It feels so different today. But nothing around me has changed. Everything is the same. People are going to work. Some are crossing the street. Some are driving, riding. Kids are playing in the park… and on the street. (Kids!) And what am I doing here, on the ground, amidst all this dry grass? It is all over me. Geez! What did I do last night? Did I drink, again? Oh no, if I drank and got sloshed again, my wife will kill me. She had warned me. My head hurts. Ugh! What’s that smell? Crap! It is coming from my shirt… and me. I stink. I need a bath.
If I am here, and if I spent the night here, which I am guessing is right, then it means I haven’t gone home all night. Oh God, no! My mum would be worried. I should walk faster and get home and check on everybody. Hey! There’s a telephone booth, there. I should probably call home first and ask if everybody is okay.
Where did all my money go? My pockets are empty. Did I get mugged, yesterday? NO! This can’t be happening. Why on earth did I go out, anyway? My money is gone, I stink like I’ve never before and I don’t have any memory of what happened last night. It is like I can totally empathize with Alan, Phil and Stew from Hangover. Is that a… a coin? Somebody must have dropped it. If I quickly pick it up, would anybody see? But that would be stealing, wouldn’t it? Ah! Forget it. Right now I’m worried as shit and I need to contact my family.
It is a five rupee coin. I need change. Er... I can ask that lady there. “Hello, Miss. Do you, by any chance, have a change of five rupees? I need to call my family. Uh Miss? Hello?” She isn’t responding. She’s so profoundly engrossed in her telephonic conversation that she’s least bothered to even say no. What a witch! I should find another person. Hey! I remember this place. If I walk for more five minutes toward the east… here, I am. This is where I teach. What day is it today? It was Thursday, day before yesterday, and since I don’t remember what happened yesterday, I presume that it was Friday, yesterday, which means its Saturday, today. Great! School’s closed. Wow! Wait, the school remains closed on Saturdays, but the office remains open.
There’s no one in the office. What time is it? Oh! The clock shows 1:30 pm. But I need to call… eh! Who cares? I’ll make the call and leave. It is just one call and the school earns a lot, anyway. It is ringing. “Hello? Priya? Uh, Hello? Can you hear me? What is that noise behind you? I can hear you, stop saying hello. Hello? Hel-“
Dear lord! I guess it is the network. No issues. I think my wife is okay. She sounded fine. I’ll go home now. She doesn’t seem mad either so it is safe.
Okay, if I enter from the back door, she won’t notice and I can tell her that I came early morning and slept in the lawn.
No one’s in the bedroom. Good.
God, I look hideous! I really need a bath. “Priya, can you switch on the geyser for me, please? I stink pretty badly. Priya? Perhaps, she’s in the living room. Pri-“
Why are there so many people wearing white? Is my mum alright? Did something happen to her? “Mama?” No, no. she is fine. Why is she crying? “Mama? Why are you crying? What happened? Tell me, what-“
What the hell, is that… my body?
“I warned him to stop drinking.” I hear Priya talking. “But he didn’t listen to me.”
“Where did you find his body?” That’s Aunt Sophie.
“Somewhere… near his school. He had passed… out, there. So we brought him home. He was breathing then, but… he was badly injured. He got into a-a… fight again, I think. So, we-we took him… to the hospital and after spending about… 30 minutes there, he-he passed away.”
“No, no. Don’t cry, Priya. I’m here, right here.”
Maybe if I try getting inside my body, I’ll come back to life.
It is not happening. But it happens when people get possessed. Perhaps I should try possessing someone. No. What am I saying?! I can’t do that.
Oh god, my consciousness is failing me…
If I am here, and if I spent the night here, which I am guessing is right, then it means I haven’t gone home all night. Oh God, no! My mum would be worried. I should walk faster and get home and check on everybody. Hey! There’s a telephone booth, there. I should probably call home first and ask if everybody is okay.
Where did all my money go? My pockets are empty. Did I get mugged, yesterday? NO! This can’t be happening. Why on earth did I go out, anyway? My money is gone, I stink like I’ve never before and I don’t have any memory of what happened last night. It is like I can totally empathize with Alan, Phil and Stew from Hangover. Is that a… a coin? Somebody must have dropped it. If I quickly pick it up, would anybody see? But that would be stealing, wouldn’t it? Ah! Forget it. Right now I’m worried as shit and I need to contact my family.
It is a five rupee coin. I need change. Er... I can ask that lady there. “Hello, Miss. Do you, by any chance, have a change of five rupees? I need to call my family. Uh Miss? Hello?” She isn’t responding. She’s so profoundly engrossed in her telephonic conversation that she’s least bothered to even say no. What a witch! I should find another person. Hey! I remember this place. If I walk for more five minutes toward the east… here, I am. This is where I teach. What day is it today? It was Thursday, day before yesterday, and since I don’t remember what happened yesterday, I presume that it was Friday, yesterday, which means its Saturday, today. Great! School’s closed. Wow! Wait, the school remains closed on Saturdays, but the office remains open.
There’s no one in the office. What time is it? Oh! The clock shows 1:30 pm. But I need to call… eh! Who cares? I’ll make the call and leave. It is just one call and the school earns a lot, anyway. It is ringing. “Hello? Priya? Uh, Hello? Can you hear me? What is that noise behind you? I can hear you, stop saying hello. Hello? Hel-“
Dear lord! I guess it is the network. No issues. I think my wife is okay. She sounded fine. I’ll go home now. She doesn’t seem mad either so it is safe.
Okay, if I enter from the back door, she won’t notice and I can tell her that I came early morning and slept in the lawn.
No one’s in the bedroom. Good.
God, I look hideous! I really need a bath. “Priya, can you switch on the geyser for me, please? I stink pretty badly. Priya? Perhaps, she’s in the living room. Pri-“
Why are there so many people wearing white? Is my mum alright? Did something happen to her? “Mama?” No, no. she is fine. Why is she crying? “Mama? Why are you crying? What happened? Tell me, what-“
What the hell, is that… my body?
“I warned him to stop drinking.” I hear Priya talking. “But he didn’t listen to me.”
“Where did you find his body?” That’s Aunt Sophie.
“Somewhere… near his school. He had passed… out, there. So we brought him home. He was breathing then, but… he was badly injured. He got into a-a… fight again, I think. So, we-we took him… to the hospital and after spending about… 30 minutes there, he-he passed away.”
“No, no. Don’t cry, Priya. I’m here, right here.”
Maybe if I try getting inside my body, I’ll come back to life.
It is not happening. But it happens when people get possessed. Perhaps I should try possessing someone. No. What am I saying?! I can’t do that.
Oh god, my consciousness is failing me…
No kidding, I had an idea for such a story, almost same.
ReplyDeleteDidn't work on it.
The language is simple, not rushed, and smooth.
I'm talking about the narration.
The dialogues seem forced, not real, a little filmy.
The suspense: I didn't know you wrote such stuff, so it was a surprise, as your work is entirely new for me.
The last line though. "My 'conscious' is failing me"???
It isn't correct.
Overall, a good, short post with nothing too loud or preachy, the way new blogs tend to be.
I'll be expecting more.
Thank you and I've made the changes in the last line. Also, I'll try writing even better next time.
ReplyDelete