Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Sunshine

I waited in the middle of the parking lot, out of the way as best as I could for fear of falling asleep and being hit by some newbie of a teenage driver causing me physical damage and perhaps scarring his or her psyche for life.  Fool that I am, I forgot to ask what car Solange drove.  I had no idea what to look for or where exactly to be.  Lucky enough the parking lot isn't too big and flat, so I had a pretty good view of the onslaught of high schoolers escaping another day of readin n writin n arithmatic.  I bolted early from my last class to be sure I wasn't late.  It was rather easy for me to leave classes at any time.  Being inflicted with narcolepsy, I got away with sleeping all the time, and leaving to see the 'nurse' or to' lie down' whenever the mood struck me.

It felt like hours waiting for her.  Not sure how long it was, but spent the time standing and sitting and leaning and fidgeting.  I swear I could hear my pulse and was sweating way to much for the moderate seventy or so degree weather we were blessed with that day.  My mind was racing.  I really didn't want to fall asleep and the more keyed up I felt the more I knew I'd drop into elsewhen since emotional peaks seemed to be a dependable trigger.

As luck would have it, I only slumbered off once and spent some time at the Musee D'Orsay for a couple of hours.  I like that museum and figure I transported myself there just thinking of Solie's beauty and the words she spoke earlier that day.  Museums are another place I try to constantly think about as I have found them as safe and oft times more entertaining than libraries and movie theaters.

Solange glided up to me and led me to her Camaro.  Well walked I guess, but she seemed graceful enough to be gliding.  It only took a couple of minutes to reach Sunsine Doughnuts, but it felt longer.  I felt like a dunce filled with cotton mouth, answering her pleasantries of weather observations and polite questions of how my day was with mumbled "huh"s "um"s and "fine"s.  It didn't seem to bother her though, as she kept that striking smile shining the whole way and started to just talk about her day without riddling me with more questions.  We pulled up and parked next to the coolest two wheeled vehicles I had ever layed eyes on in the present:  a tricked out Vespa that looked like it could have been ridden from the set of Quadrophenia and a vintage Indian motorcycle that looked as new as the ones I'd seen during my travels to the first half of the twentieth century.

Before we got out of the car, Solange warned me that her friends Crash and Rob were there and that we'd have to spend sometime getting through introductions and shooting the scheisse before we'd get a chance to get to know each other better.

"Hi Solange, who's the twerp with ya?" a leather clad crew cut bearing voice called out.
"Hey Rob!"  Solange hollared back, "The twerp answers to Jed and I'd appreciate you forgo any further name calling until I get to know him better."
"Fair enuf" replied a slick shark skin suit.  "Please to meet you Jed, I'm Crash.  Don't worry about Rob.  He may bark but he never bites.  Can  you get me another cup of coffee when you're in there Solange?
"Sure thing Crash, anything for you Rob?"
"I'm all set thanks" Rob replied in a jovial tone.

As we left Rob and Crash sitting outside at one of the wooden tables, Solange appeased my nervousness that must have been blatantly obvious.
"Don't worry about the two of them.  They may be old but their still fun. They're cool once you get to know them.  Rob's a wanna be beat, who's spent the last five years attending Cal Poly.  Still don't think he has a major yet.  Crash's a reformed drug dealer biding his parole washing dishes.  He considers himself a ladies man and he can be entertaining to watch whenever a new female face happens across his path.  Don't know his real name, got the nick name Crash for totalling his last three Vespas.  He's harmless, and great fun once you make it clear you're not interested him sexually.  Don't suppose you'd have that problem, being a member of the unfortunate sex after all.  Both of them bus and wash at Michael's deli where I work part time waiting tables to pay for gas and fabric.  My love for fashion isn't cheap.  Regrettably, I couldn't fall in love with a cheaper hobby like matchbook collecting or somesuch."

