When the world stands still
The silence is only disturbed by the low hums of the microwave and the fans. I press the button and open the microwave before the timer rings out. No sense waking anyone else after all, in the dead silence of the house the microwave sounds about as loud as smoke alarm.
I slide the mug of hot water onto the counter top and drop the bag of "Sleepytime" tea into the mug to let it steep. I hear the soft steps on the carpet and turn to look at a sleepy Jack Russell Terrier looking up at me. Sammy's green eyes are fixed on my mug.
"It's not food...it's tea"
She greets me with a sarcastic sounding snort, then slowly walks to me with her head down so I will scratch her ears.
"That's my good pig."
She snorts again, this time a content snort.
"It looks like I left the balcony door open again," I go over to close it but instead I open it for a moment and walk out on the balcony and look down the quiet deserted streets of my town.
In a few hours the streets will be filled with cars, people walking their dogs, and people driving like mad to get work.
Not now though, the night is still and silent. The occasional light down the street is the only thing that would suggest other people even live around here. It is that quiet time between night and sunrise when the whole world falls silent. The night animals have gone to sleep, and the animals of the day haven't woken up yet.
Sammy makes a whimpering panting sound from inside the house.
"Come on out Sam," I whisper to her as the clicking of her claws answer back to me when she walks onto the wooden balcony. She stands next to me and then sits by my hand and gives it a soft lick to let me know she is there.
In another town years ago I would walk outside my house and watch the stars. I can rarely see the stars from inside town anymore, all the lights ruins the view. Instead of the trees I see rows of town houses.
A cricket chirps, and I can't help but smile. What some would regard as annoying , I listen to the cricket and the music it sings to his mate. At least you can count on the crickets, whether you are at in the yard at your family's house in the country, in the backyard in a shack at the bad side of town, or in the balcony of a town house looking onto the deserted streets. Some things just don't change.
Sammy and I just sit out there and listen some nights, when all the decent folk are asleep. The world is ours and seems to be lost in time. People always talk about watching sunrises and sunsets, but you should just look out and admire the night sky sometime.
Sammy begins to whine and looks at me, and I realize that the sky is getting lighter.
"You're right Sammy," I tell her as I open the door as we lock ourselves in and head to bed, "We better go before the sun comes out, after all those decent folk are sure noisy and obnoxious in the morning."
I slide the mug of hot water onto the counter top and drop the bag of "Sleepytime" tea into the mug to let it steep. I hear the soft steps on the carpet and turn to look at a sleepy Jack Russell Terrier looking up at me. Sammy's green eyes are fixed on my mug.
"It's not food...it's tea"
She greets me with a sarcastic sounding snort, then slowly walks to me with her head down so I will scratch her ears.
"That's my good pig."
She snorts again, this time a content snort.
"It looks like I left the balcony door open again," I go over to close it but instead I open it for a moment and walk out on the balcony and look down the quiet deserted streets of my town.
In a few hours the streets will be filled with cars, people walking their dogs, and people driving like mad to get work.
Not now though, the night is still and silent. The occasional light down the street is the only thing that would suggest other people even live around here. It is that quiet time between night and sunrise when the whole world falls silent. The night animals have gone to sleep, and the animals of the day haven't woken up yet.
Sammy makes a whimpering panting sound from inside the house.
"Come on out Sam," I whisper to her as the clicking of her claws answer back to me when she walks onto the wooden balcony. She stands next to me and then sits by my hand and gives it a soft lick to let me know she is there.
In another town years ago I would walk outside my house and watch the stars. I can rarely see the stars from inside town anymore, all the lights ruins the view. Instead of the trees I see rows of town houses.
A cricket chirps, and I can't help but smile. What some would regard as annoying , I listen to the cricket and the music it sings to his mate. At least you can count on the crickets, whether you are at in the yard at your family's house in the country, in the backyard in a shack at the bad side of town, or in the balcony of a town house looking onto the deserted streets. Some things just don't change.
Sammy and I just sit out there and listen some nights, when all the decent folk are asleep. The world is ours and seems to be lost in time. People always talk about watching sunrises and sunsets, but you should just look out and admire the night sky sometime.
Sammy begins to whine and looks at me, and I realize that the sky is getting lighter.
"You're right Sammy," I tell her as I open the door as we lock ourselves in and head to bed, "We better go before the sun comes out, after all those decent folk are sure noisy and obnoxious in the morning."
posted by Janus Torrell at 5:09 AM
5 Comments:
I sleep in most days, and do enjoy being a lazy bum, but I had almost forgotten how great four in the morning can feel. Funny how loud things can sound then, and yet how exciting stillness can become. I am glad you reminded me.
Your crickets perform the most lovely melodies. Take it from one who mysteriously went cricket-deaf over a decade ago, and then miraculously had a short relapse over the summer last year. I sat outdoors every warm night after that, while braving all sorts of scary mosquito viruses, just so I could hear my local quartet of little jimminies do their things.
Something haunting in the sound of the crickets but beautiful too. Usually it's worth risking the occasional West Nile Virus or Malaria once in a while for.
As for risking Cricket poo...I never thought of that before. My shoes seem to be ok though.
Thanks for posting both of you
Chirp
I have always liked getting up and going out early early, 5am or so, to drive through town and go to 24 hour stores. It's quiet and deserted and the sky is just beginning to change, clouds have a dark perimeter and they run across the sky. And all that air that only I am breathing, so fresh.
This is some really nice writing, Janus.
Thank you Ned
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