I was just out mowing the lawn, minding my own business. Oh how joyful it was going full throttle with no one yelling at you for going too fast. Along with the cooler evening air blowing against my face, I was easily hypnotized by the rhythmic roar from the engine. It was a perfect Summer evening, until Johnny came out of nowhere in front of me. I slammed on the breaks and almost flew off the tractor.
“Are you crazy Johnny!? I could’ve hit you!” For the first time in a long while I was screaming.
“You stay away from Lisa! I swear I will hurt you!” He said rather threatenly.
Imagine the surprise I had on my face.
“Who do you think you are Johnny!? You don’t go about threatening people around here! Lisa is MY girlfriend! She is mine! You want to die!?” I said in a harsh tone, “get the fuck out of the way before I slap the shit out of you!” I turned off the tractor and approached him.
“Don’t tarch me madafarckar!” And he jumped me.
“HEY DON’T FUCKING BITE ME! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”
“I love Lisa! I love Lisa so marrrcchhh! I’ll do everything for her.” His voice trailed off.
“Lisa is my girlfriend you little shit!”
I raged. I grabbed him and overpowered him. I threw Johnny on the ground and started punching and kicking and stomping him. Like a mad dog, I kept on punching and kicking and stomping him until I was drained of my strength.
I spat at Johnny’s dead body, now lay disfigured and contorted, “don’t fucking mess with me!”
That’s when I heard a feminine voice behind me. The voice was shaking and cold, “why did you do that! Why did you kill Johnny! I loved Johnny! I loved him!”
I turned and I saw her. I stood motionless, I was gazing at her and guilt soon overtook me.
“I...I...I...You must be new around here or else I would’ve...I...Are you...are you...Li”
“I’M LISA!” And she too jumped me.
Another round of struggle ensued.
***
At the end of the day, the world is safer with two less spiders.
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
A Violent Benevolence
They had long forecasted that it would come. They tried to warn us of the dangers of being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. They tried to warn us of the viciousness of what is coming. They tried to warn us. They tried to warn us over the radio, the TV, the Internet. You see, they really did try to warn us.
However they still failed at convincing me that it would come. It was my own observation that convinced me that they are making it sound like a big deal, like they do most of the time. I had gone through the day without seeing a hint of what was coming when all the while I was expecting it. It was anticlimactic. It was disarming. It was, reassuring.
It began with a blinding and deafening show of lightning and thunder. Like the July 4th fireworks, the sky was in constant state of illumination. Illuminated by a firework show that for a while, seemed to last forever. It was somewhat terrifying but mostly annoying. It interrupted the radio, forced it to highlight every flash and bang with a loud crackle of static. It woke me up from my sleep, kept me awake through the show. It went off just outside my house, almost destroyed the window in my room. I was startled. I was shaken. All of a sudden I was aware. Aware of what was happening, aware of my stupidity, aware of the darkness surrounding me.
And then the heaven let loose. Let loose its benevolence on the earth below.
For the entire night and morning the rain came down pouring, quenching the earth thirsty for the sweet waters from above. The earth rejoiced, grasses stood tall and unyielding, flowers bloomed vibrantly, and animals joined for drinks by the puddles. A deadly boring and oppressive summer scene was instantly shattered by this falling of water. This showing of mercy. This bringing of life.
So life it shall bring. Life it shall bring to all of us rendered lifeless long ago. Bring life back to us who have been waiting for something to break this heat. Bring life back to us who have been waiting for something to cleanse the gray ashes on every house. Bring life back to us who think life here has become dull and tiresome.
So wash our city clean! Wash our cars clean! Wash our spirits clean! I'll be grading your benevolence on the way our city shines, on the way my reflection looks, on the way all of us smile.
However they still failed at convincing me that it would come. It was my own observation that convinced me that they are making it sound like a big deal, like they do most of the time. I had gone through the day without seeing a hint of what was coming when all the while I was expecting it. It was anticlimactic. It was disarming. It was, reassuring.
It began with a blinding and deafening show of lightning and thunder. Like the July 4th fireworks, the sky was in constant state of illumination. Illuminated by a firework show that for a while, seemed to last forever. It was somewhat terrifying but mostly annoying. It interrupted the radio, forced it to highlight every flash and bang with a loud crackle of static. It woke me up from my sleep, kept me awake through the show. It went off just outside my house, almost destroyed the window in my room. I was startled. I was shaken. All of a sudden I was aware. Aware of what was happening, aware of my stupidity, aware of the darkness surrounding me.
