Thursday, April 05, 2007

S e a s o n s

The other day it was hot and sunny and then overnight the rain started falling along with the temperature and then daylight savings was over and so was summer.

Except it wasn't the other day, it was a couple of weeks ago. And since then it's got hot again and then cold, and now it's Easter.

I don't know why it is that I can never remember this time of year, the crisp brittleness of the autumnal sky and the golden glow on the trees.

It always comes and I find myself saying 'ah yes, there it is, it's this season, this time of year... ' and I think how beautiful this city is, between seasons.

The book is in, at least for this part of the process, more changes to come of course.

Other writing, a short play in the style of my london compadre sbs's miniaturist phenomenon (more seasons) on at a theatre nearby, which went very nicely indeed. Another play, a bit longer, about the riots that happened on a beach. And, funny this, an episode of a popular tv show. Things we do.

And it's also the anniversary of my mother's death which is another kind of season too.

If my mother was here now I would ask her about baby hair and spit.

The other day i found myself licking my fingers and scooting Tricky's locks first up into curls and then down into smooth waves and suddenly remembering hearing my mother talking to someone about my hair, my curls, which were either all thanks to my grandma's spit or else had survived despite it. At the time of hearing I think I was a teeny thing but I felt my mother's disapproval.

And then, a connected memory, on my grandmother's lap, with her fingers damply patting at my hair.

The thing is, I'm pretty sure my grandmother was still a smoker then. Ew. I'm not sure I'd be happy if my smoking mother-in-law was spitting on Tricky's head... (not that she smokes. or spits)

Was the spit meant to curl or straighten?

Neither of them alive to tell.

7 comments:

heleen + rod said...

I'd say CURL...
I like this season best on this bootom half of the globe, the light is so golden it reminds me of home. I've put on socks for the first time this year. Summer is definitely over. Fog in the valley and the Liquid Ambers turning red.

Lut C. said...

Wow, you have such early memories!
I can barely remember what I did 10 years ago.

Debi said...

I can barely remember what I did 10 minutes ago!

But I do know that I never missed my mum so much as when I had my own babies ...

sbs said...

meanwhile in UpsideDownLand we're basking in the sudden absence of a chill, and Buzz is taking tentative steps in the grass...

send us the play please dude, and by the way d'you remember the 'making bells ring round the world' idea? Its time has come...

Em said...

I caught myself finger styling a curl on little M's head just today. Someone could probably make serious money bottling some foul concoction and calling it "Spit."

Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp air and blue autumn skies. I like the spring, too, but it only last a few weeks then summer arrives.

granny p said...

curl for sure. It used to be everyone's desire to have a curly-haired babby. Didn't go far with me and my twin; even spit wouldn't work. Our mother scorned to make use of something called 'Toddilox' which was supposed to sort out dead-straight-haired babies like us. In due course she could turn us into mini-Alice's hair-ribbons and all, so that was alright.

Anonymous said...

Memory triggers always take me by surprise. Super.

I have some photos of me at my third birthday party looking as grim and unhappy as can be. Why? My [curly] haired mum had given her [straight-haired] daughter a "Miss Tonette" permanent wave. Tony was the popular brand of permanents at the time. Miss Tonette was the brand for kids. I look like a pissed off stranger. I am only just beginning to appreciate curls again!