Sunday, October 02, 2005

Road signs



“This way …” she said to me, as the gentle sounds of 2 am breezed by.

Was I being taken for a ride again? Was this another version of the past that I would have to relive? Maybe it was. But I didn’t know that now. So, I went ahead and followed her.

We were lost. But directions had ceased to matter. We were in a strange country. In a strange land. For the first time. Looking for a way. A way to see more. To discover the city. Through a travelers eyes.

“So, this is what they call the thrill of the unknown?” I subconsciously said to her.

She looked back and smiled, “Stop philosophizing, and take in the place.”

A lone car zoomed by. The redness in its tail lights lingered in the horizon, before reducing itself to nothing. The amber lamps cast our shadows. They looked like someone else’s. The shadows were playing tricks. They were plotting.

“Isn’t this where we came in the morning?”

“Yes. But it is different now.”

“Different? It is the same place.”

“Yes. But there were hundreds of people in the morning here. Now there is only us.”

“Now you’re philosophizing.”

Smiles. The small bag is opened. Styrofoam cups are freed off each other. The hip flask comes out. Gentle pouring. Backsides resting on the footpath. Drinks are sipped. The night is lovely.

The gentle sounds of 2 am breeze by. Along with the conversation.


42 comments:

Casablanca said...

Coffee by the road at 2am.. sounds like a must-do :)

Anonymous said...

'Was it another version of the past that I wd hv to relive'...? ....following like an errant child....clinging to you....at every corner in life. The answer....unfortunately... has to be lived to know.(And I thought a hipflask carries a better brew Casa!!)

Anonymous said...

lovely

Jyotsna said...

nostlagia! :)a touch of gentleness here!

the cowlick said...

The amber lamps cast our shadows. They looked like someone else’s. The shadows were playing tricks. They were plotting.
Nice!
It does seem like that, doesn't it in shadows? Heads growing bigger, small funny bodies growing smaller as you travel (in a car) from one lampost to another.. I love looking at my changing head size :) two heads then converging into one.. it's quite entertaining..

Phoenix said...

I like ur sense of imagery..it's really very strong!
somehow i found a phrase or two "extra" here, but forgive me for my uninformed critique. The piece is very nice, as usual.

on another note,i love 2am breezes.

Naina said...

Next time i fall in love (if i ever do...) this is a must to do!
What the Heck even if i dont, sure hope to find a cute guy, game enough to do something so sweet!!
Aw,!!!

The Absolutist said...

randomly landed on your blog...gggggreat pics and amazing imagery!

the cowlick said...

casablanca: coffee from a hip flask? Don't think so..

Extempore said...

"Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree."

-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery


As always, I will hope you forgive the quoting... :)!

Seems a time for gentle smiles, esp at 2 am, A.

small squirrel said...

sometimes lost in a strange land is the best place to be. lost in a strange land with someone who intrigues you is even better.

Pecos Blue said...

I like the way you write. It is like a caress.

Casablanca said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Casablanca said...

Hmmm.. sorry, wasnt aware that was called a hip flask.
Well.. even vodka by the road at 2am sounds like a must-do :)

gulnaz said...

i love the sweetness of this post!! even losing ones way becomes a wonderful experience in the right company. :)

Aradhita said...

This happened to me yesterday... ( I swear no jokes) and I actually stood at the cross roads and felt a Deja Vu feeling sweep over me...

I told the person who was with me abt it, but I dont think he understood...

but u did...howcome?

jaded said...

i want to purr like a satisfied kitten on having read that!
dont know why, but i just felt so content!

Paul said...

You don't hear people putting that into words, yet that really is so nice, and nicely put - out late, light traffic, the sense of space and light and shadow...

thoughts said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
thoughts said...

:).. nice time for a cup of coffee.. and coffee with converstaion - silent or not so silent, is a tough combination to beat !

Prerona said...

very well crafted ... beautiful ... u can almost smell the coffee and the wind!

stella said...

so romantic... i was carried away with the 2 am breeze, the stillness of the night, and two soft voices whispering in the dark. how lovely...

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

beautifuly itimate, I can feel the breeze

chaos said...

going into right direction :)
great going!!

Dreamy Eyed Gal said...

After reading this post really feel like having a cup of coffee at 2am...along with the conversation;-)...and the romance,the feeling that is there in this post

mermaid said...

I feel like I'm reading an excerpt from a sci-fi or fantasy novel, movie. It's always interesting how the "she" character asks many questions, and "he" has simple answers, which both irritate and fascinate her by their concrete and infinite implications.

Elevated said...

Wow! Your entries are amazing!

Ram said...

its a relaxing environment that you create, out of once bustling road and two cups of coffee..nice..

Miss A said...

I always connect to the scenes with men and women. The buddha said that we shouldn't ask pointless questions, when things are what they are and how they got that way doesn't matter. Still, I always wonder about you when I read stuff like this.

{illyria} said...

that was so intimate i almost feel like a voyeur.

Casablanca said...

Sorry .:A:., either I managed to confuse people with the 'coffee' concept, or there are others like me who confuse a hipflask with a flask
:)

Carla said...

the photo has sounds of silence in it. really great work.

Brood Mode said...

i like the setting of the scene. something new, out of the ordinary...

-Poison- said...

real life?

Pincushion said...

Ahhh..to be lost in....!!
:))

G Shrivastava said...

Nice nice...I also want 2 am conversation by the road!

Lorena said...

yes and i also feel that a place feels different depending on the time of day, evening vs night. the lighting.

anyhow, another lovely moment written so well it makes you wish you could read more. that's your talent :)

AmitKen said...

I liked this part of the conversation ... “Now you’re philosophizing.”

it brought a smile on my face, not that this sentence made me happy.. but there was something strange in the way this sentence was said which made me smile.

diana christine said...

this is lovely and sweet, and meaningful on many levels...

Was I being taken for a ride again? Was this another version of the past that I would have to relive?...oh, i love the way this sounds to me perhaps of a man's reaction to a woman's opening lines of a conversation...

Mrudula said...

2 am breeze and a hot cup of coffee...lovely

. : A : . said...

Casablanca, mysterygal - It is a must do!

rusty, the cowlick - It was a better brew. ;-)

ravi - Thanks. Do drop a link if you come by again.

Jyotsna - Yes there is.

the cowlick - Shadows are quite intriguing sometimes. Glad you see that too.

Phoenix - What were the ones which you thought were extra?

Naina, The Absolutist, Elevated, Mrudula - Thanks for dropping by and commenting. Do come by again.

Extempore - Thanks for the quote.

small squirrel, thoughts - Exactly.

Pecos Blue, Paul, Prerona, Sue hardy-Dawson, chaos, MissQt, Ramchi, Ram, patina, Brood Mode, feminine expressions - Thanks.

gulnaz - It most definitely does.

Aradhita - Wow. I don't know the answer to the last bit though. Coincidence?

jaded - :-)

stella - The 2 am breeze does carry you away.

mermaid - Very interesting take on this.

Anne - What did you wonder in this one?

transience - Hhmmm.

Casablanca - No sweat, some people prefer coffee. Both interpretations are correct.

-Poison- - Maybe, maybe not, maybe a mixture of both.

Pincushion - ...?

Geetanjali - Indulge and then write about it. Would love to read.

Lorena - Thanks. Glad you also see the difference.

AmitKen - It made me smile when I wrote it too.

finnegan - I also want to go to Paris. Never been there.

Mykel said...

You have been plagiarized:

http://princeofdamnation.wordpress.com/2006/06/20/at-2am/

If you wish to pursue some form of collective legal action, there are about 8 of us who are affected.

Do contact me at mykelism[at]gmail.com