Kale

Kale's Room

Upon opening the door, the room is mostly dark. A sheet hangs over the curtain rod at the top of the window, and a blanket over that, with light peeking in around them both. As the door opens and light floods in from the hallway, more of the room is revealed.

You glance around the room, noting the small table set off to one side, just past the window. A tall spicy pillar candle, partially burned, sits on a glass plate being used as a candle holder, brown wax drips mingling with other colors of candles long gone. A long lighter rests next to it, ready to be used to easily light the candle. Next to the table is a small carpet, an oriental design of indeterminate color, with throw pillows tossed on top of it.

The nightstand next to the bed matches the small table in the way old wooden furniture that could use a refinishing matches itself... midway between dark and light stain, with the scratches of age and well-worn usage. The bed has no headboard -- simply a matress on top of springs, made with clean sheets that are rumpled and rarely made. Another candle sits on the nightstand.

At the foot of the carpet is a small bureau. The drawers are mostly closed, but haphazardly, as if it didn't matter if it closed completely or not. T-shirts and jeans can barely be seen through the tiny openings that are left. If opened you would find concert t-shirts, with a definite predilection towards dark colored tie-dyes, and tattered jeans that have been worn too long. There are sandals on the floor -- two pairs, equally worn.

The top of the bureau is cluttered, with a stereo that has seen better days. It is a component system, including a more modern CD player, as well as an ancient reel to reel, and a record player, as well as a tape deck of good quality, if old, and a mixer. Any of the equipment could have been found in a home studio -- just none of it is new. Tapes -- cassette, reel to reel, and even a few 8-tracks, are piled around it, as well as newer CDs and a few albums -- the vinyl still in good condition despite the age. All of the music looks well-listened to and well-loved. Some are purchased, but many are bootlegs of performances, oftentimes with Kale's own voice in evidence.