Pooling Around
Sad and lonely Lily sat,
Cold and hungry next to the cat.
She wasn’t at home,
In her little hole,
Someone had picked her up,
And left her alone.
She wondered what she could do;
How she could get out of this hullabaloo.
Cat wouldn’t be of any help,
For all she cared about was herself.
She sat thinking for a while,
Until she heard a great big sigh.
Cat had turned and was looking at her,
With those green eyes and that familiar purr.
In less than a minute Lily was in her mouth,
Travelling across the room, headed south.
Cat jumped on to the table and looked around,
Soon enough Katy she found.
She left Lily by Katy’s side,
And jumped off the table,
Happy to have given Lily a ride.
(on a pool table)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Ambika
Back Man
Driving like a maniac, screeching through the roads, Backman reached the apartment where they’d holed up the hostage. He got out of his car and walked into the dungeon-like apartment. In the thick of the night, Backman camouflaged into the darkness. His black suit disappearing into nothingness. Some minutes later, the sounds of meow-weon, bow-wow, croak-groak, moo-woo filled up the surroundings, followed by a spell of silence. And then, Backman returned with his sidekick, Backdog. He now had to get away as soon as he could. Back to where it all began. Back to the past. Back three days. Back to the backseat.
(on the backseat of the car)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Urvashi
The Leaf Chronicles VI
Leaf 1: Calcutta
Leaf 2: Amsterdam
Leaf 1: Manila
Leaf 2: Atlanta
Leaf 1: Amritsar
Leaf 2: Ranchi
Leaf 1: Indiana
Leaf 2: Athens
Leaf 1: Shimla
Leaf 2: Africa
Leaf 1: That’s not a city.
Leaf 2: We’re playing cities?
(On a potted plant)
Leaf 1: Calcutta
Leaf 2: Amsterdam
Leaf 1: Manila
Leaf 2: Atlanta
Leaf 1: Amritsar
Leaf 2: Ranchi
Leaf 1: Indiana
Leaf 2: Athens
Leaf 1: Shimla
Leaf 2: Africa
Leaf 1: That’s not a city.
Leaf 2: We’re playing cities?
(On a potted plant)
Suzanna
Tantrick
Take a deep breath. Feel the negativity go deep into your lungs. Let it swirl around and cling to each and every cell that throbs with life there. Yes, I am the One, I spew out negativity from within grey buildings. I suck out the bad, and spit out the evil. I cleanse, I reveal, I scrub. Stare at me for a few seconds. Yes, look deep into my eyes and you will see the blackness of billions. The curry that burnt, the cigarettes that stubbed, the foul words hurled across rooms, the unrest, the turmoil, the worries for a weekend lost, the curses for an email gone. All of them, right here, as we speak, come straight out. I take what’s in, and push it out. I take what’s bad, and put it in the good. I make the Out In. So. Do you want to go back in?
(On an airconditioner vent anywhere)
Take a deep breath. Feel the negativity go deep into your lungs. Let it swirl around and cling to each and every cell that throbs with life there. Yes, I am the One, I spew out negativity from within grey buildings. I suck out the bad, and spit out the evil. I cleanse, I reveal, I scrub. Stare at me for a few seconds. Yes, look deep into my eyes and you will see the blackness of billions. The curry that burnt, the cigarettes that stubbed, the foul words hurled across rooms, the unrest, the turmoil, the worries for a weekend lost, the curses for an email gone. All of them, right here, as we speak, come straight out. I take what’s in, and push it out. I take what’s bad, and put it in the good. I make the Out In. So. Do you want to go back in?
(On an airconditioner vent anywhere)
Suzanna
Still there
“Say ‘Aaaaah’”, said the wisdom tooth to the milk tooth (that was about to come off in exactly 5 minutes). The milk tooth gave him a nasty look, “Ya, right, and if I say that I’ll fall right off, I’ve seen you do it to my sister. Poor thing, she totally fell for that, and the minute she said Aaah she just dropped right off.” The wisdom tooth pulled out a bit of chicken meat out of his head, and tossed it out nonchalantly, “Puh-leeese, it wasn’t my fault she fell out. She was born weak. The weakest ones leave first. I’m waiting for her reincarnated self to appear. She’ll be a bonny young lass, yes.” The baby milk tooth looked sad for a minute, and then he thought of how when he leaves he’d leave a bit of himself behind. So that when his reincarnated self appears, it’d be him. So he closed his eyes, and concentrated on leaving his soul behind before he fell out. After a minute the li’l fella opened his eyes, and said ‘Aaah’. He fell out. But the wisdom tooth shuddered. Knowing he was still around.
(On a tray at the dentist’s)
“Say ‘Aaaaah’”, said the wisdom tooth to the milk tooth (that was about to come off in exactly 5 minutes). The milk tooth gave him a nasty look, “Ya, right, and if I say that I’ll fall right off, I’ve seen you do it to my sister. Poor thing, she totally fell for that, and the minute she said Aaah she just dropped right off.” The wisdom tooth pulled out a bit of chicken meat out of his head, and tossed it out nonchalantly, “Puh-leeese, it wasn’t my fault she fell out. She was born weak. The weakest ones leave first. I’m waiting for her reincarnated self to appear. She’ll be a bonny young lass, yes.” The baby milk tooth looked sad for a minute, and then he thought of how when he leaves he’d leave a bit of himself behind. So that when his reincarnated self appears, it’d be him. So he closed his eyes, and concentrated on leaving his soul behind before he fell out. After a minute the li’l fella opened his eyes, and said ‘Aaah’. He fell out. But the wisdom tooth shuddered. Knowing he was still around.
(On a tray at the dentist’s)
Urvashi
The Leaf Chronicles V
Leaf 1: Can you wipe the dew off today?
Leaf 2: No.
Leaf 1: That was a rhetorical question.
Leaf 2: You can’t ask me rhetorical questions.
Leaf 1: Ok. Wipe the dew off.
Leaf 2: You can’t order me around.
Leaf 1: Ok. Please wipe the dew off.
Leaf 2: You can’t order me around politely either.
Leaf 1: That was a polite question.
Leaf 2: You can’t ask me polite questions.
Leaf 1: Will you just wipe the dew off!
Leaf 2: The only reason I’m not divorcing you is the children!
Leaf 1: We don’t HAVE any.
(On a potted plant at Ambara)
Leaf 1: Can you wipe the dew off today?
Leaf 2: No.
