we go see a movie?", she agreed and online we found the Ragtag schedule and decided to go see "A Serious Man", the new Coen brothers film. It was ten minutes to six and the movie started at six-thirty. We hurridly changed and went. The five minute drive downtown was inauspicious, we talked, laughed. Downtown Saturday night was exceptionally busy. Large commercial buses, cars, and people crowded the streets. But on Hitt street there was a prime parking spot. "This is meant to be"..I was delighted.

It was a short walk to the theatre, only a single block. Inside it was warm and busy. People standing, chatting. Kyle was manning the ticket booth. He is tall, boyish, runner-thin, good natured, wonderful heart, sly lopsided smile. I introduced him to Richa. He sold me my ticket discounted.

After the movie we went to Schnuck's which is a grocery store where there are aisles and aisles of spirits. "Bubbly wine?", I asked. "Sure." And then some snacks. I bought three different brands of the wine. "We'll have a taste test!"

Arriving home, the house was dark, quiet. Going to the kitchen I opened the cheapest bottle first and which was, we agreed, the best. I sat on the couch and Richa on the fireplace ledge, on a pillow. We drank and talked and watched a movie until we were tired and she went to bed. Dylan was home with two of his friends, Alayna and Taylor, they were on the third floor hanging out in his room. I was fixing a midnight snack as they passed by the kitchen, going home to their respective families and curfews. Dylan returned to the kitchen and we visited briefly before he went to bed. Returning to the livingroom, I curled up on the couch and watched the remainder of "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", a french film that I love.

How wonderful is life!

"The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.." Psalm 97:1