Another High Rise Dream

I was staying in a high rise apartment much like the one in Waikiki. It's always been the same one, even before I went to Hawaii. There were two bedrooms connected to mine by sliding glass doors; you were staying in the one on the left and my old friend from back home was staying in the one on the right.

It was really late at night and I was visiting my friend on her side. It was dark and relaxing there, with dark brown wooden book cases and soft, earth colored throws everywhere. She looked beautiful; she wearing an oversized knit sweater that hung off her toned, milky-white shoulders just below her golden blonde hair.

In contrast to the relaxing environment, her energy was manic and off-putting. She paced around, listing of all the accomplishments that she had achieved while being a single mother, one of which was law school. I didn't know that she had gone to law school and a feeling of 'am I doing enough?' started slowly creeping in, so I stopped listening to the words she was saying and began, instead, listening to the sounds emitting from her mouth. Even though she was acting strange and made me uncomfortable, I didn't want to leave. She started giving me 'I'm going to bed now so get out of here' signals. I gave in and retreated to my room. I felt lonely.

I thought about going over to your side but I figured you were sleeping and I didn't want to bother you. I knew you had to catch an early flight home in the morning. Out of the corner of my eye I saw your reflection in the glass of a huge framed pictured on my wall. You were standing up. Stretching. I thought, 'You're up!'

As I got up to head to your room, a large middle-aged black man wearing a bell hop uniform burst out the door carrying your clothing away on hangers. I asked him what was going on and he said that your flight was actually tonight and he was helping you get ready. I stood there at the sliding glass door looking into your room and I could see you moving around but I could never get a good look at you. Your room was washed out with bright, white light and empty except for some clothes on hangers. I wanted to go in but I resisted.

You turned toward me and walked into my room, passing me abruptly without speaking. I finally saw that you had no face. It was just a flat, blank, flesh-colored surface where your face should have been.

I spent the rest of the night watching you pack, silently wishing that you weren't leaving and that I could be close to you.