Pablo watched on from the kitchen, his left arm-fist deep in the ass end of a turkey.
_________
_________ (above CH'IEN THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN)
_________
____ ____ (below LI THE CLINGING, FLAME)
_________
"...It is the nature of fire to flame up to Heaven. This gives the idea of fellowship. It is the second line that by virtue of its central character, unites the five strong lines around it...In the latter, danger is within and obedience without-The character of a warlike army, which, in order to hold together, needs one strong man among the many who are weak. Here, clarity is within and strength without-The character of a peacefull union of men, which in order to hold together, needs one yielding nature among many firm persons..."
If I were to say that Pablo loved the sound of his own voice, this would be a severe understatement. In fact, one could almost gather the impression, if one were so inclined, that either because of his enabled obesity on behalf of his loving wife, or because of his overall insecurity, that Pablo could never fill a room with enough boasting & calculations.
Each day arrived at a new sum, which would either carry him across the North/Southwest for drunken rendezvous with potential "investors" (such introductions were usually brokered by Marissa) or break the bank for the week, spoiling the usual festivities held at the house.
Each passing minute was a hazy tabulation of Frequent Flyer Miles, Disney Reward Points, or coupon clipping sessions at the dining room table. Each tedious second was mulled over, while he hovered atop a bag of Low Calorie Doritos, or Low Fat Snack Well Cakes, only to gorge himself as soon as it struck noon on Saturday, but only after the weigh-in at Weight Watchers earlier...
The volume was always at maximum capacity on one of the three flatscreens inside the house, a fact that was disturbingly well known from the sleek Panasonic centerpiece in the partitioned living room, which was only a couple of feet away from the kitchen at all times.
The surround sound system and state of the art
kegerator, (a gift from Pablo's father, who worked for a well known Brewery/Distributor somewhere in Portland) were two possessions he was quite proud of, inviting all (who he would later count upon for reciprocal donations) to drink from the tap freely... as long as it was in moderation of course.
Every announcement was at the top of his lungs, so as the neighbors could appreciate what a fortuitous life Pablo and Marissa led. Every night was a new reason to celebrate. Every penny was accounted for and the days bled on that way for quite some time.
"I just got Band of Brothers-the entire box set!-on DVD, so we can get fucked up and watch that shit my niggas!"
He would often say such things and awkwardly raise his glistening palm in the air for a high-five.
"Wait until you hear the gunfights down here man...fucking incredible!"
I was never sure if it was the greasy fingers or the fatty display of arrogance and materialism that sickened me more...
The house was in Marissa's name, and many things inside exhumed her taste and general sensibility; the
Pampered Chef glass cutting boards and the overpriced
Fiesta Wear... the
Mickey Mouse Plastic Thermos Cups, and the complimentary
Pampered Chef food scale, the notorious wine rack and the pink bath puff dangling over the shower curtain.
The Jeep Cherokee Commander was in her name. The
2009 Toyota Corolla was in her name. The dogs, were purchased at a range between $150 and $350 a piece, bought for/ and paid by Marissa.
But Pablo kept count of the daily calorie intake, measuring the carbohydrates, the sugar content versus the volume of salt needed for basic meal preparation; rationing each portion of chicken or beef into seven gram
Freezerlock bags and placing them neatly in a row- a row of seven for each day of the week, or sometimes only five, taking in consideration only Monday-Friday.
The Left-Handed Smoker continues...