Leaf 1: That was a rhetorical question.
Leaf 2: You can’t ask me rhetorical questions.
Leaf 1: Ok. Wipe the dew off.
Leaf 2: You can’t order me around.
Leaf 1: Ok. Please wipe the dew off.
Leaf 2: You can’t order me around politely either.
Leaf 1: That was a polite question.
Leaf 2: You can’t ask me polite questions.
Leaf 1: Will you just wipe the dew off!
Leaf 2: The only reason I’m not divorcing you is the children!
Leaf 1: We don’t HAVE any.
(On a potted plant at Ambara)
Suzanna
Tcherr’s Tale
It was a dark and stormy night. Tcherr didn’t realise it was the lightning that woke him up, he thought it was a bad dream. And now that he was up, he thought he may as well get a drink of water. Standing next to the window with the glass in his hand, he wondered why he had that bad dream the previous night, it wasn’t like he was an evil person to have such an evil dream. The horror of it, he shuddered to relive it. The images were vivid. The same dream every day. A child sits on his lap. The child is already scared and Tcherr can feel it, he can sense the fear that sends shivers down that tiny soul’s spine. Then the child clutches Tcherr’s arms, digs his nails into it, and starts wailing. Tcherr wonders why the child can’t just get off him and do the crying, but eerily enough, the child was strapped onto Tcherr. It wasn’t like Tcherr wanted the child trapped like that, but that was the way it was. A dentist’s chair was probably the worst thing to be.
(On the dentist’s chair)
It was a dark and stormy night. Tcherr didn’t realise it was the lightning that woke him up, he thought it was a bad dream. And now that he was up, he thought he may as well get a drink of water. Standing next to the window with the glass in his hand, he wondered why he had that bad dream the previous night, it wasn’t like he was an evil person to have such an evil dream. The horror of it, he shuddered to relive it. The images were vivid. The same dream every day. A child sits on his lap. The child is already scared and Tcherr can feel it, he can sense the fear that sends shivers down that tiny soul’s spine. Then the child clutches Tcherr’s arms, digs his nails into it, and starts wailing. Tcherr wonders why the child can’t just get off him and do the crying, but eerily enough, the child was strapped onto Tcherr. It wasn’t like Tcherr wanted the child trapped like that, but that was the way it was. A dentist’s chair was probably the worst thing to be.
(On the dentist’s chair)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Ambika
The Leaf Chronicles IV
Leaf 1: Hey, does the sun still exist?
Leaf 2: I don’t know.
Leaf 1: Coz I haven’t seen it in a long long time.
Leaf 2: But how does it matter?
Leaf 1: I’m a sun leaf.
Leaf 2: Ha ha, like a sun person?
Leaf1: Ya laugh that’s all you can do anyway.
Leaf 2: okay ha ha ha.
Leaf 1: I’ll go check with the other leaves.
(On a plant at Ambara)
Leaf 1: Hey, does the sun still exist?
Leaf 2: I don’t know.
Leaf 1: Coz I haven’t seen it in a long long time.
Leaf 2: But how does it matter?
Leaf 1: I’m a sun leaf.
Leaf 2: Ha ha, like a sun person?
Leaf1: Ya laugh that’s all you can do anyway.
Leaf 2: okay ha ha ha.
Leaf 1: I’ll go check with the other leaves.
(On a plant at Ambara)
Ambika
The Leaf Chronicles III
Leaf 1: Hey, would you like to have some water?
Leaf 2: Yes I would.
Leaf 1: Go ask the gardener.
Leaf 2: Is that your idea of a joke?
Leaf 1: No seriously.
Leaf 2: Seriously ridiculous is what you are.
Leaf1: Or play dead.
Leaf 2: And then?
Leaf 1: And then the gardener will take pity on you and pour you some water.
Leaf 2: I play dead and you get the water.
Leaf 1: Of course what are friends for?
Leaf 2: Then why don’t you play dead?
Leaf 1: I am playing dead, don’t you see the way I’m hanging loose.
Leaf 2: So am I.
Leaf 1: Okay cool, let’s do this for a little longer and hope the gardener sees us.
(On a plant in Ambara)
Leaf 1: Hey, would you like to have some water?
Leaf 2: Yes I would.
Leaf 1: Go ask the gardener.
Leaf 2: Is that your idea of a joke?
Leaf 1: No seriously.
Leaf 2: Seriously ridiculous is what you are.
Leaf1: Or play dead.
Leaf 2: And then?
Leaf 1: And then the gardener will take pity on you and pour you some water.
Leaf 2: I play dead and you get the water.
Leaf 1: Of course what are friends for?
Leaf 2: Then why don’t you play dead?
Leaf 1: I am playing dead, don’t you see the way I’m hanging loose.
Leaf 2: So am I.
Leaf 1: Okay cool, let’s do this for a little longer and hope the gardener sees us.
(On a plant in Ambara)
Ambika
The Leaf Chronicles II
Leaf 1: You know what.
Leaf 2: I wouldn’t know till you tell me.
Leaf 1: Ya, I was thinking and I realized that this pot that we’re in, is our home.
Leaf 2: Oh ya.
Leaf 1: This is where we live.
Leaf 2: So?
Leaf 1: So nothing.
Leaf 2: You’re so vague sometimes.
Leaf 1: No I’m not, I’m just saying that this is our ‘home sweet home’.
Leaf 2: Okay, do me a favour.
Leaf 1: Anything for you.
Leaf 2: Stop thinking.
(On a plant in Ambara)
Leaf 1: You know what.
Leaf 2: I wouldn’t know till you tell me.
Leaf 1: Ya, I was thinking and I realized that this pot that we’re in, is our home.
Leaf 2: Oh ya.
Leaf 1: This is where we live.
Leaf 2: So?
Leaf 1: So nothing.
Leaf 2: You’re so vague sometimes.
Leaf 1: No I’m not, I’m just saying that this is our ‘home sweet home’.
Leaf 2: Okay, do me a favour.
Leaf 1: Anything for you.
Leaf 2: Stop thinking.
(On a plant in Ambara)
Ambika
The Leaf Chronicles I
Leaf 1: Hey aren’t we from the same seed.
Leaf 2: Yes we are, I guess.
Leaf 1: We are. Doesn’t that make us brothers?
Leaf 2: Oh, you’re thinking. Again.
Leaf 1: No… please think about it. If we’re from the same seed, doesn’t that make us brothers?
Leaf 2: Yes it does, but now what?