After purchasing three cups of coffee and a half dozen of French crullers for the bunch of us, we returned outside and joined Rob and Crash at the table.
"Where'd you meet Solange Jed?"  Crash asked as he artfully finished lighting his and Rob's Lucky Strikes flicking his Zippo closed withs a snap.
"At school."  I replied flatly before coughing at the plumes of smoke encroaching my lungs.
Solange  deftly interrupted what could only end up being a truly inane conversation.  "Sorry folks, it seems Jed is adverse to your nic habit, besides the two of us need to spend some time getting to know each other.  So if you'll excuse us, please avail yourselves to a couple of crullers and we'll beat a hasty retreat inside where we can carry on without the two of you."
"Sorry Jed."  Rob replied as he placed a couple of pastries onto a napkin resting between Crash and himself, "Hope Solange here will allow us a chance to meet you further in the future."
"Yup, think I can go smokeless long enough to get the latest scoop of the hows and wherefores of a high school youth next time you grace our presence" Crash interjected.
"Nice meeting you" I politely replied, thankful to be escaping the opportunity to spend an afternoon being riddled by questions from two men who were obviously older and much cooler than myself.

After snagging a table in the corner inside the relatively empty and dingy but sweet smelling Sunshine Doughnuts, Solange took a bite of her cruller, sipped her coffee.  Staring over the brim of the paper cup, Solange smiled and said "So tell me more about your time travelling."
"Not sure what to tell."  I warily replied.
"Well for starters. . . Where and when do you go?  Do you have a favorite place or time? "

I'll spare you the details of my response.  It's not like I can remember exactly what I replied or exactly what she asked, it has been over a year anyway.  Besides, I think I was too distracted by being with her to remember much of anything other than how cool her hand looked as she held the cup of coffee, fingernails short with an odd beauty mark next to the cuticle of her ring finger.  Suffice it to say, I told her what I mentioned earlier.  At first, I was rather short with my answers but as her interest became more apparent and as I began to relax with the fact that I could actually hold a conversation with a beautiful girl, I became more expressive and open with my answers.

She wondered if I travelled when sleeping at night and I replied that I didn't think so and that I don't really have any conscious memory of anything occuring while I'm asleep at night dreams or travels what have you.

When she asked if I had ever tried to change significant events in the past, I explained that I hadn't really mastered being all there physically when travelling and that the one time I did try didn't work to well.  I had tried to stop the assassination of Lincoln.  I know, talk about lofty ambitions. Unfortunately, the only thing that happened is that I slightly startled Boothe causing his fall from the box to be a clumsy one, that and to scare Mrs Lincoln into screaming.  Contrary to reports, when I was there anyway the scream occured before the gunshot not afterwards.  Solange asked if I had tried again and I informed her as far as I could tell I wasn't able to travel to the same time and place more than once.

The conversation went on and as I described some of my clumsy appearances at various famous events, I was able to make her laugh a number of times.  I love Solie's laughter, it's full bodied and strong and yet feminine as warm as her hands when the caress your arm or clutch your neck.  It really felt good to talk about my affliction, cathartic even and think I could have talked all night if it weren't for niggling aspects of reality like curfews set by worrisome parents.

Before offering me a ride home, Solange did manage to ask two last questions which explained her initial interest and ultimately has led to my current predicament.
Off handedly Solange asked "Have you ran into any other time travellers?'
Taken a bit off guard, I took a moment to think about it for I had never really kept an eye out for others in my predicament, too distracted by the places people and times i ended up experiencing. 
"I'm not sure if I could tell if someone were a time traveller if he or she were there completely physically.  I hadn't really thought about it, but thinking back to the major events I've gone out of my way to witness like Kennedy's assassination and Coltrane's live performance of 'Love Supreme',"  I just had to throw in Coltrane still wanting to sound cooler and suaver than I could possibly be "I think I did see some other ghost like characters gawking as well.  So, yeah, I guess I have witnessed other time travelling folks."

Solange smiled at that grabbed her coat and rose to leave.  "Wulp let's get you home.  It's never a good idea to aggravate the elderly responsible for your room and board.  I just have one last question.  Don't answer now.  Just think about it and we can talk more tomorrow.  Assuming of course you'd like to see me again."
I blushed at the thought of spending more time with Solange and replied perhaps faster and louder than I would prefer "OF COURSE, I'd LOVE to see you again"

Solange chuckled "Super bonne!  What I want to know tomorrow is, can you teach me?  Do you think you could take me with you when you travel, teach me to do what you do?"
I started to deny the very possibility but Solange quickly put her finger to my lips and shushed me in the ear as she gave me a quick peck on my lucky lobe.
"Shhh, don't reply now, just think about it."

