“Is it summer already?” Levon asked himself. Of all seasons, summer was the least favorite for this bred up in the frigid town of Ontario boy. Living all the while in the cold weather, Levon had grown as thick layer of Cashmere on his skin, so now, when the weather demanded walking naked, however inappropriate it may sound, he was stuck in his snowy habits. The humidity of Atlanta has made the air so heavy for him to breathe that he found a sudden weight on his lungs; his lungs were not made to work in this weather, as he had a chronic lung disease, which made his living in Atlanta for past one year a bare-footed walk in the desert.
“I don’t like it!” The sound blared in his head.
So for providing him with a respite in the hot, blistery weather, he went inside an old, not accredited to have a nation-wide presence, store.
I can pretend to have to buy something, and if somebody asks me about what I want, I can say that I’m looking for something which he might not have heard of; very politely, then, I can thank him for offering his help and go about looking for the thing, mind you, imaginary, for the rest of the afternoon.
“Is there anything I can help you with, sir?” asked a voice from behind the shelf, Levon was staring at.
“Well, no…., I am looking for the cooling rubber which one can wear to keep off the heat.”
“A what?” replied the voice.
“A cooling rubber.”
“I have never heard of it.”
“Neither do I; but in the morning I saw my friend, Sally, wearing it; oh my god, how beautiful she looked. She said, ‘Levon, I can go around the streets of Atlanta without having to worry about the hot weather, the Sun, the rashes, the sweat, the itching, by wearing this cool thing—it’s called ‘the cooling rubber.’ So I thought I should get one for myself.”
“We don’t have anything like that here.”
“She said that it comes in a rainbow of colors, crimson, teal, turquoise, aqua, purple, and burgundy. And it’s so light that no one can see that you’re wearing it.”
“Sir, I understand that you’ve a fetish for colors, but very ruefully I want to tell you that we don’t carry the magnificent product, you’re referring to, and which very fervently you want to put on.”
“I’ve decided that I want it brown, for brown is my favorite color,” Levon explained.
Am I really making her mad? I haven’t seen her yet; why doesn’t she come out from behind this shelf? How does she look? What is she wearing? Is she hot? Can I ask her on a date—can I?
“But ,sir, we don’t carry such a thing. Why don’t you try it in a bigger store—like a Walmart?”
“Would you help me in deciding what color to buy? I don’t want it brown, anymore.”
“Would I?” said the unseen girl.
“Yeah, would you?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because I think you must have a good eye for colors, being a girl and working in this store, where you see all sorts of people and things,” replied Levon.
“Do you think so?”
Is she really going to say ‘yes.’ Oh man! Am I such a great seducer? I didn’t know I could talk trash and get a date. How is she like? Is she hot?”
“I do.”
“You do.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“Why why?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because I think so.”
“But that is the question.”
“What is the question?”
“That why do you think I can be of any help?”
“Because I think so.”
“You are nuts,” said the unseen girl.
“Why?”
“Because I think so.”
“Right! You think I’m wasting your time by asking you to come with me to Walmart.”
“I do.”
“You do?”
“Yes!”
“I don’t think so.”
“You think a lot,” said the unseen girl.
“Not as much as you do,” said Levon.
“Really?”
“why don’t you come with me to Walmart?”
“Because I know you don’t want to buy anything; you are just wasting your, as well as my, time.”
“No!” said Levon.
“Yes!”
“There is nothing that you want to buy. I’ve never heard of the thing you were talking about. Does it even exist?”
“Why not? Sally told me that it does.”
“There is no Sally; you made her up, just like the product. Didn’t you?”
If I say ‘yes,’ will you come with me?”
“Why are you so desperate?” asked the unseen girl.
“I’m not desperate.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are; you sound so desperate; I could tell that the moment I saw you coming inside the store.”
“You could?”
“Yes. You were sweating like a wet dog; did I really make you nervous?”
She didn’t see me. There was no one who could have seen me when I entered the story. A girl? No chance.
“No, you didn’t. Tell me the truth.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“No, you are not.”
“Yes, I am,” said the unseen girl, “then why were you sweating?”
“Because it’s hot outside, and I am not fit for the hot weather of Atlanta. I have a medical problem with this kind of weather. I find it hard to breathe,” explained Levon.
