Monday, January 30, 2012

Pensacola Beach 'Pier' Pressure

The "new and improved" Pensacola Beach Pier, nearly eight years post-Ivan

Pensacola Beach "Pier" Pressure

I see him out there, this early in the morning, holding his own against the wind. The parking lot is mostly bare. A few lifeguard vehicles and police cars are still parked at either end. The drunks who littered it last night with empty bottles and epithets, at home will sleep ’til noon. They’ve lost it, their time here. Season’s over too soon. Vacations are cut short; construction project’s on hold. Island’s full of sorrow. The workers and the tourists have left. Old man will be gone tomorrow.
My shoes come off to trudge through sand collecting in drifts and heaps. I want to see him from the beach, from a distance. Then I’ll pay a dollar to walk out and greet him and say goodbye for keeps. A Category 4 will hit the shore in 24. Hours are all that we have left together, this old man and me.
I take my time, though, as I slow to savor moments. They’ll be on my tongue every time I face a salty breeze to cast my line into the sea. His form will appear in my mind as it does now. Broad-shouldered and weather-beaten, tall as ever above the waves, he will look down on surfers and sunbathers, silent to them but full of stories for me.
Now I walk up the ramp, shoes in hand, to find the bait shop empty and my path barred by a padlocked gate. Of course, the workers are gone. Buddy, I’m too late. Who but a fool would be out here, the wind gusting 70 miles an hour and more, heaving signs up the road, leaving hinges without a door? No matter. I’ll wait for him to come to me.
He does, too. Here’s another story for you. Write it down while it’s fresh in your mind, brand-spankin’ new. Don’t let it rot in there, stinkin’ like a fish outta water will after a day or two. I’m tellin’ you, man, don’t worry if it don’t sell. It’s more important to let ‘em know. All the ones who come here, they can’t tell. They don’t see me like you do. Those blinders must come off. Their vision ain’t so clear.
I laugh, and then I cough. The sand blowing ‘round makes each breath seem dear. You mean to tell me I’m some kinda messenger? What do I tell them, don’t you dare build anymore? You know they won’t listen. The sounds of bulldozer and concrete mixer are music to their ears. It's all money in the bank. And it’ll fund their later years. You know, when they finally go—to nursing homes? “Assisted living,” they call it now. Never heard of it? Well, you won’t be going there. You’ll be safe from all that sh—
It. The wind, carrying my words away, has brought the waves up higher; tide is coming in. I drop my shoes to raise my hands. Might as well bear it with a grin. My way is blocked to meet him there, but he'll come close to me. She'll bring him here, piece by piece (board by board)--his old lady, the angry sea. It's hell. She’s done so here and there in other years before. I take it that she’s mad at us, I yell. Then I cup my ear to hear him talk, and close to him I bend.
He trembles in the wind and winks once more as I hear him say: It’s the way we build, the message that we send. Come one, come all! Don’t visit for the day. We’ve built this place for your convenience. We insist that you must stay!

The beach, the real one, you see, is nearly, quite clearly, reaching

The Very End


9 comments:

Claude said...

nice.

walk2write said...

Thanks, Claude. Glad you liked it.

KaHolly said...

How poignant.

walk2write said...

Hi, Karen, and thanks. I don't know what happened to your comment on Walk2Write in Florida. I tried to publish it, and something zapped it! I'm sorry it didn't appear:(

Tomz said...

This beach is getting disappeared, that is what I got when followed that link..nice story anyways..

Holly Vance said...

Nothing like a pun to start off a morning.

walk2write said...

I'm glad to be of help, Ms. Vance. Thanks for the visit!

Geo. said...

It seems I can't leave a comment on Walk2write as the function has been disabled. Hope it's not because of anything I've said. If not, do go to the "overview stats", click "settings", then "posts and comments" and reestablish the function. I'm not on twitter so I can't comment there but would like to chime in sometimes. Best wishes, Geo.

walk2write said...

No, Mr. Geo, it was not because of anything you said. Thanks for making the extra effort to chime in. I've just been lazy with the blog and thought removing the comment function would help me be even lazier. You will find the comment section restored on my other blog.