By Philip Lear
The Observer is watching from his window as on the street below
two SUVs try to park in the same space. One is backing in and the other’s pulling in. They’re both in halfway and stopped.
On the stove the kettle’s whistle is getting louder. He goes over and makes a cup of instant and turns on the TV. It’s the cooking channel. A large smiling Asian chef with a pointed goatee is dicing and slicing peppers, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and scallions. As he tosses them in the wok they sizzle. The chef adds some winged beans and thinly sliced meat. He lifts the pan and gently flips the ingredients that land softly back in the pan.
The Observer gets up and stretches, puts his cup in the sink and glances out the window. The two SUVs are still there. The drivers are out in the street arguing. One is a burly man wearing a maroon tee shirt and the other tall and thin. He’s dressed in a green uniform like a maintenance man.
The observer picks up his laptop and checks the stock market. For the past week it’s been going down but today it’s up, but his stocks are still going down. He wonders what he’s doing wrong.
He glances out the window. The two drivers are still arguing.
The Observer goes back to watching the cooking show. The chef has two plates out and is adding parsley and sculpted radishes. He gracefully scrolls brown and white sauces around the edges of the dishes. He reaches over and serves them to a well-dressed couple seated at the table.
The phone rings. He looks at the display. It’s a telemarketer who always calls at this time of day. At first he doesn’t answer but finds the ring annoying. He picks up the receiver and hangs up immediately.
Outside on the street the burly man is circling the tall man and suddenly he charges. They both go down on the pavement.
Back on TV the chef pours some white wine for the couple enjoying his elegant culinary creation. They’re complimenting the chef and the chef is nodding.
Later when the Observer looks out the window and sees a crowd. The area is cordoned off with yellow tape. It’s filled with ambulances, police cars, stretchers, and body bags.
On the TV the chef is preparing desert.