“Is it?”
“Yeah.”
“It is not that hot for people to leak like you were. You were sopped up as though you were sprinkled on.”
Why does every girl become a monster as soon as she smells attraction? I have not even seen her, and have to put up with so much of her haranguing self. Why can’t the rules of attraction be simplified?
“I was not so wet.”
“Why are you so nasty,” said the unseen girl.
“I’m not nasty; I’m just telling you the truth.”
“You’ve started lying now.”
“Have I?”
“Yes, you have.”
“I hate people who lie.”
“But how does my lie affect you?” said Levon.
“It does not.”
“Then you don’t hate me?”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Then you like me?”
“I didn’t say that,” replied the unseen girl.
“Opposite of hate is liking; isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“So, you like me.”
“I don’t know; you’re so nasty.”
“Do you like nasty boys?”
“I do.”
“Are you a nasty girl?”
“That is for you to decide.”
“All right,” said Levon.
“So what did you decide?”
“About what?”
“About my being nasty,” said the unseen girl.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Why not?”
Is she totally insane? Regardless of that, I think she is tugging at my heart.
“I find myself attracted to your voice,” said Levon.
“What about my voice?”
“it’s like dripping maple syrup—dark and sweet.”
“And”
“It tells me you have not eaten your lunch and you will allow me to take you out on lunch.”
“You said you wanted to go to Walmart.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want anything to cool me off.”
“Really?”
“Yeah!”
“So now you want me to eat lunch with you?”
“Right.”
“I cannot eat lunch; what about dinner?”
“Dinner is fine with me.”
“All right, then, pick me up at 8. I’m leaving now.”
“All right.”
Levon came out of the store with no intention of coming back again. The gentle breeze of the air conditioner inside the old store had soaked up the sweat glistening on his forehead. He had regained strength and mental clarity, which heat had previously stolen from him. He was happy to have engaged in a talk with the girl, he didn’t get an opportunity to see, or what he rather had avoided for not ruining the picture in his head. Content with what he had done, he hobbled across the road to the place where his bike was parked; after reaching upon his bike, he fought hard with the intense desire to catch a glimpse of the girl, and decided not to ruin the power of his imagination.
Afterthought:
I like summers so much. The warm wind suffused with the strong smell of flowers and earth; the cool breeze in the evening rumpling my hair and sprouting a desire to stay awake all night. My sitting in one corner outside my house, embracing the darkness spattered with a million stars, with a crescent-shaped swing rocking up and down, with the heavy wind, intoxicating me and nudging me to so amorously await somebody’s arrival in my life.
Kelly had been alone for a little more than a year, now; her last boy friend left her without so much as a formal goodbye, and she had no clue where he lived now. She had not loved him, or never thought about it; but she liked to make love with him. He was from a cold town, so he always cried about the heat in Atlanta. Sometimes, she thought that her boy friend had not left her but the hot weather of Atlanta. She had fought with her boy friend for his crying for such a small thing as the barmy weather, at least for her, of Atlanta.
“You should better run away,” she had said once.
“Yeah, I will, one day.”
“Lair.”
But he did run away from her when she didn’t want it to happen—she had started to feel something about him, mostly about his ability to calm her.
“I like you,” she had said once.
“So do I,” he had replied.
“Don’t leave me,” she had said.
“I’ll not,” he had replied.
But he did leave her, for, perhaps, the heat was causing him a lot of discomfort. The weather was the only source of disagreement between them. They were a happy, outspoken, and exciting, for their long-drawn, verbal duels, couple. There was no limit to which they could verbally stimulate each other. they were true companions.
“I don’t like it!” The sound blared in his head.
So for providing him with a respite in the hot, blistery weather, he went inside an old, not accredited to have a nation-wide presence, store.
I can pretend to have to buy something, and if somebody asks me about what I want, I can say that I’m looking for something which he might not have heard of; very politely, then, I can thank him for offering his help and go about looking for the thing, mind you, imaginary, for the rest of the afternoon.
“Is there anything I can help you with, sir?” asked a voice from behind the shelf, Levon was staring at.
“Well, no…., I am looking for the cooling rubber which one can wear to keep off the heat.”
“A what?” replied the voice.
“A cooling rubber.”
“I have never heard of it.”