Leaf 1: Let’s hug, we just found each other.
Leaf 2: And shed some tears right? You’re watching too much television.
Leaf 1: You know what your problem is, you have no feelings.
Leaf 2: Then why am I feeling intensely bored right now?
(On a plant at Ambara)
Leaf 1: Hey aren’t we from the same seed.
Leaf 2: Yes we are, I guess.
Leaf 1: We are. Doesn’t that make us brothers?
Leaf 2: Oh, you’re thinking. Again.
Leaf 1: No… please think about it. If we’re from the same seed, doesn’t that make us brothers?
Leaf 2: Yes it does, but now what?
Leaf 1: Let’s hug, we just found each other.
Leaf 2: And shed some tears right? You’re watching too much television.
Leaf 1: You know what your problem is, you have no feelings.
Leaf 2: Then why am I feeling intensely bored right now?
(On a plant at Ambara)
Suzanna
The Mirrori Diaries: 01.09.08
My grandmother was an actress. She acted in a fairytale. Wait, lemme check if her scripts are lying around here somewhere. Yep, here it is. Voila etc etc. Ok, here goes. The fairytale was called Snow White. And she was the magic mirror.
Oh.
(Dramatic pause)
She was acting?
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
My grandmother was an actress. She acted in a fairytale. Wait, lemme check if her scripts are lying around here somewhere. Yep, here it is. Voila etc etc. Ok, here goes. The fairytale was called Snow White. And she was the magic mirror.
Oh.
(Dramatic pause)
She was acting?
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Suzanna
The Mirrori Diaries: 07.09.08
Something very very disturbing happened today. I really don’t know whether I should write about it. But hey, it’s a diary. Well, there was this woman, see. And she, erm, well, wasn’t too pretty. So when unpretty people look in the mirror, they get even more unpretty because they scowl. And this lady here, the unpretty one, scowled right through her haircut. I think she expected us to transform her unprettiness into prettiness. It didn’t work. So she took that big wooden brush and hurled it straight into my face. Yes, I’m a victim of domestic abuse. Help!
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Something very very disturbing happened today. I really don’t know whether I should write about it. But hey, it’s a diary. Well, there was this woman, see. And she, erm, well, wasn’t too pretty. So when unpretty people look in the mirror, they get even more unpretty because they scowl. And this lady here, the unpretty one, scowled right through her haircut. I think she expected us to transform her unprettiness into prettiness. It didn’t work. So she took that big wooden brush and hurled it straight into my face. Yes, I’m a victim of domestic abuse. Help!
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Suzanna
The Mirrori Diaries: 10.09.08
Fly Fleeda dropped by to visit me today. Seeing her after a long time. So I took the fine china out and poured out tea for the two of us. From the looks of it, she’s been out in the sun too much. Scorched and sun burnt she looked. I told her she should come back here, and that we both could get back to our old ways of spending the entire day watching people together. That’s when they turned the electric fly catcher on. Sigh. Poor Fleeda, there she goes flying out into the hot afternoon sun again. Wonder when I’ll see her again.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Fly Fleeda dropped by to visit me today. Seeing her after a long time. So I took the fine china out and poured out tea for the two of us. From the looks of it, she’s been out in the sun too much. Scorched and sun burnt she looked. I told her she should come back here, and that we both could get back to our old ways of spending the entire day watching people together. That’s when they turned the electric fly catcher on. Sigh. Poor Fleeda, there she goes flying out into the hot afternoon sun again. Wonder when I’ll see her again.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Suzanna
The Mirrori Diaries: 20.09.08
Yeeearrrgh, a spot. I see a spot on me. Call the maid, get the cleaning fluid out, pour gallons on me, squeaky clean me. And remove the damn spot. Because the woman in front of me here thinks she looks like Marilyn Monroe. Thanks to my spot.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Yeeearrrgh, a spot. I see a spot on me. Call the maid, get the cleaning fluid out, pour gallons on me, squeaky clean me. And remove the damn spot. Because the woman in front of me here thinks she looks like Marilyn Monroe. Thanks to my spot.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Suzanna
The Mirrori Diaries: 27.09.08
And today, a man came in. So it is an important event in my life. The first sight of the first species in a salon that is strictly for the fairer of the species, including delicate moi. He had come to repair some of the lighting here, but he took that opportunity to letch at me. I was shy, so I sorta blanked out the first few seconds, and he didn’t see any reflection. He looked quite shocked, and so the next time he glanced at me, I flickered an image of him on.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
And today, a man came in. So it is an important event in my life. The first sight of the first species in a salon that is strictly for the fairer of the species, including delicate moi. He had come to repair some of the lighting here, but he took that opportunity to letch at me. I was shy, so I sorta blanked out the first few seconds, and he didn’t see any reflection. He looked quite shocked, and so the next time he glanced at me, I flickered an image of him on.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Suzanna
The Mirrori Diaries: 01.10.08
Today, like all other days, I’m going to entertain myself playing chameleon-chameleon. The rules of the game are simple. I just reflect what goes on around me. I like so blend into the background that you don’t really notice me. Unless, of course, you’ve got a bit of spinach stuck in your teeth and need my help removing it.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Today, like all other days, I’m going to entertain myself playing chameleon-chameleon. The rules of the game are simple. I just reflect what goes on around me. I like so blend into the background that you don’t really notice me. Unless, of course, you’ve got a bit of spinach stuck in your teeth and need my help removing it.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Suzanna
The Mirrori Diaries: 12.10.08
I like staring. I’ve spent all day staring at a variety of ladies. Skinny ones, fatty ones, pretty ones, not-so-pretty ones. And I’ve managed to stare each and every one of them out. How? I just make them feel really uncomfortable. Take for example, the woman who looked perfectly fine. She came and stood in front of me. And I just knew she wanted to know whether she was looking perfect. But I showed her what she’d look like if she gained a few pounds. She looked quite stunned. She checked out all angles (just to make sure I was lying), and then she huffed out of here. Without tipping.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
I like staring. I’ve spent all day staring at a variety of ladies. Skinny ones, fatty ones, pretty ones, not-so-pretty ones. And I’ve managed to stare each and every one of them out. How? I just make them feel really uncomfortable. Take for example, the woman who looked perfectly fine. She came and stood in front of me. And I just knew she wanted to know whether she was looking perfect. But I showed her what she’d look like if she gained a few pounds. She looked quite stunned. She checked out all angles (just to make sure I was lying), and then she huffed out of here. Without tipping.
