apart-meants

The red letters on the flimsy faux-concrete facade declare: "Geddes Plaza Aparts." The tired seventies look is forbidding, a look that says transients, retired with walkers, and fresh-out-of-rehab renters. Nothing against any of them. They could be me or someone I know and cherish. The sign is what arrests me. This complex, featuring balconies with plastic chairs, is reserved for the aparts. Though I see no one stirring inside or outside on the front step, I understand that the aparts apartments are reserved for those who are estranged, distanced, adrift, separated, or coming apart at the seams. Applications are by invitation only. The owner is a mysterious bald-headed, gender-nonspecified seer with golden eyes. No one knows how the invitations are extended or what criteria are used to gain acceptance. And there's no telling how many occupants reside there. Word is, most residents stay temporarily, but not all. Visitors are prohibited, by definition. We can surmise how one leaves the premises: a break from the identity of apartness, be it via conjugal union, some other brand of bonding, enlightenment, or -- let's face it -- the Eternal Apartness. (This is not the place to debate concepts such as the Eternal Apartness vs. the Eternal Oneness, or anything in-between.) One would hope, for the most part, that apartees enter with a frown or a sad visage and leave liberated, lighter, freer, if not with a smile then at least the shadow of one accompanied by optimistic eyebrows and tranquil yet hopeful eyes. No photographic or other visual evidence exists to support this theory. As for myself, I cannot recall if I have ever lived at Geddes Plaza Aparts. Legend has it that amnesia is a common trait of former residents. In any event, I can report having had recurring dreams of television-less living rooms, empty refrigerators, and hot plates instead of stoves. But I haven't had any of those dreams in several years. So, next time you drive by Geddes Plaza Aparts, offer a friendly wave, maybe beep your horn. And tell me if you see anyone coming in or out.