She had feed us at her restaurant, the one she owns and where she is chef. Now we were back at the house where her husband and she had raised their three sons. The house sat near the crest of a knoll in the hills outside of town. A concrete cistern was buried beside it, the top of which rose some six inches above the ground. It had been turned into a porch, with a picnic table and a roof.
It was on this porch that Karen, Clark’s mother, and I stood, everyone else was in the house. Sounds of night emanated from the woods around us. Cool air drafted up from the hollow below. A dim light set the black night aglow. I sipped a beer. Silence filled the void between us, two strangers. Then she turned, fixed me in the eye, and spoke.
“Now’s my boy doing, Nick? I mean, is this a big waste of time for him or what?”
This was a new thing for me, being put in the position of responsible adult. I mean, all I signed up for was a drive across the country! Yet, here I was, facing a middle-aged mother in Missouri with worry in her eyes. I smiled inwardly, bemused by the turn of events that had brought me to this point, the things that can happen that can force a person to think and maybe view life in a different way.
“This is the thing, the project is bigger than him, you know what I’m saying?”
“Ever since he’s moved to New York he’s spent all this money. I know he’s got some buttons and t-shirts and such, but he’s spent a lot of money.”
“Well, it’s not like he’s smoking crack or anything like that. You know?”
“I didn’t think he was … it’s just a lot of money.”
“New York costs a lot of money. Especially when you first move there. I was away for some time and when I got back I blew through my money like nothing, You want to go out, you want to do this, do that. And girls in New York ain’t cheap either, I don’t mean the hired kind I just mean in general.”
2 comments:
I like your rationale and democratic approach retaliating with crossfire questions and proving glimmers of what could be if Clarky wasn't an academically minded interdisciplinary artist with an addiction to visual visceral activism. xoxo the lark
I know Clark's Mom and I know Clark, both highly intelligent, very creative, talented and passionate people, just like his Dad, and you're so very right. This mission of his is bigger than him, or any of us individually. Instead, it's a mission that should be everyone's priority, which is critical to the survival of this planet.
Kudos to Clark, and to the family that raised him, for being so involved and invested in the most important freedom we have in this Country, and that's our democratic right and DUTY to VOTE.
Keep up the great work, Clark. You are truly awesome!
signed: redrobinrockn, a big Clark fan from MO>
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