Inhale

Inhaling, the drawing in and holding for a moment. The time between death and resurrection. Everything held in abeyance. And how do we use this special time, this time of uncertainty? We go shopping.

I have planned today carefully, taking in the numerous small shops we needed to visit because Ben has left everything until the last moment, but then I replanned it, putting everyone out, because Lori rang and asked if we wanted to go for Dim Sum. Oh yes I did. First we had to take Laurence to the RCMP station to report that his PR card was missing. Every time I have had to go to the Police Station, it has been a nasty hectic mess of people, so I anticipated even worse on a Saturday, but no, we were seen right away and the process took five minutes. This of course made me look bad since I'd assured the boys we'd be there for hours and it was a dreadful inconvenience.

Dropped them off at the mall and went to meet Lori and Perry in the Chinese shopping centre, Aberdeen Mall. They have a dancing fountain in there, which spurts and shimmers in time to eighties dance music. This is where we were to meet them, but as ever, the parking was disturbing and they were late. By the time we got to the Dim Sum place, it was heaving and there was a half hour wait. I had arranged to meet the boys afterwards so we didn't have time. And then we're circling all the Chinese, Japanese, Korean fast-food places, ending up with something vaguely noodley and ricey.

Then I had to get out of the car park on my own. It's Kafkaesque, it truly is. You go round and round, the exit sign points in every direction, you know you started on floor two but you have now driven around about five floors. It all looks the same. You think a panic attack may be coming on and then suddenly there's a man directing and a sign that says -> Cambie.
It felt like an hour, but in reality it only took me ten minutes.

And there's a bloody fair in town. It has set up in one of the other overcrowded car parks. It caused chaos, darkness and microcosmic global warming. I remembered why I hate driving. Driving stinks, it sucks, it's hot and sweaty and wherever you're going is always in the opposite direction.
Until I found myself in one of those nerdy, geeky shops. Ernest blokes who know everything about all superheroes and every move in Dungeons and Dragons. Shelves stacked with graphic novels and models of Succubi, so high to the ceiling that they have to supply a step stool to reach everything. The geeks hung around in groups, spying on you, wondering what your credentials for being in their shop were. My credentials are two large sons, one who looks like part of the Staines Massive, the other, half-mast trousered rocker.

We didn't buy anything, but then I got the impression that people went to that shop to inhale. To take in the ambiance. To share communion with others of similar tastes.

I've lost track of time on this four-day weekend. It's 18.30, it feels like midday. I eat and sleep as and when.

But right now, after all that sitting in the car, I have hot cross buns.