And then the heaven let loose. Let loose its benevolence on the earth below.
For the entire night and morning the rain came down pouring, quenching the earth thirsty for the sweet waters from above. The earth rejoiced, grasses stood tall and unyielding, flowers bloomed vibrantly, and animals joined for drinks by the puddles. A deadly boring and oppressive summer scene was instantly shattered by this falling of water. This showing of mercy. This bringing of life.
So life it shall bring. Life it shall bring to all of us rendered lifeless long ago. Bring life back to us who have been waiting for something to break this heat. Bring life back to us who have been waiting for something to cleanse the gray ashes on every house. Bring life back to us who think life here has become dull and tiresome.
So wash our city clean! Wash our cars clean! Wash our spirits clean! I'll be grading your benevolence on the way our city shines, on the way my reflection looks, on the way all of us smile.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Legs, Not Fins
I don't know how to swim, I don't care to learn how to swim, and if you think I should do so otherwise please leave me your address so I can send a giant F to you. There is a reason why we were born with legs, not with fins attached to the sides and the end of our body. There is a reason why we have lungs, not gills. There is also a reason why we have the ability to consume marine creatures and thankfully, not the other way around.
Admitting this was hard, as a stranger, as a friend, or even as an anonymous blogger on the internet*. Other than my parents and now you, no one else know about my lack of interest in swimming. Living in a society where 11 out of 10 people know how to swim, admitting that you don't know how to do so is almost the same as admitting that you are somehow inferior to the others. Just watch a few of the recent Olympic games if you disagree. Why do people strive to achieve so much when in the end, it all means nothing. You might have made your mark in history, but give it a week, your existence will mean nothing for another four years and a crappy worthless medal is all that is left. Not to mention that out of a pool of able body only the lucky few will make it to the end and most will just suffer from the pain while gaining nothing. No pain no gain? So is much pain no gain.
Even though I don't know how to swim, at least I tried learning the how-tos. When I was little my dad quite often takes me to the pool, but I have never managed to stay afloat without the bubble. Back then I was rather underweight, but it appeared that I like to sink as if I were grotesquely overweight instead. I guess I was not biologically up for these kind of activities, but then again I was born with legs, not with fins attached to the sides and the end of my body. After a while my dad realized that I didn't appreciate swimming very much and stopped taking me to the pool.
Not long after, something happened. Probably could've taken my life if I didn't make a huge splash sound in the process. It was embarrassing to recall what had happened actually. I was out on a picnic trip with my family and some friends. We arrived at this one remote looking place with fruit trees all around. There were apples, oranges, pears, and other exotic fruits, all within arm's length. All of us were drawn towards this fruit forest, but my attention was soon captured by an out of place circle structure somewhat obscured by the trees.
The structure was about two meters tall and probably the same length in diameter. At first I thought it was a well but it was lacking a roof. A girl, who was maybe a year younger saw me and also came over to this well to investigate. Both of us climbed up to the top, and looked into it. The well was half filled with water with a large population of plankton, which gave the water a slime green color similar to the color of the tiles that lined the inside of this well. Of course for being such a observant fellow I was back then, I was arguing with the girl that the well was dry and that what she correctly thought was water was just green tiles.
She had none of it and claimed that there are even green snakes in the well.
"Are you stupid? The well is dry, if there are snakes down there we can probably see it! Fine I'll prove it to you that it's just tiles!"
I judged the height to be sure that I could climb back out and I jumped right in.
I was stunned instantly, physically as well as emotionally. I was almost completely submerged in the slime green water and I couldn't see a thing, it was thick with plankton. I was about to panic but one thought took hold of me. Something my mom once told me, "if you take a deep breath and hold it, you will float." For obvious reasons I didn't take the life saving(or ending) deep breath, but I didn't dare let my last breath to escape me either. I didn't struggle for air, like they do in the movies. Finally slowly and surely, I began to float toward the top and was able to see the sky, but I still couldn't breath. For what it seemed to be an eternity, I lay submerged in the water and thinking that I finally learnt how to swim(or at least how to float).
A few more eternities went by and my vision began to blur and darken, but help came at last. I heard a low murmuring voice and I did exactly it told me to do, to put out my hand.
"Huurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" I gasped for air.
***
For the rest of the day while the adults and other children were having fun grilling and eating the fruits they found, I was busy trying to pick out the dried plankton in my ears and nostrils.
*There is no such thing as anonymity on the internet.
Admitting this was hard, as a stranger, as a friend, or even as an anonymous blogger on the internet*. Other than my parents and now you, no one else know about my lack of interest in swimming. Living in a society where 11 out of 10 people know how to swim, admitting that you don't know how to do so is almost the same as admitting that you are somehow inferior to the others. Just watch a few of the recent Olympic games if you disagree. Why do people strive to achieve so much when in the end, it all means nothing. You might have made your mark in history, but give it a week, your existence will mean nothing for another four years and a crappy worthless medal is all that is left. Not to mention that out of a pool of able body only the lucky few will make it to the end and most will just suffer from the pain while gaining nothing. No pain no gain? So is much pain no gain.
Even though I don't know how to swim, at least I tried learning the how-tos. When I was little my dad quite often takes me to the pool, but I have never managed to stay afloat without the bubble. Back then I was rather underweight, but it appeared that I like to sink as if I were grotesquely overweight instead. I guess I was not biologically up for these kind of activities, but then again I was born with legs, not with fins attached to the sides and the end of my body. After a while my dad realized that I didn't appreciate swimming very much and stopped taking me to the pool.
Not long after, something happened. Probably could've taken my life if I didn't make a huge splash sound in the process. It was embarrassing to recall what had happened actually. I was out on a picnic trip with my family and some friends. We arrived at this one remote looking place with fruit trees all around. There were apples, oranges, pears, and other exotic fruits, all within arm's length. All of us were drawn towards this fruit forest, but my attention was soon captured by an out of place circle structure somewhat obscured by the trees.
The structure was about two meters tall and probably the same length in diameter. At first I thought it was a well but it was lacking a roof. A girl, who was maybe a year younger saw me and also came over to this well to investigate. Both of us climbed up to the top, and looked into it. The well was half filled with water with a large population of plankton, which gave the water a slime green color similar to the color of the tiles that lined the inside of this well. Of course for being such a observant fellow I was back then, I was arguing with the girl that the well was dry and that what she correctly thought was water was just green tiles.
She had none of it and claimed that there are even green snakes in the well.
"Are you stupid? The well is dry, if there are snakes down there we can probably see it! Fine I'll prove it to you that it's just tiles!"
I judged the height to be sure that I could climb back out and I jumped right in.
I was stunned instantly, physically as well as emotionally. I was almost completely submerged in the slime green water and I couldn't see a thing, it was thick with plankton. I was about to panic but one thought took hold of me. Something my mom once told me, "if you take a deep breath and hold it, you will float." For obvious reasons I didn't take the life saving(or ending) deep breath, but I didn't dare let my last breath to escape me either. I didn't struggle for air, like they do in the movies. Finally slowly and surely, I began to float toward the top and was able to see the sky, but I still couldn't breath. For what it seemed to be an eternity, I lay submerged in the water and thinking that I finally learnt how to swim(or at least how to float).
A few more eternities went by and my vision began to blur and darken, but help came at last. I heard a low murmuring voice and I did exactly it told me to do, to put out my hand.
"Huurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" I gasped for air.
***
For the rest of the day while the adults and other children were having fun grilling and eating the fruits they found, I was busy trying to pick out the dried plankton in my ears and nostrils.
*There is no such thing as anonymity on the internet.
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Perfect Day
There is no way to beat a day like today. The fine balance between hot and cold, the yin and the yang, has been achieved after a torturous streak of 80 plus days.
You can probably tell that I don't like the heat that much, that's why my mom calls me crazy because she thinks that I hate summer. But I like summer, I love summer in fact. It's the only season where everything is alive. You have squirrels navigating the yard with tree nuts int their mouth, the occasional rabbits nibbling on my mom's vegetables, geese squawking across the sky. I sometimes like to chase the animals, just for the fun of it, but the lush grass fields makes it almost impossible to track them after just a few meters.
Summer is a lively season, a likable season, I have yet to find a person who will say that he or she absolutely hates it. But despite all the good summer brings, I despise it. I despise it because of the one thing it brings, heat.