After she dropped me off with another round of cheek kisses I entered the humble apartment I called home briefly said hello to my folk, and feeling sated by the doughnuts quickly made my escape to my room where I blissfully laid down thought about the afternoon and looking forward to tomorrow, a feeling I hadn't had before, started ruminating about Solange questions.  My mind distracted by her query and my body still tingly from her presence I easily drifted off into sleep.

[Jed actually wrote a bit more than what I transcribed, but it's pure drivel about how cool my sister is, how magical it was to see her lift a doughnut to her mouth, what a wonderful eyebrow she has, gag gag gag.  Yes my sister is cool but no one needs to be subjected to the syrupy words of nerdy teenage boy, that's what journals are for you moron.
Anyway, I should be getting more of this drivel over the weekend, I'm not seeing him but his aunt said she'd pick up whatever he has to give me.  Already wondering if this is all pointless, but when it's your one and only favorite sibling you're talking about I guess I will see this through.  Have a great week everyone, and wish me luck, have a meet at aTRASHcadero this weekend, don't think they stand a chance against us kick ass Seahawks though!  Toodle's  S'Sis ]

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Solange

So there I was, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible during lunch hour, my back against a tree sitting cross legged head lolling in unison with my gaping drooling mouth.  I came back from a fun evening of theater in the village in the twenties to find myself facing Solange.  She was mirroring me, sitting cross legged and staring intently at me, sans the lolling head and drool covered face.  She looked fabulous, dressed in an outfit that looked like it was stolen from the set of a Audrey Hepburn flick.  Her hair was dyed a deep eggplant purple with her lips just a shade brighter.

As I came too, I felt a little frightened.  I mean what's a beautiful junior doing staring at the likes of a lowly freshling like myself.  I'd never met Solie before.  Not surprising, how could you expect the likes of me to rub elbows or even be introduced to a beautiful, oh so classy, upper classman such as herself.  I'm not sure who spoke first.

If I remember correctly, I said something like "ugh, gurggle um, slurp" as I wiped the drool from my lips. 
With a slight crinkle in her brow and smile in her voice, Solange said "When were you?"  Well she said "Where were you?" but I heard "when."

I'm not sure if it was the shock of being spoken to or the transfixed awe I felt looking into her deep eyes. Whatever it was, I told her.  I hadn't really told anyone of my travels at least not for a long while anyway.  I told my parents once or twice sure.  That was over a decade ago and each time I confessed, they just ignored me or struck my words up as a flight of fanciful imagination on the part of their quiet unprecocious child.  Tried telling my doctor once too.  Quickly nipped that in the bud.  You can tell when someone is starting to think you're insane and Doc had those don't get any closer eyes growing big as he leaned back and started to reach for the phone.  Anyway, after a some bouts with a couple of psych loving counselors, whom I avoided any information of substance and skirted from telling any tales of my travels until they were able to tell my 'rents I was fine, just a tad imaginative and a bit reclusive but fine, I made the decision to keep my affliction to myself.  It seemed easier to let folks believe I'm only sleeping and perhaps dreaming, not smelling the espresso at Cafe Reggio or listening to Beats rant in North Beach.

 - Ever listen to "I'm only sleeping" by the Beatles?  I wonder if John was able to travel through time too?

Anywhat, I told Solange where and when I was.  Think I might of stuttered, most certainly mumbled a bit, but she seemed to hear me.  Rather than laugh, Solange paused seemed to actually believe me and said "Vache Sainte!"
Then in reaction to the bell tolling to get all us cattle back into class "Merde! Well Jed, It is Jed Right? I'd like to hear more, meet me in the parking lot after school.  I'll treat you to a French doughnut at Sunshine and you can expound."
It seemed more like an order than a request.  Besides with her looks, I'd follow her most anywhere.  So I said something oh so cool like "uh great, I'll be there, yeah! See you after class."
"Magnifique!" she replied with a smile, kissed my cheek and wandered off.   Didn't wash that cheek until the next morning, kind of felt tingly all over when thinking about it.  Must have looked funny wandering around all numb automaton like with the ghost of purple lips enblazoned upon my cheek.

