Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Spadina steetcar, first seat behind the back door, almost done the book

Caucasian woman, 40ish, wearing black dress pants, a black jacket with ear-high collar, carrying a blue and brown "ICE" bag.

Blindness, José Saramago (Harcourt)

Page 322:

The first blind man appeared to have entered into this soft state, but this was not the case. True, his eyes were closed, and he paid only scant attention to the reading, but the idea that they would all go to live in the country kept him from falling asleep, it seemed to him a serious error to go so far from his home, however kind the writer was, it would be useful to keep an eye on it, turn up from time to time.

The sun peaks in through the blinds casting warm shards across their white duvet. Their arms extend in Whose Fingers Reach Farther eventually clasping In Love. Whispers follow. Would you love me if I couldn't hear? What if I was in a wheelchair? If I went blind? They close their eyes, body bellies tucked together in the warmth of the sheets, toes caressing the other's calves. Their hearts sink. I'll love you forever, they lie, their lips crushed to cover the quiver.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

On a technical note, it just occured to me that you must have really good eyesight! Even with my glasses on, I can peer over people's shoulder or whatever and make out some blurry lines. It see the title on the header, I have to noticeably lean forward.

So I'm not just impressed and entertained by this blog, I'm also in awe of your eyesight!

Julie Wilson said...

What a timely comment...considering this entry's book!

My eyesight is, in fact, pretty good. It's starting to blur a bit though. The trick is to grab as much information as possible and then fill in the blanks. I don't look for logic or complete words, just letters. Online searches fill in the blanks!

Matthew said...

What I am finding the most fun is those spaces where your imagination is at sharp remove from the book in question, as in this case. What you wrote made me think far more fondly of Blindness than its own nearly unrelenting sadness ever let me do.

Mason: www.prop.ca said...

what are the chances of seeing that same woman again? she sounds happier this time, at least superficially.

Julie Wilson said...

Thanks Matthew. A friend commented that the description works from a place of the most basic kind of knowing and assumption whereas the creative follow up is the opposite (or, at least, only my kind of knowing.)

Julie Wilson said...

Mason, I've seen another reader at least a dozen times. I've decided to call her The Softly Sniffling Reader. Seems that so long as we're both taking the same route to work we're bound to run into one another. I do, however, get a giggle that this other woman was still reading the same book. Thought it established a nice timeline.