Pressed low and modern between an endless sky and high desert emptiness, are the Ramada “Twin” Inns.
Five miles to the west, El Paso Texas shimmers across the hard-pack of west Texas and thirsts for the well watered patrons of the inns.
Arleen Daley is about to take a dip, but a man with a camera has called her beautiful and asked her to wave.
Strong sunlight freezes the motion onto film.
One hour later, the photographer will head west on highway 62, the last image of Mrs. Daley waiting within his Kodak.
Arleen will drive east onto highway 180, a Styrofoam cup of Sanka, from the Inns 24 hour coffee shop, as her final companion.
A year down the road, in 1972, Arleens’ husband will enter the Ramadas’ new gift shop and see his missing wife.
The photographer had worked for Ramada.
Arleens’ image waves to passers by from the postcard rack, beside desert sunsets, above aerial shots of El Paso and from beside close-ups of Texas wildlife.
Robert Daley will buy the postcard and drift to the pool.
He will sit in the chair where a year before the “person of interest” had sat reading Life magazine.
He’ll look to where his wife had stood, waving goodbye, and will wait till the shadows match the photo.
When the scene is set and everything is the same, her absence will invert itself within him and he’ll feel, for a moment, like she’s right over there.
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