CuppaGemma

It was a longer evening than we intended.

We started with dinner, then went out and around getting more neon signs. We are still playing and plotting with them- shall it be a collection of words, just for word’s sake, or build as a story in images?

We want to weave you through our evening.

It started on the end of the Island just a few minutes from the ferry. Mexican food and the kind of busy conversation that follows the pace of the restaurant getting busy all at once and then slowing down after all have been seated and gotten something to nosh on and a good drink or two.

We were glad for the time since it’s been a busy week with travel and different projects percolating for both of us. So in the middle of the crowd you begin chipping out your moments.  You switch dishes and share separate mumbles about the children. You touch each others fingers and tap on them urgently, or hopefully. Then you go on.

Signs in Brooklyn, along Third Avenue. Driving down 86th street until we hit the El. Traveling under the El for the sole purpose of hearing the rumble of the train above. Forgetting where the Williamsburg bank was exactly and trying to explain what it was like when I had walked along there with Gram as a little girl.

Things like sawdust in the butcher’s on the floor, the little rides outside of stores that took a quarter for three minutes. Trying to explain how the energy seemed when you were small.

Noticing there was an appliance repair shop- Solomon’s right next to a Greek school, a sushi shop and a legal services for Chinese speakers office all on the same little strip.

Finding a neon sign for Sapporo beer and stopping to buy some for home. Glad we found this. Debating whether the blinking Private Eye or Tasty Bagels neon was more interesting.

Finding Tommaso’s was already closed but getting the Vegas diner sign with a nice blur. Crossing the bridge back to the Island in search of coffee with one question- noisy or quiet.

“Noisy,” he says.

Noisy it was. Sitting at the restaurant till the music finished. No instruments, just a sound system and two singers. Sequins. People danced. Danced danced. They didn’t want a 4 piece band, they just wanted to dance. In steps.

Wondering how long it would take us to learn the tango.  We finished our coffee and spumoni. The waiter forgot to bring our change and kept himself a sizable tip.