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Suzanna
The Mirrori Diaries: 24.10.08
Today I woke up with the maid rubbing that sickly piece of yellow flannel all over my pretty face. Yellow flannel scrub-squish of cleaner fluid-scrub-squish-scrub-squish. And then, thankfully, she moves on to a cup of coffee. Which she then proceeds to luke-warm in her palms while she stares at me and adjusts her hair. A tuck here, a tuck there, after which she leaves. That’s it? I mean she gets paid to do this?
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Today I woke up with the maid rubbing that sickly piece of yellow flannel all over my pretty face. Yellow flannel scrub-squish of cleaner fluid-scrub-squish-scrub-squish. And then, thankfully, she moves on to a cup of coffee. Which she then proceeds to luke-warm in her palms while she stares at me and adjusts her hair. A tuck here, a tuck there, after which she leaves. That’s it? I mean she gets paid to do this?
(On a mirror at Peaches, the salon)
Suzanna
Eating Out
Lately I’ve been feeling quite alive. That wasn’t the case when I first got out of rehab. I was quite a mess then (like the others) trying to put the million little pieces of my broken up life back together. I rarely showed emotion, I occasionally smiled, and I never ever showed interest in eating. Then along came this spoon. Hopping along, rather. And she carried something in her hair. Something cold and white and absolutely creamy. She pushed it into my mouth, and I just let it be there. Didn’t swallow it immediately. Just let it stand there and allowed it to take its own course. Which was a melty, rather sensual way of giving in to my warmth. I enjoyed it. And the spoon hopped back to her tray. The next day she sent the fork to me. He was wrapped in a turban of spaghetti which he promptly unraveled into me. Slither, slather, gulp, the onslaught of carbs lulled me into a potato’ey shell, that I refused to leave for the rest of the night. The next day I waited. And waited. And waited. No spoon. No fork. If you have any leftovers could you please put them in here. Ya, right there, on the mud, away from the stalk please. Thank you.
(On one of the plants at Café Fresco’s)
Lately I’ve been feeling quite alive. That wasn’t the case when I first got out of rehab. I was quite a mess then (like the others) trying to put the million little pieces of my broken up life back together. I rarely showed emotion, I occasionally smiled, and I never ever showed interest in eating. Then along came this spoon. Hopping along, rather. And she carried something in her hair. Something cold and white and absolutely creamy. She pushed it into my mouth, and I just let it be there. Didn’t swallow it immediately. Just let it stand there and allowed it to take its own course. Which was a melty, rather sensual way of giving in to my warmth. I enjoyed it. And the spoon hopped back to her tray. The next day she sent the fork to me. He was wrapped in a turban of spaghetti which he promptly unraveled into me. Slither, slather, gulp, the onslaught of carbs lulled me into a potato’ey shell, that I refused to leave for the rest of the night. The next day I waited. And waited. And waited. No spoon. No fork. If you have any leftovers could you please put them in here. Ya, right there, on the mud, away from the stalk please. Thank you.
(On one of the plants at Café Fresco’s)
Suzanna
Wanna Zochz?
Greetings earthlings. I come in peas. Peas coated in a creamy sauce that has 99% butter in it. Not to mention that earthy hint of basil. You could ask for the freshly baked bread to go with it, but I suggest you stick to this in all its purity. I was sent from the planet Zochz, where the only thing that zochz us is food. So if like your peas coated in cream, please switch off your mobile phones tonight at 3 am. You will get a text message from the planet Zochz that will give you the exact co-ordinates of Zochz. Please jot these co-ordinates down on a paper napkin (that you carry home from here), and then the next time you come back here for a meal, please feel free to stand in the pool there and hold the napkin way up over your head and into the sky. You will then see a beam (lined with peas) coming straight down towards you. Press the pea that says ‘Up’, and you will be taken up to the planet Zochz. Sadly, I am not able to reveal myself to you, I have taken on the guise of this wooden desk, else I could’ve demonstrated the entire procedure to you. The part where you press the ‘Up’ pea is crucial. Pressing any other pea could just squash the entire beam, and you would be left standing in a pool coated with pea mush. Trust you will do as advised. See you on Zochz.
(On the reception desk at Café Fresco’s)
Greetings earthlings. I come in peas. Peas coated in a creamy sauce that has 99% butter in it. Not to mention that earthy hint of basil. You could ask for the freshly baked bread to go with it, but I suggest you stick to this in all its purity. I was sent from the planet Zochz, where the only thing that zochz us is food. So if like your peas coated in cream, please switch off your mobile phones tonight at 3 am. You will get a text message from the planet Zochz that will give you the exact co-ordinates of Zochz. Please jot these co-ordinates down on a paper napkin (that you carry home from here), and then the next time you come back here for a meal, please feel free to stand in the pool there and hold the napkin way up over your head and into the sky. You will then see a beam (lined with peas) coming straight down towards you. Press the pea that says ‘Up’, and you will be taken up to the planet Zochz. Sadly, I am not able to reveal myself to you, I have taken on the guise of this wooden desk, else I could’ve demonstrated the entire procedure to you. The part where you press the ‘Up’ pea is crucial. Pressing any other pea could just squash the entire beam, and you would be left standing in a pool coated with pea mush. Trust you will do as advised. See you on Zochz.
(On the reception desk at Café Fresco’s)
Suzanna
Chocolate Addict
I was brought up to believe that the only food I could ever need was fresh air and sunshine. The occasional rain would whet my appetite for the sunshiny feast ahead. And the air would serve as dessert for thick lustrous hair and long, lean, strong limbs. But then one day I got a whiff of chocolate sauce being thickly stirred in all its gooey glory. I died. Died like the girl in her teens who sees Brad Pitt for the first time. The coco scents just continued. Way into the evening, way past sunset, and it stuck in my hair and refused to leave me alone in my dreams at night. The coco caresses smothered my skin in a haze of brown and sugar. The whiffs made me giddy and left me reeling in a liquid of chocolate splendour that I could never feel or taste, but only smell. And when I awoke the next day, I had but a few hours of fresh air, before the onset of the chocolate hours. They paralysed me; even the wind stopped moving through me. I stood there not knowing what I could possibly do to get to the source. The centre of all that coco’ey essence. It must be a beautiful place. Then a little birdy told me. She asked me to stretch my roots down through the ground, past the people walking, past the cars running, way down to the chocolate.
And I did.
