She took me along with her that day.
She was meeting her girl friends in the park. She had yoga class that evening and did not want to be late. While lounging there, one of her girl friends got a call from the office. It just wouldn’t get over. Tina’s dog Frisbee spotted a cat and gave chase. Tina followed hoping Frisbee wouldn’t get run into by some cyclists. Kips spotted an ice cream vendor. It would be a good idea to have some ice cream by the pond that afternoon. We agreed and she was on it. It was nice and green all around. There were white lotuses in the pond. They seemed to drift gently every time the breeze made ripples in the water. Actually they did not. There were rooted.
She was focusing on the lotuses. It suddenly seemed so quiet. She could hear me. She kept hearing me. That made her realize how long her friends were taking to get back. She was getting late for yoga class. It annoyed her. She looked at me. She could still hear me. What could I do? That’s all I do. That is what I do.
It looked now as if she was smouldering. Her friends were still not back. She got up and packed her things. She was forgetting something. She put on her shoes and picked me up. She told me, I hate you and flung me into the pond. I had no warning. Okay I have two feet but would I do? Run?
I did not fall near the lotuses. She did not want to hurt them. I was sinking rapidly. There was heavy traffic. A dense school of pink fishes was running into me. I was still sinking. I thought one of the fishes would hurtle right into me when it gulped. It gulped me right in. I was inside the fish now. I made the pink fish very bulgy. I made it different from the rest. The others could hear it now. I made the pink fish noisy. The fish was still quite hungry. It spotted a minnow nearby. As it drew closer, the minnow swam away and escaped. The minnow could hear the pink fish. The school understood that if they were around the pink fish, their food would swim away too. The school deserted the pink fish. By now, the pink fish was starving. I was not enough. It sensed a wiggling in the water and bit in.
There was no water around us now. The pink fish was flying in the air. It had bitten the bait. It was caught. Hey look, I got a big’un, a voice said. The pink fish soon stopped breathing. It was piled on a big heap of fishes of all colours, mostly grey, some silver. They could not hear me. They were all dead.
I suddenly felt a rush of cool air. A big knife just chopped up the pink fish into two. A hand hardened with calluses scooped me out of the fish. The hand was disappointed. I wish you were pearls, it said. If you were eggs, I would get a good price. But I was not eggs either so the hand threw me over the back. I fell on fish scales and fish insides. It was not a pretty picture.
Only the truly needy would reach for me from there. But someone did. I was shiny. I caught the sun. It was a tramp. He could not hear me. He was drunk. I can sell you for booze, he said and staggered to the pawn shop. It was a quiet shop made of red wood. The tramp was a regular. I got him enough to buy him at least a bottle he mumbled.
The pawn store owner gave me a good rinse. He could not get the pink fish off of me. I was placed on a high shelf so I would not put the customers off. It was not a very respectable pawn shop although it was made of red wood. I was surprised to see a respectable gentleman walk in. His young grandson followed him. I was catching a little sun from the window. I was shining. Nana, I want that, the little boy said. Nana did his bidding. The pawn store owner made a good profit. The little boy could hear me now. His ear was the first thing that felt warm.
Look Mamma, what Nana got me.
Where did you get that? Mamma said almost with alarm.
Why? said Nana.
Mamma smiled Let me make you boys some tea and I will tell you.
Over tea, Mamma brought out a glossy book. It had lovely pictures. Mamma pointed, Look here. See this. I was in the book.
Mamma worked at the museum. Mamma said I was important. Lost, untraceable, much looked for and important.
I sit in a glass case now. I have my own hallway. The little boy still comes to hear me. He is not so little anymore. He is still warm, his ear even through the glass.
Now everyone can hear me. All these years, I never stopped ticking. That’s all I did. That is what I do.
