DEJA VU

THE UNDERTAKER AND THE HITMAN.

TWA Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY, NY.   Parked along the median curb bending away from TWA's terminal in wait for the imminent arrival of a delayed flight I sat idly, distractedly looking out my soot-streaked window.  It was early evening and grey afternoon shadows were rising. On the sidewalk 25 yards away, advancing counter clockwise, perpendicular to my line of vision, came a slight black Skycap maneuvering a small woman in a wheel chair. Just behind another skycap wheeled a rack piled with luggage. In stark contrast the vivid red caps were punctuation marks in an otherwise bland aeroscape. Lagging like an afterthought trudged an unremarkably ruddy faced pudgy man dressed in a gravely dark suit, his measured steps like an undertaker in a funeral. I could see from his signature profile Alfred Hitchcock. He was completely in character. I watched surreally until their automobile, seeming all the more like a hearse, disappeared.    5th Avenue @ 57th Street, NY, NY.  Running late, walking north on 5th, arriving at the SW corner of 57th, I turned towards Bendel’s nearly runnning head on into a man holding a child in his hand. According to common street etiquette I should have yielded the right of way as he  was making a south bound right hand turn. There was virtually no contact, the child was non-plussed but nevertheless I murmured something deferential. He was poker faced, reactionless and expressionless. Behind large framed glasses his deadpan gaze was matter of factly cool. I had seen those eyes before.   La Voile Rouge, 4th @ Ocean Drive, South Beach, Florida. About 100 yards offshore a large fish breached the surface making sevaral surfaces passes north to south and back again before I dove in for a closer look. From the leisurely pattern I thought it couldn't be predatory as it exhibited the characteristic docile behaviour of a whale or porpoise. It was a manta or devil ray, with a 25 foot wingspan. Though rays look threatening they pose little danger, having small mouths with vestigial teeth that filter krill and plankton.  The manta passed within 10 yards causing my blood to pumping madly as I floated in its path.  Pulling myself out of the surf he was on the sand sitting in the shadow of an umbrella with an exotic woman in sunglasses and hat. He had a detached expression like a MD examining a specimen. Deja vu, Michael Caine. I think his mask, his public face serves two purposes; as he rests his facial, ocular muscles as good actors do, his intimidating gaze kept curious fans at bay.