Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Martha died tonight
She was the first truly beautiful woman I remember. She sparkled and exuded sexuality. She had a groupie - a young Lynbrook police officer who would sit outside her house in his car, talking with Martha. My parents always said we never had to worry about crime.
Tonight, fifty years later a young Lynbrook police officer sat outside her home in his police car, writing up reports. One just knows when death is present. The neighbors hid behind their doors, it is politeness, I think. My voyeurism took hold and I had to see it to the end. A small van arrived and one of the two men inside went into Martha's house. The family inside milled around and a pair of old legs went up the stairs inside. Then, the gentleman came out and the two got out a stretcher on wheels and what appeared to be heavy plastic to wrap her in. In they went.
Fifteen minutes later she left her home of almost sixty years for the last time. She was carried down the steps and then when level, the legs popped up on the stretcher. The two men rolled it to the back of the small van and just rolled it in into the back. There must have been tracks in the car bay because it glided in, the legs just folding up.
The driver took out a quite large bottle of something and I could see him rubbing his hands for a full 15 seconds. I swear that i could smell the hand sanitizer from across the street and through the open windows of his car and my home.
The last time I saw her out and about was about five years ago in Noel's Garden Cottage. It was Christmas, she was with her daughters, and dressed in a full lenghth mink coat. She was still beautiful.
It is three hours later . . .
Martha's house is dark now.
Tonight, fifty years later a young Lynbrook police officer sat outside her home in his police car, writing up reports. One just knows when death is present. The neighbors hid behind their doors, it is politeness, I think. My voyeurism took hold and I had to see it to the end. A small van arrived and one of the two men inside went into Martha's house. The family inside milled around and a pair of old legs went up the stairs inside. Then, the gentleman came out and the two got out a stretcher on wheels and what appeared to be heavy plastic to wrap her in. In they went.
Fifteen minutes later she left her home of almost sixty years for the last time. She was carried down the steps and then when level, the legs popped up on the stretcher. The two men rolled it to the back of the small van and just rolled it in into the back. There must have been tracks in the car bay because it glided in, the legs just folding up.
The driver took out a quite large bottle of something and I could see him rubbing his hands for a full 15 seconds. I swear that i could smell the hand sanitizer from across the street and through the open windows of his car and my home.
The last time I saw her out and about was about five years ago in Noel's Garden Cottage. It was Christmas, she was with her daughters, and dressed in a full lenghth mink coat. She was still beautiful.
It is three hours later . . .
Martha's house is dark now.
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