The Car in the Lake

 

It had been a long time since I had gone to this square in the middle of the city. There had been changes like the golden gates at the entrance. In addition to the artificial lake that was added in the middle of the square. I am not sure of the size in numbers, but it looked huge.

Parking had always been very difficult. It was a one-way path. You went in through the gates, drove all around the park and then out the gates again. It was what I did looking for a place to park. The street was wide and no paring lots were to be found. Therefore, I parked in front of the shop that I was going to; however, I placed my car a little bit on top of the sidewalk just to make sure it wouldn´t be in anybody´s way. I am a very conscious driver and rarely break a law, but today I needed to pick up the red dress I would wear to the award night. I was thrilled to be getting a life time award for my profession. It would only take a few minutes, parking there would not bother anyone. Get out. Go into the shop. Pick up the dress. Back to the car. It would just take a few seconds.

So, I put on my emergency blinkers, ran into the store and when the owner saw me, we started to catch up on news. Adjectives, compliments, and lots of laughter. All of a sudden, we heard the screams and a bang as if the street were being bombarded.

We ran out of the shop and my car was gone. I wonder where my car had gone. The only car I saw was a white car that was banged up a bit; not as if it had hit mine. However, I did not know that there was a boy crossing the street at the same time who was hit by the white car. That was the reason why the white car was dented.

Nonetheless, I panicked. My legs started trembling. I was to blame. I had parked my car there in an act of selfishness or laziness. How could a boy have been hurt because of me? I took the blame for what had happened. I ended up not feeling well; my head became light and it felt like I was going to faint. But the big question was: where was my car?

Next to the boy, I noticed an older woman howling like a wolf “he is gone”. Sadly, the boy did not make it. Near the white car there was a man who held his head in his arms. He couldn´t believe that the boy had died.

I looked towards the lake and noticed a strange object smack in the middle – my car. Somebody had thrown my car in the middle of the lake. Perhaps it was the angry father who had lost his child. Maybe it was the driver of the white car who had hit mine before he ran over the boy. But observing the white car, it wasn´t banged up that much, so I discarded that theory.

Many people were so nice. They came up to me trying to make me realize that it was not my fault. Nonetheless, I was feeling bad. I was the one who felt like shit. That young boy had lost his life and it was all my fault. If I hadn´t parked there in the first place, none of this would have happened.

I was taken to the hospital; clearly, I was in a state of shock. Many people came to visit. People I did not know. People who had witnessed the accident. People who wanted to find out what had happened. I just told them my part of the story. It was very simple. I had parked where I shouldn´t have.

I guess that when you always do what is right, the world comes tumbling down the moment you do not.

February 14, 2022 (based on a dream)

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The Butcher

 

Cold. Cocky. Arrogant. These three words come to mind when the people of this tiny city think of the man in the dark gray suit.  The city is tiny not because of the size of the land but because of the number of people who live there or better yet are stuck there.

People may not leave, but visitors do arrive. The man in the gray suit is the owner of the only butcher shop in town. People always wonder why he cuts up meat in a suit; it must be very uncomfortable but he wears it proudly. No one has ever seen whether his closet is filled with the same color and the same style suit for he wears it from Sunday to Sunday. He keeps his life locked up tightly.

He is feared by the townspeople, but the visitors are attracted to him instantaneously. He is charming to all genders and knows how to converse. He has the gift the gift of gap some would say, but he can´t fool the townsfolk.

The latest person to visit the town was a well-known baker. You see, to the man in the gray suit it was extremely important to know the visitor's best trait. It could have been anything - singing, carpentry, dancing, writing, and in this case, it was baking.

After the visitor got to know the visitor, he would challenge them to a duel. It had nothing to do with weapons, in this case it will be a bake-off.  The visitor could choose the theme, a time was set, and the match would take place.

Baking would be to make a cake; a constellation of planets, the sky, the universe. They would have four hours to do so. The visiting baker felt confident that this match would be a piece of cake. He had actually won a contest with the same theme. He had this.

The bake-off took place in an arena. The two bakers would be divided by a wall that would be removed to reveal the cakes; however, the bleachers were filled with local residents, instead of cheering looking worried and in total silence. A bell rang pots and pans were being used; ovens were preheated; the game was on. Tension filled the air. It was so thick that you could cut through it with a knife.

The four hours flew by. The bell rang once again. The bakers raised their hands and each cake was ready for the great reveal. The wall between them was lowered as if magically - a door opened on the ground and down it went.

The visitor´s cake was beautiful. Nine tiers where there was a planet on each one and all the tiers were yellow and orange representing the sun. It was simply breathtaking and so well executed. The work of a sweet genius.

The man in the gray suit was impressed with the visitor´s baking skills; however, his work was still to surprise everyone. Although his planets seemed to be thrown on a tray, when he clapped his hands each planet cake raised and started to rotate around the huge sun which was also floating in midair. The spectators were roared and cheered.

Once again, the man and the gray suit had won the challenge. He escorted the visitor to his butcher shop and the visitor was never seen again.

