Tale told by Friends Romans and candles strutting and fretting
“Summer is over after Labor Day.”
“Does that mean we’re in the rainy season?”
“No, my dear. The California rainy season starts on January 22.”
“When does it end?”
“January 23rd,”
“We didn’t have Labor Day in Europe. So summer lasted longer, right?”
“In Europe, the beginning of September was the designated end of vacation season. Remember how they reopened Italy on September first?”
“So you knew Italy would be closed when you sent Melika and me to a Milan shopping expedition in August.”
“Well.”
Regardless of equinox or unofficial markers, we live in the land of The Endless Summer. Moreover, the end of August also marked the end of Darius’ visit.
In the week before his departure, Darius was hard at work on his research. We suggested that he take a relaxation break by going to a movie. He wanted to see Boyhood because
“It’s unprecedented, Dad,” Darius explained. “The movie was shot with the same cast over 12 years. You actually see a boy growing up.”
Because Darius was the visitor (and Nazy wouldn’t agree to see Guardians of the Galaxy), we went to Boyhood. I was..
“Glad that he didn’t shoot the movie over 24 years, Darius. I felt like the movie lasted 12 years.”
Nazy was more direct. “Shouldn’t movies have a plot?”
“I should have remembered that all of his movies are like that,” Darius replied.
Mitra, more theatrically endowed, invited us to Los Angeles family get-together and treated everyone to a live performance by The Actor’s Gang: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
“Shakespeare?” Nazy asked.
“My favorite author.” I replied, quoting: “To be or not to be asked to bury Caesar with an unstrained quality of mercy..”
“Aren’t you confused?”
“Moi? No, that was Shakespeare. He also wrote: ‘Out damned Spot’”
“What?”
“It had something to do with a dog. There are many famous Shakespearean quotes,” I replied, waxing poetic:
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers, asked what they could for their country in their finest hour fearing nothing but fear itself and the military-industrial complex....”
Before our Los Angeles show, Darius wanted to shop for ‘quality clothes’ on the way.
Reader Interrupt: “Darius wanted to shop?”
Answer: “It was a reality-defying moment.”
Darius’ insistent persistence about shopping (and brands) was paradoxical and enigmatic. Personally, I wondered if something was wrong when he asked about ‘shoes’.
“Do you ever notice ‘shoes’, Dad?”
“Shoes?”
“Yeah. Did you ever notice how someone’s shoes look?”
“Yours look old Dar,” I replied - after a quick glance. “Did you know that your Mom has 6321 pairs of shoes? We had to move most to storage to clear out the guest bedroom for your use.”
“What about fashion and shoes, Dad?”
“Shoes. my son, are not a fashion statement. People wear shoes to avoid dying of infections induced by stepping on a nail.”
“Or a piece of broken glass.”
“Precisely, Darius. Shoes or flip-flops are also handy when you’re walking on hot sand or when you need to pound in a nail, but you’ve misplaced your hammer. And I use floatation shoes when I need to walk on water. Why do you ask?”
“I’ve received specific instructions from Christianne in Lebanon about my wardrobe - with extraordinarily detailed instructions about shoes. She sent pictures and suggested brands.”
“Well, she probably ‘knows’ shoes..”
“And shirts and suits and pants. And premium brands.”
“You can find all the premium brands in Beirut.”
“Yeah, but the ones I find here are real.”
“I see why we’re going to the premium outlet malls. There is a Neiman Marcus outlet...”
“Neiman Marcus is for old people, Dad.”
“Your Mom likes that store, Dar. I’d keep it down if I were you.”
Darius’ shopping expedition was deemed successful until he remembered that he had to take his purchases in his over-stuffed checked baggage. Nazy said she would repack everything while I offered to look for a “Mass-Extractor Device” at the local science fiction emporium.
Dan, Darius, Nazy, Mitra, Stefan
Amazingly, we got to Mitra and Stefan’s in time for a nice dinner before the show in Culver City. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not the easiest Shakespeare plays to perform (or understand). There are star-crossed lovers, a band of fairies, a group of itinerant Athenian actors and a mischievous elf (or wise knave) named Puck. Most of the characters, with the exceptions of Puck, Bottom and Wall, have names that are impossible to remember. (E.g. Theseus, Egeus, Philostrata and Pyramus). Moreover, in this Tim Robbins-directed performance, the confusion is exacerbated because all of the actors take turns playing the part of Puck.
The play was amazingly well-done and spectacularly entertaining. The performance featured a lot of physical movement and unique music. The actors were great. (The death scene at the very end of the play featured a comedic pantomime suicide better than any I’ve ever seen anywhere -including the one made famous in “The Fantasticks”.) Jack Black and Maria Shriver were in the audience. (Not together.)
We reluctantly left Darius at Mitra’s (he had a very early flight the next day) and headed home.
In Santa Barbara, the grand(est)son ever continues to grow. A few months ago, the only thing he cared about when he was awake was, well, being fed. Now, while he still likes to be fed, he is also really interested in his surroundings and in the people around him. And, of course, the people in the surroundings are interested in him, too.
And, Melika and Tiger
Finally,Darius complained that the photo in last week’s letter was ‘photoshopped’. He was right. Herewith the unaltered version. Note that you still can’t see any seals.
