the time’s wrong AND the layout’s ugly.

Yesterday, I was at a small classical record store. I was amazed with the collection they had: from Albinoni to Wassenaar, they had everyone. Except Nino Rota, who i was desperately looking for. Too modern I guess.

So I was looking through the opera section as recently I had been listening to Madama Butterfly very frequently. I decided to ask the sales lady whether they had the DVD. She showed me the movie and theatrical recordings. I’m standing there, unsure of which of the four videos to purchase, when there’s a voice to the left of me who softly says, “I have the movie.” it was like a whisper almost. I look up and glance over to my side and see this guy about a meter away from me: short, slender, pale, black horned rimmed glasses; he resembled an Asian Rivers Cuomo. I instantly froze, “Oh my god.” was the first thought that went through my head. He looked back at me, with an almost “Deer In the Headlights Look”, and I didn’t know what to say. He made me nervous, but in a good way. I was trying to think of something quick, and was prepared to start a conversation, then BAM. My father comes into the store, I close my jaw and I return to my original position of looking over the DVDs, while at the corner of my eye, I see the Rivers Cuomo look a like shrugging and going back to look at the orchestral DVDs that were placed on the wall.

“Well, are you ready to go?” my father asked, impatiently, since I’d spent about half an hour there already.
“Almost (glances at DVDs, then quickly to RC look-a-like who my dad was in front of), I want to get a DVD though. I don’t know which one to get.”
“Well, ask someone, don’t look silly.” Then he looks around the store, sales lady’s gone, and he spots the look-a-like. My father quickly says to me “Let’s ask this guy.”
I cringed, “OK.”
He turns to him, “Hey, you know which one’s good?”
He looks away from the wall of DVDs, and quickly answers, “Well, I only have the movie one, so I don’t really know…” he trails off.
My father asked again, “Well, why’d you get this one?” (points to the movie edition)
“Well, it’s conducted by Karajan and Domingo’s in it,” he paused, he looked nervous. “I got it for that reason, but the rest is really up to you.” He looks away from my father and glances over his shoulder and looks at me for a brief second. I quickly look down and glanced up to focus at the wall of DVDs. I think my heart skipped a beat.
My father quickly says thanks, and turns back to me, “So? What’s it going to be?”
“I think I’ll get the movie then. Thanks.” I look over my dad’s shoulder and Asian Rivers was purchasing some conductor’s boxset.
“I’m going to wait for you outside.” My father spoke, as I focused my attention on the $500 (currency converter: $70 CND-ish) he slipped me “Merry Christmas.”
“Wow, thanks.”
“Can I get a kiss?”
“No.”
“Ok, I’ll wait for you outside then.”
I nodded, and I watch my father leave the store. After the door shut, I quickly glance back to where the Asian Rivers was. He was….gone. He left. I didn’t even notice. He must have left when I was talking to my father. I sighed, and took the DVD to the cashier.

Later in the day, I asked my father, “How old do you think that guy at the record store was?”
“Probably the same age as you, but a bit older.”
“You think?”