He had been coming to the table now for twelve years, taking his place in front of his knife, fork, spoon, plate, dishes and cup and saucer. He had been doing this, as he distinctly remembers, since the age of six.This was his view:mother to the right, brother to the left,another brother to the right of mother, and, supreme at the head of the table,father.The view of the room was always the same in font of him and behind his father. Silence had permeated this table arrangement for ten of the twelve years.
One day he decided to rearrange the placing of the dishes and glasses, and even the chairs. For some time it was startling and disconcerting, but it led to conversation and discussion. He changed the places further in the months which followed, and eventually everyone participated in the rearrangement.
He had known her for several months, and their relationship was platonic and satisfactory. When he first arrived in college he had been alone and afraid and in need of communication and discourse.When they met, they discovered they had many mutual interests and ideas, and these forwarded their relationship. There were few topics and problems which they could not discuss together, and their platonicism grew with the growth of their relationship.
One day he entered her modest quarters on the opposite side of the campus, walked through the small hall-way with the kitchen and bathroom on either side, and stopped at the edge of the rug to watch her standing by the window sill.
He studied her female form and searched her body with his eyes, perceiving her sensually and desiring her carnally for the first time.
Perturbed and flustered by the realisation of this new male female instinct , he was at a loss for words and stared at her salaciously, watching her every movement, before he found the words to ask her formally for a date.
She continued watering the plant by the righthand window without responding, and the water overflowed onto the dish beneath the flower pot. onto the window sill and the radiator to the floor, where it formed a puddle.
Suddenly aware of the situation, but unaware of the question, she replied with an impartial NO!
An Every Day Experience
It is not uncommon for individuals to fantasise in every way, method or unique manner during the passing of seconds in the brightest or dullest of days. Imagine walking across the street or boulevard and approaching you from the opposite direction is this very special beautiful woman, if you are a man and a handsome man, if you are a woman.This particular type of fantasy is sexually equal.We have but seconds after the approaching figure comes toward us and passes us with the scent of the person predominant and erotic.Actually this time element is not the normal time experience. During the approach we are undressing, perusing, and studying every minute detail of the sexual elements of this figure. We have not only undressed the figure, scented the figure, felt the figure but we had an imaginary sexual and social intercourse with the person. We are on the other side of the street and we know that the other party had the same reaction and the same erotica complicia. We need not turn to look ,we need not know who they were we had accomplished our true erotica complicia. Our mental orgasm is complete and we are again on our way.This is not the only manner this can be done or has been done as the train, the bus, the aeroplane, or some waiting room somewhere somehow we are accomplishing our erotica with an unknown partner in front of us or next to us,standing or sitting. After all erotica could not take place without an accomplice.
NOTE
These two stories are related to the theme ULTRA BANALITY in that they are parables dealing with two of youths most important themes, THE TABLE symbolising the force of rebellion and the FLOWER POT the mental masturbation prevalent in our society. The rebellion is that of trying to live a different way and yet change only minor details which have become dated and monotonous. The second story, THE FLOWER POT deals with mental masturbation , the prominent sickness of a mature society which entails satisfying one's own thoughts while listening to others and states that the concentration is a lost art in our modern attitude towards mass communication.