GRABBINGSAND

lunchtime. go to the mall-that-time-forgot. in need of cash, i circle around the joyless food court carousel to the nationsbank bank of america ATM. while standing in the one-body deep line, i notice that the carousel is serving as amusement to two smallish girls, one middle-aged female, and one tired-of-life male. one of the smallish girls must belong to the tired-of-life male, as she is riding the ponyish form closest to the male. she seems blandly happy. the male rides nothing, just stands there holding on to one of the stationary poles, praying silently that the carousel will either slow to a halt or accelerate to hyperspeed and blink him into another dimension. the other smallish girl, though not as small as the other, rides one of the outer horses, this one actually resembling something passably equine. she is about five forms behind the middle-aged female. this is when i notice the black leather belt that straps the riders to the pole of their silent steed. the two smallish girls are wearing theirs, no doubt due to the insistence of the drowsy ballcapped carousel operator sucking on a great wraps cup near the complex control panel. one button, one knob. how does he remember?!? but then i see the middle-aged female on the next spin, and she too is strapped in for good measure. this gives her the unflattering appearance that she is slumped into the pole, that if the pole wasn’t there she would plant her face between the ears of her fiberglass pony. just as i attempt to make out the design and intent of the tattoo on her fleshy upper arm, i notice the ATM’s availability and step right up. i suspect something is awry when just before i slide my ATM card into the slot. did i see the words “nestles” and “frito-lay” just now? a colorful screen asks politely for my PIN, asks from where i would like to squeeze this money, asks how much, then (what?!?) launches into a commercial. with sound and voiceover. a commercial for new nestles brand graham flipz. with animation. the ATM then snaps back into sensible behavior and asks if i want to pay the $2 penalty for not belonging to nationsbank bank of america, and my “yes” fires off (huh?!?) another commercial. frito-lay chili and chips this time. then another for some playskool device that amuses infants when they kick like some cheerful skinner box. once i get my cash, my card, my receipt, i walk off in a daze, shuddering at what this means and what has begun.

• Share