[  Sis did have a habit of slinging around French a lot.  Both of us are trilingual, we can speak French and German in addition to English thanks to our foreign born folks.  Sol was better at French but I still claim to be the better German speaker.  As for her clothes, S'lange was an awesome seamstress!  She'd promised to make me a flapper dress for my first high school home coming darn it.  Still trying to decide if it would be too creepy to raid her closet for a garment suitable enough to look classy while getting my groove on.  Don't think she'd mind.   She is beautiful, although looking a bit like her I might be bias.  So I'm not surprised at Jed's reaction.  I still can't understand why she'd talk to the likes of nerdy old Jed.  But she did seem to have the habit of collecting 'freaks and geeks' as part of her harem, so I guess talking to Jed wasn't too much of a stretch.  I miss eating doughnuts with my sister dern it all, if she isn't dead I wish she'd come back!
Looks like my netbook's running out of  juice, and I suppose I should do some semblance of the homework I've been assigned.  So boring, wish me luck!  Not sure i can keep my eyes open, just cracking the book is a snoozer! ]  

Sunday, August 22, 2010

I see dead people

That's right, you heard me, I time travel.  Whenever my affliction of random sleep kicks in, I'm  not snoozing but transporting to other times.  Well I guess I'm sleeping.  As far as I can tell my body is still here drooling and snoring and mumbling away.  I think it's possible to get my body else when.  Pretty sure Solange managed that, but I haven't figured out how yet. I've got a good idea of how.  I just can't duplicate it.  So when you're seeing a lump of brown haired gangly armed body flesh, I'm seeing things from the past.


As far as I can tell I've been doing it all my life.  While my folks assumed I was insolent or suffering from ADD and not paying attention, I was sleeping traveling to times and places unrecognized and scary to a child of the twenty-first century.  Thank you Dr. K for finally offering a correct diagnosis and getting me off that cornacopia of Adderal, Methylin, Daytrana, and a plethora of other drugs I oh so wish I could forget.


From what I can figure, I can travel to any time before I was born, and can't seem to travel to any time or place where there aren't human beings wandering around.    Sorry all you paleontologists out there, I can't provide any first hand accounts of breakfast with T-Rex.  Nor am I able to travel to the future, so much for cashing in on the state lottery.  Sure would have helped with the trial expenses.  


Where I travel seems linked to whatever I'm thinking about when the narcoleptic sandman comes a knock knock knockin.  The experience is rather surreal.  Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Dali didn't have the time travelling knack i've been cursed with, some of his paintings remind me of the feelings I experience when falling into other times.  


It feels sort of like a flickering light, a rickety subway train speeding past lights that flash through your view. Can't really say how long it takes may be an instant, but it feels like ages and no time at all before I find my self elsewhen.  Once then, I feel like a ghost.  I can smell things, feel and taste things, hear things, but can't really hold anything for long if at all.  How solid I feel, once I arrive, seems linked to the emotional state I was in when I pass out.  The happier, the sadder, the more scared or shocked I am, the more there there I feel.  There are even times when the now long dead people I come across can see me. Think this may explain all those ghost or alien sightings.  Not that I don't believe in the paranormal mind you.  Heck, how can a guy who time travels doubt the paranormal.  I'm just saying I often look like an apparation when making my journeys, sometimes a more solid apparation then others.  How long I stay differs.  It isn't directly linked to how long I'm asleep.  This I know, for I've spent a week wandering the halls of the Library of Congress while sleeping for mere minutes, and just glimpsed the Bridgette Bardot's bedroom for seconds while being conked out for hours.  Haven't really kept meticulous track time wise.  Why don't you try keeping an eye on your watch constantly waiting to pass out.  It's not easy and far from fun.  It does seem I stay longer elsewhen when I'm interested in where I'm at or emotionally worked up with what I'm witnessing.  "Why only a few seconds in the bedroom" you query?  No Bridgette there alas.


