Some creative writing I did for SUSAN HAMILTONβS TECHNOLOGY CONCERN, some months ago.
Letβs say youβre reading this at night. Youβve poured yourself into the warm folds of your old couch for a decidedly langorious night of Netflix binging Master of None.
Aziz is around for 5 minutes before β
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β ββ
β ββββββββ00000βββββββββ ββ
β ββββββ000000000βββββββ ββ
β ββββ0000000000000βββββ ββ
β βββ000000000000000ββββ ββ BZZZZZZZZZRT!
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ββ Talk ββListenββ Open βββ
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You lift yourself up to answer it. The effort is Herculean. Youβll tell your grandkids about it someday.
βHello?β
βHi, itβs UPS.β
βOkay.β
You hold the Open
button for a moment, let go and turn back to β
BZZZZZZZZZRT!
βYeah?β
βActually, I need you to come down and sign for this.β
Hesistating over the talk button, you eventually reply, βOkay.β
You get dressed and slump downstairs, where youβre greeted by an anxious looking woman with little resemblance and no relation to Susan Hamilton.
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βHiβ, she sounds mousier than she did over the intercom. You notice the brown leather handbag over her shoulder, but no package.
βHi, Youβve got a package or something for me?β
βNope.β
Some time passes.
βWhat?β
βSorry, I lied to get you down here.β
βHuh?β
βIβm here to take you to Night-Time Only Cerealβ
βHuh?β, youβre understandably confused and annoyed. βListen, Iβm not really buying anything, so yeahβ¦ Iβmβ¦ gonna go now. Cya.β
βJust a second!β, she exclaims as she grabs your hand. This is pretty awkward. βThis is my job so just go with it. I know itβs awkward, but stuff like this always is.β
βStuff like what?β, you move to pull your arm away, but youβre wrenched in place. Despite being in no way related to Susan Hamilton, sheβs surprisingly strong.
βYour name is on my list.β She lets go of your hand. βSo Iβd like you to come with me. By the way, do you know what the best thing about cereal is?β
βCereal? Like the breakfast food?β She nods. βI dunno, it tastes good? or something?β You need to wrap this up and get out of here.
With a smirk she replies, βEveryone says that, but no one thinks about the things that happen around you when youβre eating it. Cereal is innocence. Saturday morning cartoons, the breakfast table, getting ready for school, sunlight pouring in over your glass of OJ. Back then everything was okay. You were okay.β
βSure, Iβm okay now thanks.β
β?β
β β
βCome on.β, She turns, gently opens the front door and glides through it. Her heels click smartly with each step away from you. The door stays mostly open behind her.
Do you go with her?
ββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββ
β_β ββββββββββββ γΰΌΌβ’β’ΰΌ½
ββββββββββββ
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ββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββ
Continued in part 2, or not.