(On one of the trees at Café Fresco’s)
I was brought up to believe that the only food I could ever need was fresh air and sunshine. The occasional rain would whet my appetite for the sunshiny feast ahead. And the air would serve as dessert for thick lustrous hair and long, lean, strong limbs. But then one day I got a whiff of chocolate sauce being thickly stirred in all its gooey glory. I died. Died like the girl in her teens who sees Brad Pitt for the first time. The coco scents just continued. Way into the evening, way past sunset, and it stuck in my hair and refused to leave me alone in my dreams at night. The coco caresses smothered my skin in a haze of brown and sugar. The whiffs made me giddy and left me reeling in a liquid of chocolate splendour that I could never feel or taste, but only smell. And when I awoke the next day, I had but a few hours of fresh air, before the onset of the chocolate hours. They paralysed me; even the wind stopped moving through me. I stood there not knowing what I could possibly do to get to the source. The centre of all that coco’ey essence. It must be a beautiful place. Then a little birdy told me. She asked me to stretch my roots down through the ground, past the people walking, past the cars running, way down to the chocolate.
And I did.
(On one of the trees at Café Fresco’s)
Suzanna
The Tan Test
And that night, like all other nights, the Tan family had no clue what to do for dinner. The weather had gotten all global-warmified and Mrs Tan wasn’t feeling too good. Result? The Tan family was left meal-less for nearly a week. Tonight would be the eighth night.
The seven itsy children looked up at Mr and Mrs Tan with their big black eyes. Mr and Mrs Tan looked at each other with their big black eyes. And then. Just like that. No, actually with a pop! Mr Tan had a little bulb hovering over his head. Mrs Tan lit it with the flick of a switch. Click.
Let’s go out and eat.
Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay!
Said all the itsy children altogether.
So it was decided that Mr Tan would have a nice juicy steak, Mrs Tan would have a seafood risotto and the junior Tans would have strawberry soda pop, lemon meringue pie, a lamb burger, french fries with oodles of ketchup, shepherd’s pie (for the oldest one), con carne cajun and fish fingers.
Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!
What a good time we’ll all have.
And to the restaurant they all went. All neat, in a line and all, you know. They were a very well-behaved family, and Mrs Tan made sure everyone was as propah as propah as ever.
Left, left, left right left. Left, left, left right left.
Haaa-aaalt.
The whole Tan file came to a screeching halt.
“Oh, this restaurant doesn’t let in ants”, said the juniorest Tan, big huge tears welling up in her big black eyes.
(On one of the pillars near one of the tables at Café Fresco’s)
And that night, like all other nights, the Tan family had no clue what to do for dinner. The weather had gotten all global-warmified and Mrs Tan wasn’t feeling too good. Result? The Tan family was left meal-less for nearly a week. Tonight would be the eighth night.
The seven itsy children looked up at Mr and Mrs Tan with their big black eyes. Mr and Mrs Tan looked at each other with their big black eyes. And then. Just like that. No, actually with a pop! Mr Tan had a little bulb hovering over his head. Mrs Tan lit it with the flick of a switch. Click.
Let’s go out and eat.
Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay!
Said all the itsy children altogether.
So it was decided that Mr Tan would have a nice juicy steak, Mrs Tan would have a seafood risotto and the junior Tans would have strawberry soda pop, lemon meringue pie, a lamb burger, french fries with oodles of ketchup, shepherd’s pie (for the oldest one), con carne cajun and fish fingers.
Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!
What a good time we’ll all have.
And to the restaurant they all went. All neat, in a line and all, you know. They were a very well-behaved family, and Mrs Tan made sure everyone was as propah as propah as ever.
Left, left, left right left. Left, left, left right left.
Haaa-aaalt.
The whole Tan file came to a screeching halt.
“Oh, this restaurant doesn’t let in ants”, said the juniorest Tan, big huge tears welling up in her big black eyes.
(On one of the pillars near one of the tables at Café Fresco’s)
Suzanna
Flower Flower
I’m a little flower.
Happy night and day.
I sing all day.
I snore all night.
I must be truly God’s own child.
(On a potted flowering pot at the First Steps kindergarten)
I’m a little flower.
Happy night and day.
I sing all day.
I snore all night.
I must be truly God’s own child.
(On a potted flowering pot at the First Steps kindergarten)
Suzanna
Swing-a-Song
Swing me up.
Swing me down.
Swing me any way.
But don’t swing me out.
(On a swing at the First Steps kindergarten)
Swing me up.
Swing me down.
Swing me any way.
But don’t swing me out.
(On a swing at the First Steps kindergarten)
Suzanna
Come In
The road didn’t like the footpath too much. So it sulked till it changed colour. And like all things that sulked for too long, the road changed colour. It turned a murky, blacky grey that no one wanted to say hello to. The footpath, oblivious to the road’s dislike, remained happy and filled with people. Winding along the city, stopping to smell the flowers, and breaking into giggles at the sight of an overflowing gutter. The road saw how happy the footpath was and threw gravel and slush in her face at every given opportunity. She ignored it, saying ‘Oh, he’s just a road, he must be angry with all the work he has to constantly do.’ But the more she ignored him the more angry he became. He hurled vehicles off him and onto her. Cyclists tumbled and bruised an elbow on her. And sometimes, even a cow tripped and sought the refuge of the safe footpath. So the footpath cried into the trees that lined her, and asked them what she should do. “Be wise,” said the Pepul tree to the footpath, “When you feel the road beginning to hurt you, run into a house. The people there will take care of you.” And fromt that day on whenever a gate is opened, the footpath goes in just a little bit. Just enough to get the fear of the road out of her. So when this gate opens, let it remain open for a wee bit longer?
(On the outside of the gate at the First Steps kindergarten)
The road didn’t like the footpath too much. So it sulked till it changed colour. And like all things that sulked for too long, the road changed colour. It turned a murky, blacky grey that no one wanted to say hello to. The footpath, oblivious to the road’s dislike, remained happy and filled with people. Winding along the city, stopping to smell the flowers, and breaking into giggles at the sight of an overflowing gutter. The road saw how happy the footpath was and threw gravel and slush in her face at every given opportunity. She ignored it, saying ‘Oh, he’s just a road, he must be angry with all the work he has to constantly do.’ But the more she ignored him the more angry he became. He hurled vehicles off him and onto her. Cyclists tumbled and bruised an elbow on her. And sometimes, even a cow tripped and sought the refuge of the safe footpath. So the footpath cried into the trees that lined her, and asked them what she should do. “Be wise,” said the Pepul tree to the footpath, “When you feel the road beginning to hurt you, run into a house. The people there will take care of you.” And fromt that day on whenever a gate is opened, the footpath goes in just a little bit. Just enough to get the fear of the road out of her. So when this gate opens, let it remain open for a wee bit longer?
