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A patriotic day
Like a pit-bull on a chain I took off

October 29, 2001
The Iranian

The sunlight fell through the window on the dark grey rug in my white apartment forming the shape of the window. The shadow of leaves moved with the wind on Alma Ave in Walnut Creek.

The spirit of this brought to the surface the silence of my day yesterday. Like a pit-bull on a chain I took off to Barnes and Noble. I drove into the underground parking, a tomb of cement, into an empty space for a compact car which fit my 1992 LRV Mitsubishi 43,000 miles. I put the car in parking gear, took out the key, opened the door and locked it.

I walked to the elevator and read a sign that said: The Air In This Parking Garage Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer and Reproductive Toxicity. Pregnant Women Are Especially Advised to Avoid or Reduce their Exposure to Automobile Engine Exhaust Which Contains Carbon Monoxide, A Chemical Known to Cause Birth Defects!"

I went up to the first floor to the music section. I bought a CD of piano transcriptions from Wagner's Operas, Robert Vaudenschaaf, piano, $17.95; and Karajan, Wagner, Tristan and Isolde, Berliner Philharmoniken, $51.99.

It was a sunny, cool day on Main Street. I walked to Il Fornaio Italian bakery and bought a blueberry scone, $1.60 and rosemary roll, 65 cents. I passed the fountain on Liberty Bell Plaza, crossed Main Street and went into Nordstrom celebrating 100 years. I found a silver ring with a red, white and blue American flag in the center for $24.99. On the scented cosmetic shelf I found Clarins, Paris, shampooing Vita Life Parfume, usage frequent, "Eau Dynamisante," re-vital shampoo, frequent use $13.99.

I remembered Alice Randell who wrote a book The Wind Done Gone, a slave's story of Gone With the Wind to reveal the bigotry of Margaret Mitchell in 1937. I decided to buy it.

I walked past the Italian fountain of a lion surrounded by California bougainvilla to See's Candies decorated only in black and white and received my sample of dark chocolate covered white cream and bought four pieces more; almond, mocca mousse and dark chocolate truffles. I wanted the lion and the lamb to lay down together. The Hittites, the Babylonians, the Egyptians, the Persians together under the evening star.

I needed soap and bought it at David M. Brian's. A bar of Pre de Provence, Product of France, $3.50 and a green cotton napkin for the bread basket on sale for $1.90.

Back at Barnes and Noble I found a special issue of Rolling Stone, $3.95. On the cover was 9.11.01 printed in black. A red, white and blue American flag, 50 stars and 13 stripes. Features were: "The realities of ground zero"... "Heroes of New York"... "Elegies for America"... Musicians United"... "Inside the Holy War"... "Memo to the President"...

The American Spectator, $6.95, was expensive and I only bought it because of O'Rouke. Hitchens. Stein. Norquist. Tyrrell and one sentence: "Tragedy purges the mind of trivia," the opening sentence of the lead article "Luddites Over Broadway".

As a last gesture, yesterday I bought Paris to the Moon, $14.95, by Adam Gopnik, who opens his book with "Not long after we moved to Paris,... "

When I came home the sunlight was gone from the window and I turned on the TV. Nostradamus and books about germs were selling fast with the American flag. Anthrax had infected Tom Browka's assistant at NBC. Afghanistan was being bombed and given aid. A month ago the Twin Towers had fallen like cigar ash.

I had a day that President Bush, Attorney General Ashcoft and Rudy wanted me to have. I was patriotic. I was shopping. It was twilight.

Comment for The Iranian letters section Comment for the writer Bakhtiatri Rose