On the very next day when the man in the gray suit opened his shop fresh meat was displayed in the window. There was a sign that read “Sweet Meat! Come and get it!”.

February 1, 2022 (based on a dream)

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The Wagon Home

 

It's been on this corner for a few years now; the school owners don't mind that it's there. It actually blends in quite nicely with the graffiti on the wall. Inside this carriage or wagon, lives a man named George. He is a well-groomed gentleman who came from the north of the country to make it big in this promising city. However, he never had all those glamorous chances as promised in the stories people told about this metropolis of opportunities.

George lives in this ingeniously decorated wagon that when he younger was used to roam around the city collecting recyclable items from trash cans. Nowadays you can say that life is better because his wagon stays put while he goes to buildings to collect the recyclable items that have already been separated by the dwellers of these buildings. It is actually a blessing because he doesn´t need to go out on a daily basis.

The neighbors nearby take good care of George. Without a plan, every day there is someone who brings him a plate of food. He uses the bathroom at the market around the corner for basic necessities and showers. He believes these people are angels sent from heaven; his faith is sturdy. He likes to talk to people and most of all, he is a good listener.

George is a peaceful soul whose hobby is making rugs from leftover pieces of cloth donated by other angels. It is a very creative craft which keeps him busy. After he has finished making a piece, he gives it to other homeless people who use them to sleep on or to cover themselves up when it is cold. He knows how uncomfortable and cold living on the streets can be.

When questioned if he'd like to return to his hometown, his reply is no. He's been gone for so long that he believes those whom he loved - his parents - have passed away. His having left his home in the north of the country meant that he wouldn't return; just like death.

George feels loved by the community and protected by the police with a station on a nearby corner, who check up on him from time to time to see how he's doing or of he needs anything. He's not worried about dying and believes that he will have a decent burial when the time comes, meanwhile he makes the best of what he has.

February 5, 2022 (George is a fictitious name, but some of the facts are true.)

Photo: Meire Marion

Expired Expiration Date?

 

The crutches are used every day despite the fact that the man who uses them, apparently without needing them when seen by the common person. But who is to judge, perhaps he needs them to stand because of an balance issue.

On this chilly morning, he was there at the traffic light asking people to help him with anything they could spare - money, food, clothing, anything at all. The jeep driver opened his window and handed him a store-bought cake. You could tell it was because of the plastic container it was in.

The jeep moved on and the man who uses crutches stood there reading the label on the cake. Perhaps he was checking the flavor, but to a person who is hungry does the flavor matter? All of a sudden, he threw the cake in a dumpster nearby. He looked frustrated even though he was wearing a mask, you could tell by his body gestures. It dawned on me that what he was looking at was the expiration date.

As I drove passed him, it saddened me to know that some one with such an expensive car would do that too some one in need. Just because a person is begging on the street, it doesn´t mean that the person is illiterate or easily fooled.

February 10, 2022

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Feeling like a lamb heading towards the Slaughterhouse

 

After a night of tossing and turning, you wake up before the alarm goes off thinking of the day that lies ahead. Fear takes over and you pop another tranquilizer to help you out the door.

You feel like a lamb heading to be slaughtered. You tremble and even shed tears, but without producing a sound. Silent suffering.

You arrive at the dentist´s office and prepare to sit on that chair that has an uncomfortable shape. It's perhaps the worst feeling ever. You know what's coming - pure torture.

Injections.

Difficult words exchanged among the doctors.

More injections.

The annoying drill, which produces that noise that has been freaking you out since you were five years of age.

Stretch.

Drill.

Pinch.

Pull.

Pain.

More injections.

Open wider, asks the doctor, however the mouth is small. How can you open wider when it when it is as wide as it will go?

After two hours of this torture, it's all done. Relieved? Not at all when you know you will need to go through this at least four more times in weeks to come.

February 5, 2022

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Leaving Isolation

 

Two years at home working via laptop and keeping away from friends and family came to an end on January 26, 2022 when I went back to work. However, to be more exact these first few days were online despite having gone to school to get my material and also going to the doctor´s office to make sure that I would be able to return.

Now that I have gone back to work (although it´s been a week, it feels like a month), I have realized that so much time is wasted in traffic; chores left behind; fear coming out of my pores; and not to mention the exhaustion that comes with being face-to-face with different groups of people. (I heard the other day the term in-learning for this situation of being back in the classroom as a student. It made me wonder whether it would be in-teaching for teachers.) On school nights, I need to go to sleep early and wake up before the sun rises.

Perhaps the way I have started this will not please many of readers, but it is what my heart is pouring out.

Due to all of this, I have not been able to do other activities which bring me a lot of delight like reading, writing, cooking and spending time with my furry friends. Don´t get me wrong. Seeing my co-workers and students again does bring me great joy, but I haven´t been able to do these activities because of the traffic and exhaustion, both mentally and physically.

The cup half full in this new situation would be the exercise I'm getting from walking around from 7:30 AM to 3:45 PM in addition to being contact with people and exchanging energy.

Nonetheless, unlike some people, having been at home for the past two years was quite enjoyable for me; however, change is good and that is what this journey called life is all about - constant change.

February 6, 2022

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