Ghosts

Posted on August 25, 2004 in Encounters

Lynn’s new car is a white ghost, a Nissan Sentra equipped with a stick. I took her down to pick it up tonight. She liked it from the first test drive. A rebate sweetened the deal.

After we signed all the paperwork and got the keys, we went to IHOP. The small assistant manager on duty reminded me of a friend from high school. I kept peering at his name tag, believing that I saw the last four letters and the initial R of “Richard”, which was the lost friend’s name. He seated us and left before I could confirm.

This question plagued me all through dinner: if this was the old friend, did I want to say hi?

We finished our meal. I went to the cash register to pay the check. Having decided to keep my anonymity, I paid in cash. Then I saw his name clearly. HECTOR. How had I made Richard out of that? My mind saw lines and corners glinting under the flourescents. Out of my hopes — or were they dreads? — came the name I wanted to see, I suppose.

Lynn followed me home. I saw several ghost white cars on the road, of similar streamlining and figure as hers. Auto makers are not terribly original and we see old friends in all sorts of faces.