The Red Wall Effect

It all happened so quickly. One night, she said she is moving out. She had found a place near work. We put an ad for another roommate..many unqualified people came and went. Finally, this girl showed up who seemed interesting. A week later, she had packed all her stuff in these white trash bags from Target, went and picked up the U-Hall on her own and did not hire any men to help her either. It was a Sunday in December and it was windy. I bought my brown boots that night from Macy's and when I came home, she was gone.

Then, the new girl came. Told us she wants to paint her bedroom green, which was fine. But then she had this radical idea for the living room: wanted to paint one wall red! She thought it would be great with her green couch contrast. At first, I was hesitant to allow that much change to happen, but then I told myself it might be a good change for all of us...

One Sat. morning, while I was hung over from the night before, the painters came. My headache worsened with the smell of fresh paint. I woke up around 3 p.m. and it was all done. Wow. Such an unfamiliar feeling in one's own home. As a result of her new green couch by the red wall, my old and dirty couch had to be moved to the opposite wall.

This is when it got weird: one night I came home to watch TV and naturally sat on my own couch, which was now on the other side...it was facing the TV but everything was ghareeneh. As if something had occurred in my brain and now my view of the world--well the TV at least---had flipped. Worse, on my left side was this firey Red wall.

I couldn't take it anymore. I packed my own stuff too. Donated the couch to some freshman dude at UCLA and was outta there...For good. It was one thing to lose your roommate of 4 years along with a the memories--a whole chapter in your life-- and to get a new roommate to adjust to, but it was somethin' else to lay on your couch, and watch TV from a different point of view and have a Red wall stare out you.

I was gone...See you later.