(On the outside of the gate at the First Steps kindergarten)
Suzanna
To the Sun
May my cheeks always be ruddy.
May my hands always be full.
May my friends always be many.
And may I grow always to you.
(On a tree at the First Steps kindergarten)
May my cheeks always be ruddy.
May my hands always be full.
May my friends always be many.
And may I grow always to you.
(On a tree at the First Steps kindergarten)
Suzanna
A Perfect Day
Good Morning.
Good Afternoon.
Good Night.
Good little boys
and good little girls
say it everyday.
They say it in the morning.
They say it in the noon.
They say it in the evening.
And so should you.
(At the First Steps kindergarten)
Good Morning.
Good Afternoon.
Good Night.
Good little boys
and good little girls
say it everyday.
They say it in the morning.
They say it in the noon.
They say it in the evening.
And so should you.
(At the First Steps kindergarten)
Suzanna
Little Listeners
The little duckling goes ‘Quack, quack’
around the little puppy.
The little puppy goes ‘Bow, wow’
around the little kitten.
The little kitten goes ‘Mew, mew’
around little you.
And the little you goes ‘Ma, ma’
whenever you see mummy come to pick up you.
(Near the gate at the First Steps kindergarten)
The little duckling goes ‘Quack, quack’
around the little puppy.
The little puppy goes ‘Bow, wow’
around the little kitten.
The little kitten goes ‘Mew, mew’
around little you.
And the little you goes ‘Ma, ma’
whenever you see mummy come to pick up you.
(Near the gate at the First Steps kindergarten)
Suzanna
Seated Love
In the beginning, Goth created tables and chairs. Goth preferred sitting while working, so he had no choice other than to create these first. The first chair he created was male. So there it stood. Handsome, brown, sturdy, and very alone. So Goth quickly made a female chair. And she stood shyly in the other corner. Standing wobbly on dainty, skinny legs, and looking coyly at the male chair. Then Goth created an armchair and he sat on it. And then he took a swig out of his bottle, and suddenly, he felt he had to be nasty. He pushed the chairs closer together so that they got to know each other well. And as all individuals who are alone and posed with another lone individual, they fell in love. Then Goth made a few calls, and asked for the two chairs to be separated. One was sent to Hawaii on a cruise liner. The other was sent to the corporate world. Here.
On a chair in a conference room
In the beginning, Goth created tables and chairs. Goth preferred sitting while working, so he had no choice other than to create these first. The first chair he created was male. So there it stood. Handsome, brown, sturdy, and very alone. So Goth quickly made a female chair. And she stood shyly in the other corner. Standing wobbly on dainty, skinny legs, and looking coyly at the male chair. Then Goth created an armchair and he sat on it. And then he took a swig out of his bottle, and suddenly, he felt he had to be nasty. He pushed the chairs closer together so that they got to know each other well. And as all individuals who are alone and posed with another lone individual, they fell in love. Then Goth made a few calls, and asked for the two chairs to be separated. One was sent to Hawaii on a cruise liner. The other was sent to the corporate world. Here.
On a chair in a conference room
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Ambika
Muffin a watchman
This is no ordinary cabin. This is a portal that transports people to magical lands with supernatural creatures. One night when all were asleep, an unsuspecting security guard witnessed what most people can only read in books. Since this cabin is quite choosy about who it transports into the magical land, you too will have to read about the security guard’s experience for now. Here’s what happened.
Like most security guards, Raman (that was his name) too was fast asleep, snoring so loud that most robbers would run away just hearing him snore. Nothing anyone did could wake him up. Not the dogs, not the robbers, not even the rats that were chewing on his shoes. The cabin decided to have some fun. It took two quick 360 turns and poof, Raman was sitting on a huge chair in the land of muffins. Raman’s snore made all the muffins gather around him. They brought along with them knifes, grills, forks and spoons. When his snore reached a crescendo, unable to take it anymore, they started poking him. Raman woke up with a startle. He could smell them, their delicious freshly baked smell intoxicated him. But their pokes had left tiny bruises on him. Raman rubbed his eyes, was this for real? How had he come here? Was this a dream? Raman had questions that needed to be answered. He had another question, could eat one? He looked around him, the sea of muffins – blueberry, chocolate chip, vanilla, strawberry – made his stomach growl. He wasn’t thinking of the consequences now, he snatched a fork from one of them and dug into the biggest blueberry muffin and gobbled it. The muffin tasted delicious. But even before he swallowed it, Raman transformed into a muffin. His feet became sticky, his body bloated into a healthy little muffin. Raman was now one of the muffins in the land of muffins and never ate muffins ever again.
on a watchman's cabin (apartments)
This is no ordinary cabin. This is a portal that transports people to magical lands with supernatural creatures. One night when all were asleep, an unsuspecting security guard witnessed what most people can only read in books. Since this cabin is quite choosy about who it transports into the magical land, you too will have to read about the security guard’s experience for now. Here’s what happened.
Like most security guards, Raman (that was his name) too was fast asleep, snoring so loud that most robbers would run away just hearing him snore. Nothing anyone did could wake him up. Not the dogs, not the robbers, not even the rats that were chewing on his shoes. The cabin decided to have some fun. It took two quick 360 turns and poof, Raman was sitting on a huge chair in the land of muffins. Raman’s snore made all the muffins gather around him. They brought along with them knifes, grills, forks and spoons. When his snore reached a crescendo, unable to take it anymore, they started poking him. Raman woke up with a startle. He could smell them, their delicious freshly baked smell intoxicated him. But their pokes had left tiny bruises on him. Raman rubbed his eyes, was this for real? How had he come here? Was this a dream? Raman had questions that needed to be answered. He had another question, could eat one? He looked around him, the sea of muffins – blueberry, chocolate chip, vanilla, strawberry – made his stomach growl. He wasn’t thinking of the consequences now, he snatched a fork from one of them and dug into the biggest blueberry muffin and gobbled it. The muffin tasted delicious. But even before he swallowed it, Raman transformed into a muffin. His feet became sticky, his body bloated into a healthy little muffin. Raman was now one of the muffins in the land of muffins and never ate muffins ever again.