I have been seen by some people.  For example, I have even caused a horrific accident once making a car swerve into another when I appeared on the intersection of Bowery and Bleeker in NYC. Sue me for thinking of CBGBs, can you blame a teenager with a fine ear for kick ass rock.  Hope this doesn't burst any bubbles or anything, but since I've caused such accidents and come back to the present with nothing changed, I don't think a butterfly's wing flapping makes much of a difference.  The way I figure it, there's a bunch of us, myself included more than likely, who don't mean a thing, even if we got that swing.  Sorry to break it to ya, but I'm betting most of our existence are irrelevant.  It might be the cell walls talking though.


Travelling to whenever I'm thinking of has made life hard.  I hate history classes.  Reading and hearing about war is one thing.  Finding yourself amid the thick of it is another.  So I try to tune out history as it seems top heavy with war, depression, treks and camps of death.  As a kid I was enamored by the likes of Boone and Crockett and Bowie.  That faded fast when I found myself between Mexico and the Alamo as canon and gun fire flew over and through me.  Remember the Alamo?  If you don't mind, I'll leave that to the rest of America.  Thinking of the future or fantastic things like dragons or galaxies far far away is far from good.  When I try, it's a crap shoot.  I end up in places I have no control of like a latrine in a Reb encampment, outside Gettysburg I think, or in Anne Mcaffrey's office.


I also haven't the knack with languages and finding myself on the Montparnasse in the Twenties for example, might sound cool but is far from it.  As great as it might sound to witness Man Ray argue with Kiki there's no fun when you can't understand a word flung as they banter back and forth.


It hasn't been all that bad.  I've learned to focus my thoughts on fun things like concerts of yore - Woodstock is 'mind blowing' live.  When all else fails, I think of old movie theaters or libraries.  Both seem the safest places to end up in.  There's nothing like spending time among sharp dressed folks out on the town for a night at the Pantages in L.A. or the Paramount in Oakland.  I've rubbed elbows of a sort with many famous folk of yesteryear crashing Academy Award banquets, and am not ashamed to say it have ogled at a number of bombshells of yore.  Hey, I'm a teenager and a guy, can you blame me?  My curious ability has helped with school too.  Nothing like listening in on Steiglitz talk about Nude Descending Staircase at the Armory show and transcribing his words into paper form to ace an essay assignment for art class.  Thanks Alfred.  Yeah, I know it's probably all plageristic, but heck it's for a high school class and gotta be better than copying from some dated encyclopedia.  


Since the more emotional I am the more I am there when traveling, I've tried to keep myself as numb as possible. To be on the safe side, I try to remain all zen and calm focusing on my breathing - boring but sort of serene.  With no friends to speak of, I didn't have to worry of exciting birthday parties or friendly spats with my 'bf's.  At school, it's a lot of staring at the grass or desks and thinking about whenever or whomever I want to be or see. 


So a snap shot of my oh so fabulous unstuck life would be breakfast of toast and fruit.  After a while waking up with your face in a bowl of cereal gets tedious.  Once I've fortified myself for a day of unsocial life at SLO senior high, SLOSH, I droned as best as I could teenage hell, surrounded by classmates I didn't know talking about events and things I couldn't experience.  I suppose I must have looked like a glazed eyed automaton, not very friendly I assume.  Can't really blame the world.  I'm betting I appeared pretty stand offish and wasn't very receptive to those that approach me.  It really isn't any fun trying to hold a conversation when the subjects are things I can't or don't want to experience and the banter of talk is interrupted inopportunely by lulls caused by my passing out.   Trying to think kindly of others, I suppose it must be really off putting to experience some one falling asleep right when you are expounding upon the trials and tribulations of trying to get onto the debate team.


Anyway, I was resigned and almost fine with the fact of living a deadened life in the present.  At times even happy.  Until that fabglorious day, when I awoke from a slumber spent at Provincetown Playhouse  enjoying a production of Aria da Capo to find the desirous deep chocolate eyes of Solange staring at me.

