Rome On A Cliff

We sat by the pool, tiny beach balls of salty sweat playing games along the alleyways of our skin.

"Running takes something out of you. Between my plantar fasciitis and the last half-marathon..."

"No worries, my love. You are getting older. A daughter in college, a husband away on business... you're an ol' woman. Celebrate it!"

"Old?!" She grinned.

I looked at her shoulders, love of the sun spread across her body, hiding my anger. I am here with one of my raisin eaters (I think that's what my French teacher said, that the "d" is silent in raison d'etre? Who knows? I failed the class.). I can relax and forget. When my brother told me that we are all the same, I didn't know what he meant. And then, when this lovely woman, this apple of the earth, sat down and explained to me my deceased brother's philosophy...hell, how'd I know he was gettin' it all over the place? The way he talked, I thought he was a damn virgin.

"What time is it?"

"'What time is it?' Didn't I tell you? Your brother said that time does not exist, that we are eternal, forever one, part of the planet, the Sun our blanket, the sky our..."

"Sweetheart, I'm gettin' all you said. We're by ourselves here, ignorin' the fact that creepy neighbour of yours's lookin' out his upper-story window at us. Hey buddy! See my middle finger? Up yours, you fuckin' moron!"

"He also said that you and he were peas in a pod, born of flesh AND technology, identical in EVERY way."

"Honey, we're twins. We got some sorta ESP thingy that our father paid to have installed in us. What more can I say? Where my brother was weak, I'm strong. Where I'm holdin' back my talents, he shined."

"I understand. He also said you wrote poetry and played musical instruments, a gift outside of time, your compositions too advanced for this century."

"Yeah, yeah, I got all that. Look, what time is it?"

She frowned and picked up her wristwatch. "It's two o' clock."

"So how long that give us till your little one comes home?"

"Oh my gosh! I forgot about that. She'll be here in an hour or so."

"See. That's my brother for you. He gets you hooked on sundials and forgets the little details like why you can't sunbathe with your brother's neighbour when her daughter comes home. We still got time. No worries."

I leaned back in the lounger and drank down one of her husband's beers, some imported crap that didn't travel well. Hell, it was free, right?

"This is the life, ain't it? A warm breeze, a hot cougar like you..."

"Thank you."

"Hey, what can I say? Your husband's not playin' golf all day, if you know what I mean."

"Don't remind me."

"So what's your daughter into?"

"She's a junior. She's taking..."

"Naw. I mean the older one. If she's got the smarts, she a future rocket scientist or somethin'?"

"She's a liberal arts major. Well, if you count Holistic Communications as liberal arts."

"Sadistic what?"

"Holistic Communications. The next wave in journalism. Her counselor has told her that by the time she graduates, we'll no longer view journalism as a one-way or even partially a two-way communications form. Instead, we'll all be blended together in consumer information sharing. It'll take practitioners in holistic communications to educate and re-educate the masses in how to communicate this information effectively. Today, twitter. Tomorrow, holistic sharing and healing."

"What the fuck?"

"Not exactly. But sort of. Say you had erectile dysfunction and..."

"Now wait a minute. I ain't got no premature ejaculation problem. I always let the ladies take turns goin' first."

"That's not what I said. E-D. The inability to get it up, as you say."

"Not my problem, sweetie."

"I'm just saying, IF you had that problem, then in the future, you'd put out a signal about it and back would come timely, informative medical advice on how to heal the problem. Holistic communications practitioners would tie this information together with the advances in technology so that people can privately consult the Internet and be treated without embarrassing visits to their doctors. One day, they say, licensed HC graduates will be able to prevent arteriosclerosis by sensing and treating plaque buildup on the fly."

"Lady, you're turnin' me on here. You wanna take all them fancy words inside and put 'em to use or let 'em bake out here in the sun?"