Cuts on a block of wood
Gary and his wife Tatiana didn’t come from money, so they never had much, but even then, they were always looking for ways to give back. They would intentionally shop in areas where they were knew they would see someone in need. As they did their shopping they would buy what they needed, then buy for those in need. Only if there was something left from would they allow themselves to buy a want. To them excess that went to waste was what left others without.
If you could afford something expensive and get more value out of it than its cost they’d see you as a responsible consumer. When Py learned this principle, he thought it was genius! He knew it was genius when he studied antiquities that were still in daily use. The new trend of taking appliances older than his grandparents and repainting or replacing seals then using them in modern homes is just one example of applying technological advancements to bygone craftsmanship. Gary and Tati didn’t have more than was needed in their home, but what this did have was timeless.
When Saylah and Py came over for her first dinner at the Valenciano’s', she was impressed into silence at how simply they lived. They lived in a very affluent part of the city, in a very exclusive high-rise with a view that would add an additional $20,000.00 to any comparable listing. ‘This was a complete fluke;” Tati would tell them over dinner.
"When we bought this place 30 years ago it was the most dangerous part of the city. There were constant reports of stabbings, shootings, and fights that would happen in broad daylight. Those were obvious, but it was the drugs that were killing more than the violence. We chose this place because we opened a rehab and treatment center that took up the first three floors. Living here meant that an elevator would be safer than a cab. Just so happens that the neighborhood cleaned up as the years went by.
"We almost lost our marriage to that place," Gary added as he placed the first of three pots of food on the table.
"Almost, but it made us stronger.”
Tati reminded him. You could hear his chuckle of agreement as he walked back to the stove. She went on.
“We did eventually close that facility down because of the strain it was putting on our marriage. Junkies were unpredictable, especially the ones that were once soldiers. We didn’t want to leave the community with nothing so we turned two of the floors into affordable homes for the elderly that don’t need assistance and the first floor is the coffee shop, a library where kids can get free computer literacy training, and a daycare."
"Wait, you and Gary got drug users off of drugs?" Saylah said as she laid her head on the tabletop to inspect the grain more closely.
"Yes. I'm still involved in understanding addiction and if there are genetic markers that we can use to make getting off drugs less stressful on the body. Sadly, what we are learning is that social groups have more impact on that than treatments. When someone would start with us we needed to do tests to see what kind of drugs were in their systems and how to does them in ways that would not get them hooked on something else. This meant getting the right medical equipment – we didn’t have money for that so Gary here started dumpster diving for gear. He’s the one that got our fist centrifuge working.”
“Yeah, good’ol Cerdic-the-Centrifuge…”
“Had it not been for that Gary may never have discovered his love for technology."
"Is this Burr Elm?" Saylah asked in a way that showed she was listening and thinking at the same time.
"It is. We never had much money, so Gary was always pulling things from the trash or abandoned buildings. This table was once a library floor."
"WHAT! So we're technically eating off the floor?"
Py said in what could only be described as a whispered yell. "Your parents have eaten off this floor before it had legs and was officially a table. Come, serve yourselves. I'll tell you the story, as well as how that burnt triangle of dots made it to that part of the table. Here's a hint: your father is responsible for that, Pythagoras." “Py, did you know that Burr Elm was once thought to be basically trash wood? Now you can’t find this for less than an arm or a leg.” “Wood… You mean to tell me wood is that expensive?” It was difficult for a person who would spend thousands on silicone and recycle computer components for gold to understand how what is used for BBQ could be worth more than his computer. "Can you please tell us more about the centrifuge? Like, why did you need it, where did you get it, and how come it wasn't working?"
