Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Scale
Burke is largely into insignificance: humans as much much
less than specks in a speedily expanding universe.
Hal tells him he's sick of hearing it, and has decided
to make the best of his speckdom by getting a girlfriend.
The old Ford dealer now runs Valley Couples. "I put you
in a Ford, now let me...!"
Hal's just-hatched ad: “Insignificance wants similar for both
to prove greater or lesser.”
Burke pronounces it too romantic. But he, as you've probably
concluded, is nuts.
One reply, so Hal meets her at Just Coffee. The fashion in the
Valley is to name most establishments modestly, but
sociologically. This one aids poor farmers in Central America.
Beats, for Beatrice, drives for Federal Express, Hal for its Brown
Competition: a springboard for a conversation that rushes
until closing.
Other dates with these two, of course. In one, though both
ordinarily eschew detail, they compare contracts.
Then, one night at the Starlight, booze-dreamily explore
living together.
Therefore, the eventual cottage on Appletree Lane, once rural,
but now mostly strip-malls.
Both sets of friends come easily on board, and Burke actually
encounters a woman into Astronomy, and they argue massive
points–-approaching a trillion light-years. Continuously.
The most urban section of the lane holds Appletree Chapel,
and Beats' special buddy, Reverend Nancy Carks.
She marries them a year later. The reception at the Starlight,
where proprietors Mo and Minnie open all the doors to let
the swelling talk out.
The younger folks dance the Ratutsi-Doo right out to the sidewalk
and between parked cars!
Bride and Groom join them, sliding onto the hood of a Subaru.
Some Reception? Yeah!
No babies come, and they never find out why. But Rev Nancy
gets them to adopt Bert and Ernestine, two comically diverse
versions of busy medium-sized mongrels--after an elderly
pair of parishioners addles together to Bide-a-Bit.
Bert and Ernestine have aged alongside everyone else, and no
longer emit a blood-curdling howl when Beats and Hal leave for
work in their uniforms. But take more hugging now.
Labels: astronomy, dating, dating service, dogs, Federal Express, light-years, UPS
