Time Stands Still

(Day 23 — Favourite Movies and TV Show)

I wanna be the very best that no one ever was…to catch them is my real test, to train them is my –

“It’s starting! It’s starting, Sistah!”

“Oh! Oh! Oh! Wait, wait, wait, press pause! Wait, there’s no pause!”

I scramble over to our big bushy sofa with a bowl of frosted flakes teetering in my hand. My brother and I ogle at the screen – we’re just two little kids anticipating the appearance of Ash, Pikachu, and that famous red and white Pokéball. Our eyes are glued onto what Mum and Dad jokingly – yet often begrudgingly – call “Mama TV”.

I will travel across the land, searching far and wide. Teach Pokémon to understand the power that’s inside – Pokémon!

“Gotta catch ’em all…” We sing animatedly along with the show’s theme song. Pokémon is an integral part of our morning ritual. We’ve already donned our green and gold Sandon Uniforms and – once the show would end – we’d skip off into the day, going up and down O’dell, Blake, and Niagara streets to enjoy school sweet school. But first we must have our round of morning cartoons.

But the show is only about to begin. For a moment, time stands still.

In last week’s episode of Pokémon, our heroes Ash, Misty, and Brock faced the terrible wrath of Team Rocket. How will they get out of that mess? Join us in today’s episode – ‘Charmander Strikes back’!

For a moment, time stands still.

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started wait –

“Quantum, your shows are really funny,” I chuckle to myself as the Big Bang Theory episode takes over the laptop’s screen. I had pilfered the series from my brother’s machine some weeks back and now I’m finding myself addicted, watching four episodes in a row tonight.

“Penny, Penny, Penny.”

“Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon. What???”

“Oh nothing. I just wanted to ask you if you wanted a cup of hot beverage.”

“No Sheldon, I do not want a cup of hot beverage.”

“Oh. Pity.”

I release a loud guffaw at the exchange. Thank God I am alone – any onlooker would find me crazy laughing like this on my own.

The night is just ending. After a long day at work – and after a long month of dealing with life – I let the four stooges take their place in my “cheer yourself up” routine. I’ve already donned my pajamas. Dinner is in front of me — next to my makeshift laptop — and I’m ready to laugh the night away.

“Sheldon, are you crazy?!”

“No. I’m not. My mother had me tested. The doctors said I’m not.”

“Sheldon?! What in the world – ?”

“Ha. Ha. Bazinga!”

Chuckles.

Well, now the show is ending. Time – no longer still – begins ticking.

Daydreaming

(Day 22 – What do you want your future to be like?)

Pardon me while I get a little bit mushy. A girl can dream, can’t she? More like daydream. Funny how quickly these words poured out. Is it true that out of the abundance of the heart the pen leaks? Or — in this case — the keyboard creaks? Right. And because I don’t do this very often, enjoy this slightly cheesy piece. :)

* * *

Vermillion, Viridian, Bright Ochre. Red, green, orange-yellow.

“Hey, do you think I should mix in that bit of aquamarine? It wouldn’t look too weird, would it?”

“Weird? Nah, go ahead. That looks very pretty.”

“If you say so. How was your gig?”

“Uh-mazing. I met some awesome performers today. I’ll introduce them to you next time. How’s your story coming along?”

“I’m stuck. I don’t know whether I should kill off one of the leading characters or not. It would be too morbid, too sad, too tragic. But then again, it would give the story much greater depth.”

“Ohh. Kill him off then.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. Here, let me read the piece.”

“Okay. He’s a ‘she’ by the way.”

“Haha. Okay.”

His eyes run through my computer screen and I allow him to scroll the pages down. A smile plays on his lips at some instances, slight crinkles cross his brow at others.

“It’s good. Kill her off.”

“Why??? Hulio would be devastated!”

“You said it would give the piece greater depth.”

“Fine. She’ll be dead in a few paragraphs then.”

“Alright. Have you had dinner?”

“Ugh. No. Have you? I think there are some leftovers in the refrigerator.”

“Leftovers? I bought pasta. You want?”

“Yes! Wait, I’ll get these paint off the table.”

He carefully gets two Styrofoam boxes out of a sienna paper bag. I twist the lids back onto the bottles littering the workspace-slash-dining-table. “I called mom and dad up this afternoon, by the way. They’re asking how you’re doing. How we’re doing. I told them we’re having the time of our lives.”

“I’ve had the time of my life… and I never felt this way before…”

“You just had to sing that out did you? Haha. Anyway. I also told them this wonderful piece of news I got this morning.”

“And that news is…?”

I smile at him.

“You’re going to be a father.”

A girl can dream, right?