Saylah asked as she moved her head closer to the edge of the table, feeling the wood against her cheek. Her connection with organic material was more than grounding for her. It was as though she had once been whole with it, and seeing it again was like recognizing something long missed rather than something newly found. Tati went on to tell the story of the centrifuge, how Gary used his connections with some government contractors to buy pallets of obsolete computers, medical equipment, and more. Saylah and Tati were kindred spirits from the same cultural background and town. The way technology and living things interplayed between them was a conversational current that not even the most seasoned interviewer could have navigated. Py and Gary were not lost, but they were a critical part of some of the missing details. Saylah and Tati were not interrupting; they were listening for the moment the conversation would naturally turn. From dinner all the way through dessert they never lost the flow of the moment or felt that a prompt was needed to speak. Even when things fell silent there was an unspoken collective thought happening. As the night was closing and they were exchanging farewell hugs, Tati excitedly told Saylah and Py to wait a moment. Gary looked confused as she hurried into their office. When she came back holding a small block of wood, Py noticed a moment of emotion move across Gary's face. The wood looked as though it had been started and then stopped abruptly. The places where it had been cut were worried over until they were smooth. She didn't need to say she needed comfort as Gary's large hand cradled her delicate waist. "I was going to carve this for our baby, but... Well, Saylah, this has been waiting for you."
Tati said as she passed the wood to her. Taking the block, Saylah threw her arms around her and cried so mournfully that Py and Gary involuntarily shed more tears than could be counted. Saylah's mother Marium had passed away while pregnant with her, resulting in a premature emergency operation to save her life. Tati's daughter had lived less than thirty seconds. Angelica would have been as old as Saylah, and Marium would have been the same age as Tati, had they both lived. This was supposed to be just another dinner with the Valenciano's, but it turned into empty spaces in a soul seeing how perhaps their hardships had been necessary to find each other. After allowing the emotion to pass, they said their actual farewells as Gary and Tati watched what looked like a younger, current version of themselves begin something new from something old.
Py said in what could only be described as a whispered yell. "Your parents have eaten off this floor before it had legs and was officially a table. Come, serve yourselves. I'll tell you the story, as well as how that burnt triangle of dots made it to that part of the table. Here's a hint: your father is responsible for that, Pythagoras." “Py, did you know that Burr Elm was once thought to be basically trash wood? Now you can’t find this for less than an arm or a leg.” “Wood… You mean to tell me wood is that expensive?” It was difficult for a person who would spend thousands on silicone and recycle computer components for gold to understand how what is used for BBQ could be worth more than his computer. "Can you please tell us more about the centrifuge? Like, why did you need it, where did you get it, and how come it wasn't working?"
Saylah asked as she moved her head closer to the edge of the table, feeling the wood against her cheek. Her connection with organic material was more than grounding for her. It was as though she had once been whole with it, and seeing it again was like recognizing something long missed rather than something newly found. Tati went on to tell the story of the centrifuge, how Gary used his connections with some government contractors to buy pallets of obsolete computers, medical equipment, and more. Saylah and Tati were kindred spirits from the same cultural background and town. The way technology and living things interplayed between them was a conversational current that not even the most seasoned interviewer could have navigated. Py and Gary were not lost, but they were a critical part of some of the missing details. Saylah and Tati were not interrupting; they were listening for the moment the conversation would naturally turn. From dinner all the way through dessert they never lost the flow of the moment or felt that a prompt was needed to speak. Even when things fell silent there was an unspoken collective thought happening. As the night was closing and they were exchanging farewell hugs, Tati excitedly told Saylah and Py to wait a moment. Gary looked confused as she hurried into their office. When she came back holding a small block of wood, Py noticed a moment of emotion move across Gary's face. The wood looked as though it had been started and then stopped abruptly. The places where it had been cut were worried over until they were smooth. She didn't need to say she needed comfort as Gary's large hand cradled her delicate waist. "I was going to carve this for our baby, but... Well, Saylah, this has been waiting for you."
Tati said as she passed the wood to her. Taking the block, Saylah threw her arms around her and cried so mournfully that Py and Gary involuntarily shed more tears than could be counted. Saylah's mother Marium had passed away while pregnant with her, resulting in a premature emergency operation to save her life. Tati's daughter had lived less than thirty seconds. Angelica would have been as old as Saylah, and Marium would have been the same age as Tati, had they both lived. This was supposed to be just another dinner with the Valenciano's, but it turned into empty spaces in a soul seeing how perhaps their hardships had been necessary to find each other. After allowing the emotion to pass, they said their actual farewells as Gary and Tati watched what looked like a younger, current version of themselves begin something new from something old.