Friday, August 20, 2010

a bit about me

Thanks Em for agreeing to do this.   My lawyer has advised against this, seeing as the verdict is on appeal, but  I want to set the record straight and not sure how else to do this.  Besides, I  figure how else can i get help in finding Solie, now that the hunt has peetered out.  Everyone's looking in the wrong time anyway.  Yes, I meant to say time not place, more on that later.  First a bit about me and then a bit about Solange for why would anyone care or try to look if you don't know anything about the missing or wrongfully incarcerated.  I'm really surprised it didn't make the papers or news channels, but figure oil spillages, war, first amendment issues all make better headlines.

[ Don't thank me Jed, or rather you can thank me if you're telling the truth and Solange is found, besides you just highlighted something I hadn't thought about, your lawyer telling you not too and all, and perhaps this is a win win, if you're lying perhaps you're rants will work against you and you'll be kept locked up like you deserve.  ]

Any who, my name is Jed.  I'm a plain, still pimply, faced, slimly built sixteen year old locked up in solitary confinement in federal prison.  Why federal prison and not juvie?  Good question.  I guess the courts in their infinite wisdom felt it best I be tried as an adult so there you go I'm locked up with all the rest of dem der hardened criminals, taken from the hollowed halls of San Luis High and placed in the far from hollow walls of Salinas Valley.  Lucky for me, I've got the pleasure of solitary confinement with daily closely supervised outside time where I can enjoy the pleasure of the sun and fresh air.  Why solitary? So glad you asked.  They couldn't, or rather my lawyer thankfully insured they couldn't, very well place me in a cell with other criminals or let me share a table with other murderers, when at anytime i could doze off and be helpless to whatever they might do to me.
What's that doze off? Ah yes the intricate part of my character and key to Solange's disappearance - I suffer from narcolepsy and fall into sleep at the most inopportune times.  Can't really control it, it just happens 10-upteenth times a day.  I've generally stopped counting, despite the doctors' recommendation, when I was five.
Actually I wouldn't call it suffering.  Yes, it has put a cramp on any sort of social life, no sports or driving for example.  You try running or swimming or swinging, when you could pass out anytime.   I do look rather stupid on the dance floor falling down when the beat is getting everyone to jump up, and i'd guess even stupider drooling on my desk as the teach is delving into why really so much does depend upon that rain glazed red wheel barrow being shadowed by chickens.  Anyway, despite my ailment making me a social pariah, a butt for badly told jokes, and personal plaything for any bully looking for a distraction, all in all I'd say I've lucked out.  After all, it did lead me into meeting Solange and opened up a world I doubt many of you have seen.  You see, rather than sleep, when I pass out, I time travel.

[Gotta go, if i'm late again for swim practice the coach will kill me]

INTRODUCTION

I'm not sure if I believe a word Jed says, but on the off chance that he's telling the truth and my sister isn't dead, I've gone ahead and created a blog to post what Jed has to say in the hopes that this might help find Solange.  Don't see how really.  Everyone has written her off for dead.  Even me at times.  Still, you can't fault a fourteen year old girl for not giving up hope that her big sis isn't dead and that perhaps Jed isn't insane and what he claims is true.
Anywhat, I can't tell how often I'll be able to transcribe his words, after all starting out high school is no pic-a-nic, and i have to hide all this from the 'rents who wouldn't approve.  Besides as you can imagine it's hard to get into prison to see a lifer.  This wouldn't be possible at all if it weren't for Jed's pleas and his sneaky aunt who has agreed to pose as my parent whenever visiting.
Oh did i forget to mention Jed is in prison for killing my sister.  Well he is, and although my sister's body hasn't been found, the evidence was purty darn damning.  Anywhat from meeting him and reading what he has said so far i can't help but hope.
Feel free to let me know if i'm way off base, but I think I'll try to see this through until S'langey is found, her body at least, or until i get bored of this, or until i get underwelmed by Spanish class, or  . . . cross your fingers world, until i finally get Eric to ask me out on a date and i get way too busy going out having fun to practice my secretarial typing skills.