Dreamland

Sunset and the Late Late Show

I'm younger tonight in dreamland, maybe about 20 years old. The time period feels like mid 1970's. I've got a job in the packaging department at a small factory, working a split shift. I like the hours, I get to sleep in late. Pay's not that great, but I make enough to eat, pay the rent, keep gas in my truck, and have a little left over for a modest supply of weed.

I'm driving home from work. I like to take the back road, around the lake. Takes a little longer, but there's no traffic to deal with. The last stretch of the road is still gravel, down by the swampy side of the lake.

I'm driving by an abandoned cottage with a faded "For Sale" sign barely visible through the weeds in the yard. The sun is just starting to set behind the hills across the lake. I park in dirt drive next to the cottage, get out of my truck, and have a seat atop the weathered picnic table in the yard. A perfect place for an after work smoke break.

I pull a battered chrome pipe from my pocket, put in a couple pinches of Mexican Green, and sit back to enjoy the sunset. It's a real beauty, the warm oranges and pinks swirling slowly across the sky. Birds in the trees are singing their farewell song to the sun as they roost for the night. I enjoy the solitude, the feeling of oneness with nature... Castaneda once wrote of the magic, the power that can be felt at twilight...

My reverie is broken by the sound of tires on gravel. I look over, the "local law authority" has pulled his cruiser in behind my battered Chevy pickup. I quickly hide the pipe before he gets out of his car.

"Evenin' Sheriff. Beautiful sunset, ain't it?"

"You own this property, son?" he asks, already knowing the answer.

"No sir, just stopping by to admire the view."

"You better not be getting any ideas of setting up camp in this dump, we don't allow squatters around here."

"No sir, I got a place in town. I pay my rent."

"Well, you'd best be moving along then."

"Yes sir," I reply, and I head for my truck.

I live in a sort of rundown commune type apartment. It's an old multi-unit building, with most of the doors between the rooms taken out. All of us that split the rent have our own rooms, and we mostly try to respect each other's space. But we share some of the kitchens and bathrooms, because some units have appliances or plumbing that doesn't work right.

I'm sitting on my sofa, drinking herbal tea and watching the late show on the New York channel. It's an old black & white detective movie. I hear footsteps in the hall: "Hey Steve, you awake?"

"Yeah, come on in!" I call back.

Its Sharon, she recently moved into the apartment down the hall. She's pretty skinny, not really the type of woman I'd go after. But she's friendly enough. We sometimes hang out, get high, and watch tv.

"What's on?" she asks.

"Some old detective movie, I think it's Bogart, or maybe William Powell."

"Got any weed?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" I reply, pulling the pipe from my pocket.

The movie gets to the part where the guy takes the femme fatale in his arms and kisses her, with hopes for more to come. He doesn't realize she's slipped him a mickey. She lets go of him as he starts to lose consciousness. "So long, sucker!" she says, as he fall to the floor.

"That looks like fun, you wanna try it?" Sharon says.

"As long as I don't have to hit the floor."

"Oh, I'd never hurt you like that, honey," she says, imitating the smoky seductive voice of the actress.

Sharon takes me in her arms and kisses me, hard. I kiss her back and we continue aour embrace, hands exploring each other's bodies in that age old way. She pushes me down on the couch, on my back. "You're not gonna go unconscious on me, like that guy in the movie are you?" she jokes.

"No, in fact I'm very much awake," I reply, looking playfully down at the obvious reaction I'm having.

I tug at her jeans as she lifts her t-shirt over her head. Soon she's on top of me, but all too soon it's over.

"I'm sorry I couldn't hold back," I say. "It's been awhile for me and..."

"Shhhh.." she says, placing her finger on my lip. "It's alright... We can take our time when we go for seconds, We've got all night."

I'm glad I don't have to get up early for work.

We sit back and share a cigarette. "You got anything to eat?" Sharon asks.

"I got some burgers in the fridge, but my stove doesn't work. Mr. Ito down the hall usually lets me use his. But it's kinda late, I don't want to wake him up."

"Please? If you make me a burger for dinner I'll give you a special dessert," she says, licking her lips playfully."

"OK, but we have to be very very quiet."

Sharon slips on her panties and t-shirt, and I put on my underwear. Although nudity is somewhat acceptable in the building, I'm not comfortable walking naked between apartments.

We grap the burgers and utensils. We sneak into Mr. Ito's kitchen and start cooking, trying to be quiet. But we end up teasing and tickling to make each other giggle, like little kids in church. The idea that making noise is forbidden somehow makes it all the more irresistable.

Then Mr. Ito walks into the kitchen. "What are you kids up to?" he asks sleepily

"Sorry, Mr. Ito. I didn't mean to wake you. We were really hungry so..."

"That's ok, I understand, You've got to keep up your strength," he says, grinning knowingly.

He opens his fridge. "You'll need something to wash down those burgers."

He hands me a couple of Japanese beers. "You kids enjoy, I'm going back to sleep."

"Thanks Mr. Ito, I appreciate it," I reply.

Sharon Picks up the plate with the burgers, And we head down the hall back to my apartment.

I can't wait for dessert...