PAULA MALONEY

Evy Wessel's room

A Room in Manzanillo, Mexico

I sit in this bed and look out at the great expanse of Pacific ocean through the 3 large windows that form one corner of this room. Through these windows I can also see the jungle covered mountains and hills that frame the entrance to Santiago Bay here in Manzanillo Mexico. In the evenings, it's not only the ocean that gives a sense of infinite mystery, but the stunning sunsets that give a sense of infinite beauty. Of course, what I can't describe visually is the nerve jangling endless sound of jackhammers in concrete, 'renovating' the houses down below, or the tortured howl of the beagle, locked out from his home, night after night.

Back to the room, small prayer flags hang in one window as a reminder of impermanence, that there is a world far beyond the windows that needs our prayers. I can lie down on the day bed in this corner under these flags and look out the windows in the other direction from the ocean, towards land, towards the hills and jungle, spotted with the homes of the rich and the poor, creating the colourful mosaic that describes so much of Mexico.

If I shift my gaze back into the room from this day bed I am lying on, which is covered with a subtle taupe/grey hand embroidered textile from India, I will find a little meditation corner, next to the bed on which I sleep at night and from which this description began. This corner has a low wooden table angled across it. The table is covered with a white hand embroidered Norwegian table runner upon which live an eclectic mix of 'aids' to meditation, a little bronze Buddha, a Tibetan singing bowl, seashells, a skull prayer bead necklace, incense, candle and last but not least, a bead covered Sphynx-posed kitty made by the Huichol Indians of Mexico. If I look up to my left from my zafu cushion in front of this table while meditating  in this corner, I will see a silver plated wall plaque of Manjushri, God of Wisdom, and a bright yellow mirror dotted east Indian textile embroidered with a figure in birthing pose. The wall with the sleeping bed on it is boring and conventional,  a bed, 2 bedside wooden tables with bedside lamps, books, creams, medications, support staff for a good night's sleep and a good morning's wake.

Straight ahead of me from this 'sleeping' bed, I see our little command central station, a tall narrow desk/bookshelf combo that houses books, a happy Hawaii holiday photo of my mother and recently deceased father, a computer and its accessories, printer, paper, files etc. Atop all this is a papier-mache angel, hand made here in Mexico, and beside it, a wooden OM hanging on the white wall, both reminders once again of our need for 'reminding'. Even the air conditioner control which hangs on this wall by the door to the room has a reminder on it, a little wooden laughing Buddha given to us by some dear friends before we embarked on this crazy journey. This little reminder of the need for joy in our lives has been sorrowfully neglected; perhaps it's time to wear him round my neck! The real character of this wall though is the wicker armchair that sits between the desk and the door. This is the chair that has been emphatically and indisputably claimed as "mine" by our 9 year old white haired, blue eyed, amazing traveling cat named Rex! Woe be it on either of us if we occupy this chair for more than 5 minutes; a little white paw will bat your butt and a little kitty voice will cry: "out, out, mine, mine"!

The last wall of this room, except of course for the wall behind me, which is blank save for the bed etc., is the wall to my left as I sit here on the bed. There's a door to the ensuite bathroom, through which I can see a wall mirror and a marble topped sink vanity with louvered parota wood cupboard doors under it. Parota is the only wood here that is resistant to termites. To the right of the door to the bathroom is a tall rustic Mexican style wood (also Parota) wardrobe with iron hinges and handles. On top if it sits another eclectic collection, a colourful aluminum candle holder whose base is a devil and pitchfork, a small painted spider with babies on her back, made in Oaxaca Mexico, a seashell spider, a brightly coloured wool child's toy in the shape of a goat, made by the Zapotec people, a water-colour Mexican village scene titled Romeo and Juliet (two cats) painted by a mouth painter, a Virgin of Guadalupe votive candle and a plastic container of dry kitty food. Hopelessly leaning against this wardrobe is a swiffer duster brought from Canada, no match for the dust and cat hair that accumulates in this room. The floor of shiny rust coloured terrazzo tiles shows the fallout from both the cat and the coal fired electric plant on an ongoing basis.

The walls of this room are mercifully white, giving a sense of cool and clean on many of the hot, humid, smoggy days in this city. The large ceiling fan sits silent and still this morning since the weather has mercifully cooled somewhat…..but I now can see the draping of each blade with the fringes of a lacy shawl of dark, dirty, grey dust…..hello swiffer!