The Train You Rode In On

 

In their notes, the more scholarly Kindred Eyes had already thrown down a gush of ways to describe what the Rinsed Face exercise meant, according to Elder, at various times. 

Peel off bandages, expose past wounds.

Bring to light the lasting dark. 

Get past the anxieties and uncertainties of modern life. 

Go over and beyond the limits of communication. 

Achieve fullness, goodness, selfness through candidness, stolidness, puniness.

 

Unused to such activity, the couple put on as best a show as they could for their audience.

 

You’re making a mule out of a meal hole, you know.

You know?  What?  I don’t understand you.

You understood me well enough at the start.

How would you know?

I know I know you at least of all knew.

Knew what exactly?

Understanding.

But I don’t understand.

Ah, what do you know about anything?

I know what I know.

And what’s that?

Exactly.

What do you mean?

You don’t understand.

Yes, I don’t understand.

Exactly.

I mean, what it is you mean now.

What I mean now is you don’t understand.

But understand what?

You said it.

I did?

You did.

What did I say?

I can’t remember.  Your accent is impenetrable sometimes.  That’s the point.

Never a problem before for you.

Always was.  Even before.

How so?

Very so.

Oh, big Dublin girl.

And look at this big hard man.

Here fuck you.

Well, fuck you too and the train you rode in on.

But you rode this train honey.

Mistake.

How about we get hitched?

Fuck you.       

Well, that’s just lovely, isn’t it?

 

Elder waved his hand signalling they should finish.  Both Devin and Imogen took deep breaths of relief. 

That was all fine, said Elder.  However, there was some...affectation, I would say.  I wasn’t absolutely convinced.  The proposal was a nice touch at the end, but it could have gone either way, such declarations might undermine the point of the exercise.  It might suit more expressly tranquilised conditions, following a meditation perhaps, or out berry-picking.  And you might want to hold it for when the camera’s rolling.  These things look great on film.

Sorry, said Devin.  It just popped into my head.  

That’s quite alright.

I was thinking it would be a good way to conclude everything.  You know, getting through all the abuse and coming out the other side unscathed and with something positive to say.

Elder, shaking his head disapprovingly, said, Thankfully she said No.  But what if she had said Yes?  That would have only boosted your ego, defeating the whole purpose.

Imogen beamed, smugly.

Elder turned to the others and asked, So what did the rest of you think?

Everyone looked at their notes, even the ones who didn’t take any.