Augustines recently made it into my music collection, and the credit goes to the lovely Erin Covey.  The band’s self-titled album has not left my CD player since last Sunday.  It is that amazing. 

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She can bullshit her way into any situation.  The only exception would be a cow pasture.  Then again, she avoids any open situation that involves putting oneself out there.

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“‘Is Anybody Taking Any of This Down?’  Yes.”

He strolled into the cafe with a mission, which was clarified by boisterously ordering a coffee to his qualifications.  A prince!  There is much importance to his demeanor.  And he descended the stairs swiftly, smoothly, as if he had sat on the railing and slid down with his arms outstretched.  It would be a bold, confident display to boost nothing aside his arrogance.  His greasy, combed hair topped the assumption of his heritage stemming from the European-Mediterranean area.   Do to his appearance, he may not have as much money, for his hair wasn’t appropriately cut or trimmed.  A person with such an aura would not let this unkempt aspect come to such length.

The salesman uniform approach did his personality–painted on as thick as it was confusing–justice.  The black coat, gray pants, light brown shoes had been the icing on the cake.  After removing the coat, the top layer was white with light blue lines, which clustered at points.  The tie, it’s background, was a darker light blue and it presented a different pattern with more shades of blue and some purple.  The brown belt allowed the shoes to look more tan, and the black socks showed the roots of the foundation had rotted.

His friend, who had saved a table for their discussion, didn’t stand up, and they slightly greeted.  An apprehensiveness was felt, but there was uncertainty about the source of where this cloud emanated from.  The seat saver spoke in hushed tones while his friend overcompensated.  His jittery behavior, the inability to sit still, began to wear away the protective coating of the seat.  The accent of hearty guffaws and thigh slaps shook the vicinity to the point where eyes rolling back could not be controlled.  He laughed at himself as much as Letterman had laughed at himself for his entire television existence.

He looked around, shifting in his seat, as he asked deaf ears, “Is anybody taking any of this down?”  For a very brief speck of time, eye contact had been made with someone.  He blatantly played off of his narcissism with hope that someone other than his reserved friend was paying attention to his crazed neurosis.  To say his friend was giving him the desired attention is generous.  The attention received was yet not good enough. The greed, desire grew with the minutes.

At one point, he held the coffee cup to his lips, and it waited there, lip-to-lip, gratuitous inanimate PDA, for a couple minutes.  The PG relationship was interrupted by another laugh, which was accented with the spitting out of coffee.  Bravo to quick thinking, and please issue the slow clap for this fellow to put the time and effort to strategically sip coffee after a so-called, unheard funny statement and delay his laugh simply for appearance.

The file folder upon the table contained something less important than perceived.  The Salesman–this designation is now officially capitalized–picked it up and held it like the Holy Grail, waving it at bent-arms-length.  Lookeeeee what I got heeeeere, as if to say.  However, it was placed upon the table again, and his phone replaced the old technology.  Pictures were shown on the apparatus to the tune of, “Isn’t This Great?  Isn’t This Great?!?“

Where the powers of potential energy (disinterest) met kinetic energy (delusional obnoxious excitement), and explosion erupted to incinerate both of them into nothing.  The chairs fell over as a result of their spontaneous departure.

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Her personality outsmarted her outfit.  She came into the room with a wide smile and bright eyes.  The fact that she was wearing a green tutu with gold and silver glitter did not faze anyone.  Her genuine humanity compelled everyone who knew her to draw near for a hello and delightful conversation.

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The Departure.  Before packing up his papers and pens, before stowing away his laptop.  before donning his scarf and before throwing on his coat… he stood up, he placed his sunglasses on.

*     *     *

 The day was begun with a smile.  Stepping to the car showed grace and vitality, and getting into the seat was smooth.  A Tribe Called Quest mix was placed in the CD player, and “Electric Relaxation” was turned up before the car was shifted into reverse.  Without hesitation the car was granted a healthy jump before backing into a garbage can.

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A Personal Note

The Opus posts.  Unlike the “In-Between” posts, they aren’t supposed to relate or continue with one another.  They were written that way and with enough time between the first movement and the second to prevent association from happening.  However, once revisiting them it’s can be seen that there is a potential for the posts to play off each other.

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It can be questioned, it should be allowed, you know the questioning of oneself, about situations.  There is a validation toward people as well.  How’s and Why’s.  Captivation is poignant and fragile.  You want to handle generated affection–as intangible as it is–with care.  The questioning of affection should also be allowed.  There is no staring into this person’s eyes.  There is no hand holding.  With these two basic facts known, it’s obvious there has been no dates and certainly no kiss.  It doesn’t bother not acknowledging the looming wonderment of what could be:  how being in their presence would continue to feel like, how the other’s eyes can intimidate you enough to look away and immediately return to them for the opportunity to valiantly display your nervousness repeatedly, how their hand would sit–during the idle times–and fit–during the walks, dances–in yours, and this grouping can include the simple hug that measures height and warmth while faces rest cheek-to-cheek to each other.  A personal jealousy of yourself is developed about the fact of not being at a certain point at all.  This adoration of feeling this itching allows you to feel more alive.  And you look at yourself as if you were someone else.  You want to be at this point, and every successful step will never good enough as the next one that follows.   So, what else is there to do while biding your time and hoping.  Smiling.

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A healthy guess is that they are on a second date.  She is still nervous, constantly crossing her legs in different poses.  He keeps leaving the table to answer phone calls.  After coffee talk, they both stand slowly and walk out silently.

He returns an hour and minutes later, he’s empty handed and alone.

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Patience is a virtue.  Thank you to the family at the table next to me for helping me believe in myself.  Thank you for playing with the cap of the glass soda bottle and the Snapple bottle cap.  Thank you for spinning it upon the table, and thank you for sliding it across the table.  Thank you for staring over at me.  Thank you, father and teenage son, for sliding the soda cap off the table numerous times to have it land by my feet, and you’re welcome for my not stepping on it to claim it as mine before throwing it away.  Thank you to the father, who felt it appropriate to spin the Snapple cap for about 45 minutes, and you’re welcome for me composing myself to not take it from you before throwing that away.  You’re welcome for crossing paths with a strong and patient individual who did not scold you like children and for not slapping your hands with a ruler.