on a watchman's cabin (apartments)
Urvashi
A Ball
Once upon a time there lived a small ball of sand named Neville. Now Neville had a mission. He spent a large part of his day wondering how he was going to achieve this mission: He wondered while making his tea, he wondered while folding his clothes, he wondered while reading his book and he wondered while looking for his T.V. remote. And then, finally, it struck him. The next morning he got up early. He drank his tea, ate a hearty breakfast and got ready to begin his journey. He rolled out of the house, excited it was finally time to achieve his mission. About an hour into his journey, Neville was very thirsty. He stopped and looked around to see whether there was anywhere that he could get some water. But before he could figure that out, he found something strange. He had suddenly become bigger! Neville was very surprised. He wondered what had happened. He hadn’t eaten that much for breakfast. He decided to ignore it, forget his thirst and roll along. Soon, Neville was hungry. He reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet but found that his hand got stuck in it. His shorts had tightened around his waist. He had gotten even bigger! This shocked Neville. He hadn’t been eating at all, how could he have become bigger? Again, Neville decided to ignore it and roll along. But now Neville was expanding every second. He could feel himself become bigger as he rolled along to his destination. Neville was very scared. Small ball Neville was becoming big ball Neville. He wasn’t happy at all. But he decided to roll along until he achieved his mission. His thirst and hunger increased but he was too scared to stop. Soon, he arrived. Neville was so excited that it was time to achieve his mission that he forgot he had become bigger along his journey. He looked about for some water and food and found some. In no time at all, he had drunk all the water and gobbled up all the food. He was now ready to complete his mission. He rolled along to the empty pit in front of him and jumped straight in. He broke into a thousand pieces and filled the entire pit: Getting bigger along the way had helped! Neville was the happiest he had ever been. He had achieved his mission: Adorable, innocent children could finally play in a soft bed of sand.
(in First Steps on the sand pit)
Suzanna
Here
Higher.
Higher.
Higher.
A bit to the right.
No, too far.
A bit to the left.
Lower.
Lower.
Ya, stop, stop.
STOP.
Ah. Ok.
Sheesh, the things a wall has to tell you to get a picture up straight.
(On the wall)
Higher.
Higher.
Higher.
A bit to the right.
No, too far.
A bit to the left.
Lower.
Lower.
Ya, stop, stop.
STOP.
Ah. Ok.
Sheesh, the things a wall has to tell you to get a picture up straight.
(On the wall)
Suzanna
To Be Or Not to Be
Once upon a lime there lived an alien who so desperately wanted to know more about human beings, that he researched us for millions and millions of years. Sadly, the more he researched us, the more we kept evolving. So the alient went quite mad and died, and left all his notes and scribbles to his son, Ilian. Ilian, like all now-generation types was a cool dude, who immediately rang up Sheryl Crow and asked her what would be the best way to study humans, “In as short a timespan as possible, please, Miss Crow?”
“You know, Ilian, if no one sees you, you can study them well. The best thing is to be a wall.”
“Noooo way, that’ll take up too much universal energy.”
“How about a fly?”
“Nope, way too little.”
“A nail.”
“Like I said no to the fly??”
“Okay, how about a potted plant?”
“Do I look like a girl to you?”
“A broom?”
“No”
“A step ladder?”
“No”
“A shelf?”
“No”
“A painting?”
“No”
“A crack?”
“No”
“A poster?”
“Ah.”
(On one of the walls of the conference room)
Once upon a lime there lived an alien who so desperately wanted to know more about human beings, that he researched us for millions and millions of years. Sadly, the more he researched us, the more we kept evolving. So the alient went quite mad and died, and left all his notes and scribbles to his son, Ilian. Ilian, like all now-generation types was a cool dude, who immediately rang up Sheryl Crow and asked her what would be the best way to study humans, “In as short a timespan as possible, please, Miss Crow?”
“You know, Ilian, if no one sees you, you can study them well. The best thing is to be a wall.”
“Noooo way, that’ll take up too much universal energy.”
“How about a fly?”
“Nope, way too little.”
“A nail.”
“Like I said no to the fly??”
“Okay, how about a potted plant?”
“Do I look like a girl to you?”
“A broom?”
“No”
“A step ladder?”
“No”
“A shelf?”
“No”
“A painting?”
“No”
“A crack?”
“No”
“A poster?”
“Ah.”
(On one of the walls of the conference room)
Suzanna
Wall-eh
Wall a surprise!
Wai’ll I tell wall about this, I say, wai’ll I tell wall.
Wall, wall, dijja see who’s here.
Wall an honour to the four of us, I say, wall an honour.
And, and, and, and, isn’t he exactly the way we thought he’d be.
Wall a man of a guy, I say, wall a man of a guy.
And then the politician spat out red on the walls.
All four of them.
(On one of the walls of the conference room)
Suzanna
Happy New Ear
The 365th day of the year is an important one to us walls. No, no, we don’t go get drunk or anything. Instead we all get new ears. Because, like you, we too have ears. And they’re connected to the big ear in the big wall where the big man can hear you all. But, unlike you, ours get worn off in less than a year and need a replacement by around ummmm, September or so. But thanks to our early funds, we don’t get a replacement immediately, and we need to submit a neatly type-written document that informs the Board when exactly we lost our earship. Once we do that, we wait and wait and wait (deaf, of course) till New Year’s eve to get a new ear. “Happy New Ear, Happy New Ear, may this one be a good one”, we whisper to each other. And then we wake up bright and early on January first, and flap our ears around and pick up any little sound that passes by. A buzzed bee, a flapped butterfly, a hummed girl, a tested guitar, a bounced ball, a jazzed shoe. Eww, and early this morning? A gassed man.
(On the wall in the conference room)
The 365th day of the year is an important one to us walls. No, no, we don’t go get drunk or anything. Instead we all get new ears. Because, like you, we too have ears. And they’re connected to the big ear in the big wall where the big man can hear you all. But, unlike you, ours get worn off in less than a year and need a replacement by around ummmm, September or so. But thanks to our early funds, we don’t get a replacement immediately, and we need to submit a neatly type-written document that informs the Board when exactly we lost our earship. Once we do that, we wait and wait and wait (deaf, of course) till New Year’s eve to get a new ear. “Happy New Ear, Happy New Ear, may this one be a good one”, we whisper to each other. And then we wake up bright and early on January first, and flap our ears around and pick up any little sound that passes by. A buzzed bee, a flapped butterfly, a hummed girl, a tested guitar, a bounced ball, a jazzed shoe. Eww, and early this morning? A gassed man.
