we left about midnight and walked down the hill in silence. the night was muggy, and all around me i felt the same pressure, a sense of time rushing by while it seemed to be standing still. whenever i thought of time in puerto rico, i was reminded of those old magnetic clocks that hung on the walls of my classrooms in high school. every now and then a hand would not move for several minutes -- and if i watched it long enough, wondering if it had finally broken down, the sudden click of the hand jumping three for four notches would startle me when it came.
In "The Rum Diary," the narrator reflects on a late-night walk down a hill, enveloped in a thick, muggy atmosphere. As they move in silence, a feeling of time's duality looms—rushing yet stagnant—creating a heavy ambiance that resonates deeply. This moment evokes memories of old magnetic clocks from school, where time's passage often felt suspended, leading to moments of surprise when the hands would suddenly leap forward.
This sense of time creates a contemplative backdrop for the narrator, emphasizing the tension between perception and reality. In Puerto Rico, time takes on a unique quality, becoming both a companion and a source of frustration, highlighting the struggle to grasp the fleeting nature of experiences amidst life's steady flow.