I've never quite figured out the exact reason why I don't like the heat, perhaps it's because of bad childhood experiences with tropical heat. I use to live in a more tropical zone than I do now, and wasn't too far away from the coast. Back then when summer comes, there is no escaping the heat and the moisture. There were times when we had to close all the windows and doors to keep the moisture out because the wind decided to come blowing in from the south, carrying all the water form the ocean. Even then with our apartment almost sealed off from the outside world, water droplets still formed on the walls inside.
And then there are times when wind and clouds just become theoretical concepts, days can go by without any of those, all the while with temperature readings at 90 plus. Back then, when summer comes along, the only thing that was on people's mind are to wish for a hurricane to come, preferably for it to make landings on their heads. The climate made the place felt like as if it wasn't for humans.
When my family moved here to Michigan, which is located somewhat in a northern climate zone, I was thrilled. No more do I have to deal with the summer heat! But you see, I was wrong, like I'm with most things most of the time. Every summer, especially with the more recent ones, I experience more and more 90 plus days. Lucky for me today, after a disappointing night with none of the forecast storms, a cold front pushed through.
I woke up early this morning when the birds go off on their screeching competition that never failed to get my attention instead of a more desirable female bird's. I ventured out to the yard with a cup of hot tea in my hand. The air felt comfortable, without its usual heavy humid feel. The day is cool, with a constant breeze blowing in from the north. The gentle touch of the sweet smelling air gave me goosebumps and it reminded me of a picnic I had with my parents when I was little. The childish me, careless and still learning what made the world turn. I was reminded of the time when I was at the beach, my cousin had recently sent me a picture me standing in the sand with both my arms flailing around. I was obviously happy, and naked (yes my friend Richard was visible if you are curious). Oh how much I want to go back and savor those days where I wasn't required to worry about the world around me. I felt stupid when I remembered saying that being older is being better. What a fail.
***
This is what all summer days should be like.
You can probably tell that I don't like the heat that much, that's why my mom calls me crazy because she thinks that I hate summer. But I like summer, I love summer in fact. It's the only season where everything is alive. You have squirrels navigating the yard with tree nuts int their mouth, the occasional rabbits nibbling on my mom's vegetables, geese squawking across the sky. I sometimes like to chase the animals, just for the fun of it, but the lush grass fields makes it almost impossible to track them after just a few meters.
Summer is a lively season, a likable season, I have yet to find a person who will say that he or she absolutely hates it. But despite all the good summer brings, I despise it. I despise it because of the one thing it brings, heat.
I've never quite figured out the exact reason why I don't like the heat, perhaps it's because of bad childhood experiences with tropical heat. I use to live in a more tropical zone than I do now, and wasn't too far away from the coast. Back then when summer comes, there is no escaping the heat and the moisture. There were times when we had to close all the windows and doors to keep the moisture out because the wind decided to come blowing in from the south, carrying all the water form the ocean. Even then with our apartment almost sealed off from the outside world, water droplets still formed on the walls inside.
And then there are times when wind and clouds just become theoretical concepts, days can go by without any of those, all the while with temperature readings at 90 plus. Back then, when summer comes along, the only thing that was on people's mind are to wish for a hurricane to come, preferably for it to make landings on their heads. The climate made the place felt like as if it wasn't for humans.
When my family moved here to Michigan, which is located somewhat in a northern climate zone, I was thrilled. No more do I have to deal with the summer heat! But you see, I was wrong, like I'm with most things most of the time. Every summer, especially with the more recent ones, I experience more and more 90 plus days. Lucky for me today, after a disappointing night with none of the forecast storms, a cold front pushed through.
I woke up early this morning when the birds go off on their screeching competition that never failed to get my attention instead of a more desirable female bird's. I ventured out to the yard with a cup of hot tea in my hand. The air felt comfortable, without its usual heavy humid feel. The day is cool, with a constant breeze blowing in from the north. The gentle touch of the sweet smelling air gave me goosebumps and it reminded me of a picnic I had with my parents when I was little. The childish me, careless and still learning what made the world turn. I was reminded of the time when I was at the beach, my cousin had recently sent me a picture me standing in the sand with both my arms flailing around. I was obviously happy, and naked (yes my friend Richard was visible if you are curious). Oh how much I want to go back and savor those days where I wasn't required to worry about the world around me. I felt stupid when I remembered saying that being older is being better. What a fail.
***
This is what all summer days should be like.
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