(On the wall in the conference room)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Shanti Srikanth
Enlightened
Can you imagine that – a world without light?
Why, whoever heard of a thing like that?
Yikes, yikes, a world without light
Yikes, yikes, a world without light????
That's what you and I would croon,… rather, wail today. But, hey, just sit back, close your eyes, and think about the world several hundred years ago, when people waited for the sun or the moon to light up their planet.
Well, it all started as an idea, a wafer- thin one, but what a trail blazer it turned out to be!
Now, this idea didn't remain just an idea, it grew to be a lingering thought. And then, it recurred … morning , noon, and night, …. until it threatened to take on obsessive proportions and soon became an all- consuming passion. For, he woke up with it, ate it, drank it, dreamt it,… and what you will.
Very soon and most expectedly, the element of this idea caught on a glow, a mild one to begin with. It made him happy, but this isn't what he had been aiming at.
" How can I make it brighter? How can I illuminate the world with it", he grilled his smoldering mind.
The fire in his belly started making its way up, creeping and crawling, now with a stumble and then with a jig. Minute by minute, day by day, it kept sprinting, attaining a radiance never seen or experienced before.
One bright day, it simply inundated his grey cells, setting them on fire. And then ,with a lightning burst of energy, it exploded… with such a brilliance that the world stopped, stood, gaped, smiled, and got ENLIGHTENED.
That's the story of how the world got light.
(Next to the switchboard)
Can you imagine that – a world without light?
Why, whoever heard of a thing like that?
Yikes, yikes, a world without light
Yikes, yikes, a world without light????
That's what you and I would croon,… rather, wail today. But, hey, just sit back, close your eyes, and think about the world several hundred years ago, when people waited for the sun or the moon to light up their planet.
Well, it all started as an idea, a wafer- thin one, but what a trail blazer it turned out to be!
Now, this idea didn't remain just an idea, it grew to be a lingering thought. And then, it recurred … morning , noon, and night, …. until it threatened to take on obsessive proportions and soon became an all- consuming passion. For, he woke up with it, ate it, drank it, dreamt it,… and what you will.
Very soon and most expectedly, the element of this idea caught on a glow, a mild one to begin with. It made him happy, but this isn't what he had been aiming at.
" How can I make it brighter? How can I illuminate the world with it", he grilled his smoldering mind.
The fire in his belly started making its way up, creeping and crawling, now with a stumble and then with a jig. Minute by minute, day by day, it kept sprinting, attaining a radiance never seen or experienced before.
One bright day, it simply inundated his grey cells, setting them on fire. And then ,with a lightning burst of energy, it exploded… with such a brilliance that the world stopped, stood, gaped, smiled, and got ENLIGHTENED.
That's the story of how the world got light.
(Next to the switchboard)
Shanthi Srikanth
Welcome One. Welcome All.
"Athithi Devo Bhava" – isn't this a saying all of us have grown up with? True, guests are an honored tribe. So are clients, customers, vendors, business partners, visitors, and all those who walk in past that threshold.
They arrive in various avatars – big, small, young, old, male, female, privileged, not-so-privileged, busy, trying-to-look busy, ….
They come to ask, to question, to clarify, to seek, to enquire, to offer, to deal,
to clinch, ….
They make an appearance with an affable smile, an irritated glare, a quizzical gaze, a bearish grin, a challenging demeanour, a defiant stare, a smug smirk, ….
They walk in with a confident gait, a hesitant step, an arrogant look, a questioning eye, a patient ear, a cheesy grin,…
They all land because they have to , they need to, they must, they should, they want to….
anyway, they would!!!!
And, to do the honors to each one of them as they cross that threshold ,
Presenting to you ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, friends and foes, acquaintances and relatives,
The help desk, The 'RECEPTION DESK.'
(Next to the reception desk)
Ambika
Home Sweet Home
The lift grew hair and the hair grew thick. Thick as a forest that houses dangerous animals. The animals died thanks to lack of fresh air. The air grew stagnant and the lift got stuck. Stuck on the floor that had dangerous creatures, the ones known as Homo sapiens. The Homo sapiens got into the hairy lift and looked for the buttons. The buttons were hiding under the think growth of hair. The hair needed to be cut and so they called a barber. The barber had scissors of all shapes and sizes. Sizes S M and L didn't suffice, the hair still grew and became a soft carpet. The carpet made the lift homely and Homo sapiens love homes. And so they lived happily in their new found home.
(On a lift)
The lift grew hair and the hair grew thick. Thick as a forest that houses dangerous animals. The animals died thanks to lack of fresh air. The air grew stagnant and the lift got stuck. Stuck on the floor that had dangerous creatures, the ones known as Homo sapiens. The Homo sapiens got into the hairy lift and looked for the buttons. The buttons were hiding under the think growth of hair. The hair needed to be cut and so they called a barber. The barber had scissors of all shapes and sizes. Sizes S M and L didn't suffice, the hair still grew and became a soft carpet. The carpet made the lift homely and Homo sapiens love homes. And so they lived happily in their new found home.
(On a lift)
Urvashi
Starting
Leaf 1: You start.
Leaf 2: No, you start.
Leaf 1: No, you start.
Leaf 2: No, you start.
Leaf 1: No, you.
Leaf 2: No, you start.
Leaf 1: Start what?
Leaf 2: I forgot.
(On a potted plant)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Ambika
Black & White
Out in the jungle Peter lost his way. He'd gone to fetch some wood for the bonfire he was planning to have that day. After tying a tight knot on the bundle that he'd managed to pick, he kept it on his bike and gave it a kick. The bike started tuk tuk tuk and he was on his way. But riding it helter-skelter is how he lost his way. Peter told himself not to panic and rode the bike like it was the Titanic. His bike would stop for no iceberg or herds of animals; he would ride it till he found his way home. Just as he made this resolution, he saw some zebras crossing. A really long line of them. The herd of zebras took forever to walk along. He was reminded of the zebra crossings in the city and the traffic that made him wait longer than this everyday.
He hadn't a clue that backseats like me have to endure it all their lives. With drivers who drive without a wheel in their hands.
Peter did manage to find his way home and had a bonfire too. But he never forgot the zebra crossing like I can never forget backseat driving.
On the backseat of the car
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