She was meeting her girl friends in the park. She had yoga class that evening and did not want to be late. While lounging there, one of her girl friends got a call from the office. It just wouldn’t get over. Tina’s dog Frisbee spotted a cat and gave chase. Tina followed hoping Frisbee wouldn’t get run into by some cyclists. Kips spotted an ice cream vendor. It would be a good idea to have some ice cream by the pond that afternoon. We agreed and she was on it. It was nice and green all around. There were white lotuses in the pond. They seemed to drift gently every time the breeze made ripples in the water. Actually they did not. There were rooted.
She was focusing on the lotuses. It suddenly seemed so quiet. She could hear me. She kept hearing me. That made her realize how long her friends were taking to get back. She was getting late for yoga class. It annoyed her. She looked at me. She could still hear me. What could I do? That’s all I do. That is what I do.
It looked now as if she was smouldering. Her friends were still not back. She got up and packed her things. She was forgetting something. She put on her shoes and picked me up. She told me, I hate you and flung me into the pond. I had no warning. Okay I have two feet but would I do? Run?
I did not fall near the lotuses. She did not want to hurt them. I was sinking rapidly. There was heavy traffic. A dense school of pink fishes was running into me. I was still sinking. I thought one of the fishes would hurtle right into me when it gulped. It gulped me right in. I was inside the fish now. I made the pink fish very bulgy. I made it different from the rest. The others could hear it now. I made the pink fish noisy. The fish was still quite hungry. It spotted a minnow nearby. As it drew closer, the minnow swam away and escaped. The minnow could hear the pink fish. The school understood that if they were around the pink fish, their food would swim away too. The school deserted the pink fish. By now, the pink fish was starving. I was not enough. It sensed a wiggling in the water and bit in.
There was no water around us now. The pink fish was flying in the air. It had bitten the bait. It was caught. Hey look, I got a big’un, a voice said. The pink fish soon stopped breathing. It was piled on a big heap of fishes of all colours, mostly grey, some silver. They could not hear me. They were all dead.
I suddenly felt a rush of cool air. A big knife just chopped up the pink fish into two. A hand hardened with calluses scooped me out of the fish. The hand was disappointed. I wish you were pearls, it said. If you were eggs, I would get a good price. But I was not eggs either so the hand threw me over the back. I fell on fish scales and fish insides. It was not a pretty picture.
Only the truly needy would reach for me from there. But someone did. I was shiny. I caught the sun. It was a tramp. He could not hear me. He was drunk. I can sell you for booze, he said and staggered to the pawn shop. It was a quiet shop made of red wood. The tramp was a regular. I got him enough to buy him at least a bottle he mumbled.
The pawn store owner gave me a good rinse. He could not get the pink fish off of me. I was placed on a high shelf so I would not put the customers off. It was not a very respectable pawn shop although it was made of red wood. I was surprised to see a respectable gentleman walk in. His young grandson followed him. I was catching a little sun from the window. I was shining. Nana, I want that, the little boy said. Nana did his bidding. The pawn store owner made a good profit. The little boy could hear me now. His ear was the first thing that felt warm.
Look Mamma, what Nana got me.
Where did you get that? Mamma said almost with alarm.
Why? said Nana.
Mamma smiled Let me make you boys some tea and I will tell you.
Over tea, Mamma brought out a glossy book. It had lovely pictures. Mamma pointed, Look here. See this. I was in the book.
Mamma worked at the museum. Mamma said I was important. Lost, untraceable, much looked for and important.
I sit in a glass case now. I have my own hallway. The little boy still comes to hear me. He is not so little anymore. He is still warm, his ear even through the glass.
Now everyone can hear me. All these years, I never stopped ticking. That’s all I did. That is what I do.
(Penned Dec 20, 2009)
Neat. If Orhan Pamuk was writing it, he would title it: 'I am Called Watch'
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ReplyDeleteIt’s a great post Man, you really are a good writer! I’m so glad someone like you have the time, efforts and dedication writing, for this kind of article… Helpful, Useful,Very nice post!
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