ON TOP OF AN EMBANKMENT

They sat on top of an embankment at the edge of the botanical garden looking down on an airport. He waved at a taxi’ing plane moving towards them and saw a hand waving back from the cockpit. He laughed, but she didnt notice. She sat off to his left, gazing at nothing.

Eleven days later he was at the airport. He sat in a terminal alone looking out a window while he waited for his plane heading to Austin to board. He looked out on the embankment with the stone barrier they had sat on before. He looked out and remembered them both sitting there only eleven days before. They were going up the coast together. They were going to see DC. She was upset at the prices of rentals, he suggested they try further away from the city. They could always take a day trip, the dogs could be alone for 5 or 6 hours. She had seemed concerned and a little confused, but she smiled when he did. The smile didnt make it to her eyes, and that was all he was really trying for anyway. His smile faded as well.

Now the world was so different. He was heading to Austin, alone. He was going to check out the growing comedy scene of fleeing LA escapees pioneered by Joe Rogan. He was going to be with creative people. Everything had changed so quickly. He had an overwhelming anger towards her now, almost a hatred. But hatred was kept from fully materializing by a sense of hopeless defeat. Sisyphus letting the boulder roll past him finally in disgust. Throwing up his arms, and letting someone else catch the fucking acursed thing on the way down.

As the plane lifted off of the runway, he wondered why the engine sounded like a lawnmower that was about to die.