Sunday, November 27, 2005

Silence love

In line in Ikea's food store for a quick ice-cream before getting the merchandise I've just paid for.
A woman in her forties is standing in front of me with a young kid about 12 year old.
She has thin blond hair, pale skin. He has dark and curly hair and brown skin. I hear him say "and I know that you'll ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever do anything to hurt me -- except to ground me to my room for the rest of my life. Right Momy?" She gives him a hug as he keeps talking about how much he loves her. Soon afterward another kid comes up, he looks like his brother, a little older and is listening to music. He gives his brother his jacket, forcing it in his hands and then leaves. All while listening to music. He has not said a word. The younger brother keeps talking and talking. Enough that the mother bends toward him and I hear her whisper in his ear "Stop talking right now!" It is said very softly but the message is cold. The kid shuts up. Not for long though. He is soon yapping again. The line is very slow but as we advance to almost the front I see the first kid coming back with a man who is clearly the father. He too is listening to music. He gestured to the two in front of me and they both leave the line. Again not a word is exchanged.
The younger kid clearly speaks for the entire family.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

In my personal experience any visit to IKEA is enough to destroy any relationship, let alone family. Add sympathy to poetic distance and distill.

1:29 PM  
Blogger Just said...

Thanks for your comments --

I did feel a lot of sympathy for the kid actually. He was so full of life in the middle of this strict or mute family. I agree though that any trip to a large store like any IKEA store is quite taxing... (I suppose this is why the line to comforting ice-cream is always so long...)

11:04 PM  

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