the persian treasure

pasta & salad at marsha's, followed by choco chip cookies

Out & about, I think on bikes, with people, south end of town near the freeway, junkyards & industry. There is probably a looming threat [but I can't remember it]. Gotta get back to my parents' house, meet some extended family.

We get there and my Persian aunt is there, a short, sort of round woman who smiles a lot. And her kids, daughters, I think. It is communicated that they left Iran during the revolution, left behind a great deal of personal wealth. They are gone and my mother gives me a strange key. Cylindrical, and a flat plate with four protruding feet screws onto the end. It is made entirely of filigree, and once the plate is on, I can see that a spring action allows a central cylinder to push out and probably activate the lock. It opens a secret cave entrance back in Iran, where they hid their loot. I mumble to myself, and my mother says, "What?" And I reply that this sort of thing [such excess] is what probably brought the revolution in the first place.

We go to a fast food restaurant. Lots of long lines to the counter. We get in the shortest, which is for "Four Curses." Just when we get to the counter the woman leaves and opens another line. I remark that I *feel* like cursing now. But then this young, skinny, maybe retarded kid comes up tying on an apron and prepares to take our order.