"SUR - REAL"

"..." T H I S " ... ????!!!! ..." A L L " ... !!!!??? ... LOOKS ... ? SO ... ? " S U R - R E A L "... !!!' ... THE SKY ... ? THE SEA ... ? THE SAND ... ? ... IT RE-MINDS ME SO MUCH ... ? OF ENGLAND ... !!!' " ... BRIGHTON , ENGLAND ... ?" " ... EXACTLY ... !!! " " ... WELL , CONEY , ISLAND ... ? ... W A S ... DE-SIGNED AFTER THE SEA - SIDE RE-SORTS OF ENGLAND ... ? ... SUCH AS ... "BRIGHTON" ... ... A MIDDLE - CLASS ... "WORKING - CLASS" SPA ... ... AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE ARISTOCRATIC ... PATRICIAN ... RESORTS ... ... OF SAY ... ? " BADEN - BADEN "... ... OR " SAN TROPEZ " ... "BAD EMS " ... " ( ... SHE HAD ... ? ... FLED HER NATIVE HOLLAND ... TWENTY YEARS AGO ... ? ... ESCAPING ... ? AN ABUSIVE ... PHILANDERING HUSBAND ... ... TAKING HER " TWO BABIES " ... WITH HER ... ... AND SETTLING IN ENGLAND ... ... NOW ... ? TWO DECADES LATER ... ? ... ON SURF AVENUE ... AND STILLWELL AVENUE ... ... IN BROOKLYN , U . S . A . ... ... EMERGING FROM THE ORNATE , NEWLY - RE - NOVATED ... ... " F " IND LINE TERMINAL ... ? ... SHE WAS HAVING A ... ? " FLASH - BACK " ... ... TO HAPPIER , EARLIER ... DAYS ... ). " ... I HAVE TO GO TO THE ... " LOO " ... " ( ... HOW VERY , VERY ... EUROPEAN ... !!!). " ... " RUBY ' S "... ? ON THE BOARD - WALK ... ? ... SHOULD HAVE A ... " LADIES' ROOM " ... ". " ... " RUBY ' S " ... ? " . " ... YEAH ... !!! JUST ... ? ... LIKE IN THE " STORY " ... !!!!??? ... " THE AFTER - PARTY ... ... FOR THE 2 0 0 6 MERMAID PARADE ... " !!! " . " ... OH ... !!! ... YOU MEAN LIKE IN THE PERFORMANCE PIECE ... !!! ... " RUBY ' S " ... !!! ... I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND AT FIRST ... !!! ... " I T " ... ? A L L ... ? ... HAPPENED R I G H T ... HERE ... !!! ... OH SHIT ... !!! I DIDN'T MAKE THAT CONNECTION ... ... RIGHT AWAY ... !!! ... " T H I S " ... I S ... ? ... C O N E Y - I S L A N D ... !!! ... HOW ... ? " S U R - R E A L " ... !!! ' . " ... L I F E ... ? IMITATES ... A R T ... !!!!???". ( ..." A N A " ... ? ... WAS ... ? ... THE " DA - DA / SURREALIST CABARET ... ... PERFORMANCE - ARTIST"). ... THE SEA - SIDE RESORT ... ? ... WAS DESOLATE ... ABANDONNED ... ... IT WAS THE LAST DAY OF SEPTEMBER .... SUMMER ... ? ... IS OVER ... ... BARKERS ... ? BARK AT US ... TRYING ... ? ... ONE LAST TIME ... ... TO GET SOME SUCKER ... ? TO SHOOT B.B. GUNS ... ... AT A RIFLE -RANGE ... ... THERE ARE NO TAKERS ... ... THE BARTENDER ... ? AT "RUBY'S" ... ... ON THE BOARD WALK ... ? ... IS ... ? ... JUST NOW - PULLING DOWN ... ... THE CORRUGATED STEEL SHUTTER ... ... TO CLOSE UP THE BAR & GRILLE ... !!! " ... LOOKS LIKE WE GOT HERE TOOO LATE ... !!! ... IT'S ALREADY , ALMOST SIX O'CLOCK ... !!! ... I GUESS ... ? WITH IT BEING THE "OFF - SEASON" ... ? ... THERE'S NO POINT IN KEEPIN' "THE PLACE" , OPEN ... ? ... AFTER SUN - DOWN ... !!!! ... WE ONLY GOT ABOUT AN HOUR ... ... OR SO OF LIGHT LEFT ... !!! ... WE'LL HAVE TO USE THE PUBLIC REST ROOMS ... ... AT THIS POINT ... ". ... THE NEW YORK CITY PARKS DEPT. FACILITIES ... ... ARE STILL OPEN ... ... IT'S ALREADY SUN - SET ... !!! ... AFTER SHE EMERGES ... " ... OKAY ... ? LOOK ... ? SO THIS IS OUR PLAN ... ? ... "TECHNICALLY" SPEAKING ... ? ... AS YOU CAN SEE BY THAT SIGN ON THE RAILING ... ... OF THE BOARD - WALK THERE ... ? ... DOWN BY THE SAND ... ? ... THERE IS N O SWIMMING PERMITTED , NOW ... !!! ... AT THIS TIME ... !!!! ... THE SEASON ... ? HAS BEEN OVER ... ... FOR F O U R WEEKS ... !!! ALREADTY ... !!! ... SINCE THE LABOUR DAY WEEK END ... ? ... SO ... ? THERE ARE N O LIFE - GUARDS ON DUTY ... !!! ... AND IT C O U L D BE DANGEROUS TO GO SWIMMING ... !!! ... I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ... !!!! ... I'M GONNA DIE , SOON , ANY - WAY ... !!! ... SO I'M NOT AFRAID TO GO SWIMMING ... !!! ... IT AIN'T