Hampton & Rabbit : The Paradox of NYC (excerpt)
“Where you gonna run to” lyrics of Felix Da Housecat’s ‘Sinnerman’ reloop.
Verōnika, the patron saint of photography is upstairs. That’s where I go.
Verōnika’s ceiling reaches infinitely. Wide apertures of windows allow flattering light to run through the grand European style dining room.
I walk through the bar and past the hostess who briefly looks up and through me. She then nods her head down ignoring me as if were a ghost as she returns to prodding into a tablet with her index fingers.
The dining room reminds me of the paradox that is New York City: so many people jammed up against each other creates obstacles for us to meaningfully connect. Two-by-two close seating construction is the perfect example. For the very purpose of commerce, everyone is seated too intimately next to a stranger and in opposing-party style to their guest.
As I walk the aisle between the tables I feel like a Dark Knight in a Battlestar commanding an array of minions seated at their controls. Angry that I don’t see Amanda, I pull out a light saber and swipe it through the legs of the low sitting dining chairs as I make large strides through the room and out again.
“The Paradox of NYC” is an excerpt from “Hampton & Rabbit”, the 18k word novelette. Available to read on request.