FUN ... ? IF IT AIN'T DANGEROUS , ... R I G H T ... !!!??? ... AS LONG AS WE STEERE CLEAR OF THOSE TWO ... ... ROCK - STREWN JETTIES ... ? ... THERE ... ? AND THERE ... ? ... WE SHOULD BE O - KAY ... !!! ... THERE'S NO - BODY ON THE BEACH RIGHT NOW ... ? ... SO ... ? NO - BODY ... ... IS GONNA SAY ANY - THING ... ? ... IF WE GO SWIMMING ... !!! ... NOW ...? WE GOTTA KEEP AN EYE OUT ... ? ... FOR THE POLICE ... !!! ... IT'S "OFF - SEASON" ... ? ... SO THERE ISN'T MUCH OF A ... ? ... "POLICE - PRESENCE" ... ? ON THE BOARD - WALK ... !!!! ... I CAN SEE ... TWO COPS ... ... AT THE OTHER END OF SURF AVENUE ... ... IN A POLICE ... "GOLF - CART" VEHICLE ... !!! ... SO WE JUST HEAD DOWN TO THE WATER ... ? ... RIP OUR CLOTHES OFF ... ? ... JUMP INTO THE SURF ... ? BEFORE ANY - ONE ... ? ... SAYS ANY - THING ... !!! ... IF THE COPS ... ? D O SAY SOME - THING ... ? ... WE PLAY ... ? " S T O O P I D " ... ( "... GEE , OFFICER ... ? I DIDN 'T KNOW ... !!"). ... O K A Y ... ???!! " . " ... OKAY ... !!! " . ... WE DASH DOWN TO THE SEA S WATER - LINE ... ... STRIP OFF OUR CLOTHES ... ... A N A ... ? PEELS DOWN TO HER BLACK THONG PANTY ...( ... I TAKE POLAROIDS ... !!! ) . ... THE SUN ... ? ... HAS J U S T DIPPED BELOW THE HORIZON LINE ... ... IT IS TWI - LIGHT ... ... A BEAUTIFUL COBALT - BLUE SKY ... ... OVER CONEY ISLAND ... ... A N A ... ? JUMPED IN ... TOP - LESS ... ... I FOLLOWED ... ... DRESSED ONLY IN MY CHARCOAL - GREY HANES MENS ... ... BIKINI - BRIEF ... ... THE WATER ... ? WAS ... ? ... F U C K I N G ... FREEEEEEEEEEEZINGGGGGGGGGGGGG !!! ... BUT TOLERABLE ... !!! ... YOU GOT USED TO IT , AFTER A WHILE ... ... THE COLD SEA BREEZE ... ? WAS A LITTLE "STIFF" ... ... AND "FRIGID" ... ? ... BUT NOT TOO BAD ... ? AS LONG AS YOU STAYED UNDER ... ... THE COMPARATIVELY ... LUKE - WARM SEA - WATER ... ... IT W A S ... ? THE L A S T DAY OF SEPTEMBER ... !!! ... WE SCISSOR - KICKED OUT ... ? ... AS FAR AS THE END OF THE ROCK - STREWN JETTY ... ... THAT FRAMED THE BEACH ... AT ITS TIPS ... ... I EVEN SWAM OUT INTO THE WAVES ... ? ... TOTING MY POLAROID CAMERA OVER MY HEAD ... ... ABOVE THE BREAKERS ... ? ... TO PHOTOGRAPH ... ? A N A ... TREADING WATER ... ... OUT IN THE SURF ... !!! ... I CAUGHT A SHOT OF A N A ... ? ... DASHING OUT OF THE WAVES ... ? UP ON THE SAND ... ... RUNNING TOWARD THE WORLD - FAMOUS ... ... " C Y C L O N E " ... ROLLER COASTER ... ... OF CONEY ISLAND ... ... ON WEST 1 0 T H STREET ... AND SURF AVENUE ... ... ALL ABANDONNED ... FOR THE WINTER ... !!! ... A SHOT OF ... ? " THE END OF SUMMER " ... ... AFTERWARDS ... ? WE DRESSED ... ... AND HEADED FOR ... " NATHAN 'S FAMOUS " ... ... ON STILLWELL ... AND WEST 1 6 T H ... ... CHILI - CHEESE DOGS ... CHEESE FRIES ... ... AND COKES ... ... LATER ... ? ... RETURNING ON THE I N D " F " TRAIN ...? ... I SHOWED A N A ... ? ... CLASSIC BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS ... ... INSTALLED AT THE CONEY ISLAND / STILLWELL AVENUE STOP, ... CIRCA ... 1 9 3 9 ... SUMMER ... AND ONE MILLION BATHERS ... ... ON THE BEACH ... ? " ... DO YOU SEE WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE , ... A N A ... ? ". " ... N O O O O ... ? " . " ... N O T - O N E - B L A C K - F A C E ... ? ... I N - T H E - C R O W D !!!! ". ... CONEY ISLAND ... ? ... IN 1 9 3 9 ... ? ... WAS A ... " RESTRICTED " BEACH ... !!! ... " W H I T E S - O N L Y " ... !!!". " ... IN THIS DAY ... ? AN AGE ... ? ... I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ... !!! ". ( ... STRANGELY ... ? ... EXCEPT FOR HER FIRST EX - HUSBAND .... ? " ... THE FATHER OF MY BABIES " ( TWO ... NOW ... TWENTY - SOME - THING SONS ) ... I WAS THE ONLY OTHER ... ? W H I T E BOY FRIEND ... ? ... " A N A " ... ? EVER HAD ... !!! ... HER TYPICAL SEX - PARTNERS .... ? .. WERE TWENTY - SOMETHING "RASTA - MANS " ... !!!!).