“Neither do I; but in the morning I saw my friend, Sally, wearing it; oh my god, how beautiful she looked. She said, ‘Levon, I can go around the streets of Atlanta without having to worry about the hot weather, the Sun, the rashes, the sweat, the itching, by wearing this cool thing—it’s called ‘the cooling rubber.’ So I thought I should get one for myself.”
“We don’t have anything like that here.”
“She said that it comes in a rainbow of colors, crimson, teal, turquoise, aqua, purple, and burgundy. And it’s so light that no one can see that you’re wearing it.”
“Sir, I understand that you’ve a fetish for colors, but very ruefully I want to tell you that we don’t carry the magnificent product, you’re referring to, and which very fervently you want to put on.”
“I’ve decided that I want it brown, for brown is my favorite color,” Levon explained.
Am I really making her mad? I haven’t seen her yet; why doesn’t she come out from behind this shelf? How does she look? What is she wearing? Is she hot? Can I ask her on a date—can I?
“But ,sir, we don’t carry such a thing. Why don’t you try it in a bigger store—like a Walmart?”
“Would you help me in deciding what color to buy? I don’t want it brown, anymore.”
“Would I?” said the unseen girl.
“Yeah, would you?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because I think you must have a good eye for colors, being a girl and working in this store, where you see all sorts of people and things,” replied Levon.
“Do you think so?”
Is she really going to say ‘yes.’ Oh man! Am I such a great seducer? I didn’t know I could talk trash and get a date. How is she like? Is she hot?”
“I do.”
“You do.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“Why why?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because I think so.”
“But that is the question.”
“What is the question?”
“That why do you think I can be of any help?”
“Because I think so.”
“You are nuts,” said the unseen girl.
“Why?”
“Because I think so.”
“Right! You think I’m wasting your time by asking you to come with me to Walmart.”
“I do.”
“You do?”
“Yes!”
“I don’t think so.”
“You think a lot,” said the unseen girl.
“Not as much as you do,” said Levon.
“Really?”
“why don’t you come with me to Walmart?”
“Because I know you don’t want to buy anything; you are just wasting your, as well as my, time.”
“No!” said Levon.
“Yes!”
“There is nothing that you want to buy. I’ve never heard of the thing you were talking about. Does it even exist?”
“Why not? Sally told me that it does.”
“There is no Sally; you made her up, just like the product. Didn’t you?”
If I say ‘yes,’ will you come with me?”
“Why are you so desperate?” asked the unseen girl.
“I’m not desperate.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are; you sound so desperate; I could tell that the moment I saw you coming inside the store.”
“You could?”
“Yes. You were sweating like a wet dog; did I really make you nervous?”
She didn’t see me. There was no one who could have seen me when I entered the story. A girl? No chance.
“No, you didn’t. Tell me the truth.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“No, you are not.”
“Yes, I am,” said the unseen girl, “then why were you sweating?”
“Because it’s hot outside, and I am not fit for the hot weather of Atlanta. I have a medical problem with this kind of weather. I find it hard to breathe,” explained Levon.
“Is it?”
“Yeah.”
“It is not that hot for people to leak like you were. You were sopped up as though you were sprinkled on.”
Why does every girl become a monster as soon as she smells attraction? I have not even seen her, and have to put up with so much of her haranguing self. Why can’t the rules of attraction be simplified?
“I was not so wet.”
“Why are you so nasty,” said the unseen girl.
“I’m not nasty; I’m just telling you the truth.”
“You’ve started lying now.”
“Have I?”
“Yes, you have.”
“I hate people who lie.”
“But how does my lie affect you?” said Levon.
“It does not.”
“Then you don’t hate me?”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Then you like me?”
“I didn’t say that,” replied the unseen girl.
“Opposite of hate is liking; isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“So, you like me.”
“I don’t know; you’re so nasty.”
“Do you like nasty boys?”
“I do.”
“Are you a nasty girl?”
“That is for you to decide.”
“All right,” said Levon.
“So what did you decide?”
“About what?”
“About my being nasty,” said the unseen girl.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Why not?”
Is she totally insane? Regardless of that, I think she is tugging at my heart.
“I find myself attracted to your voice,” said Levon.
“What about my voice?”
“it’s like dripping maple syrup—dark and sweet.”
“And”
“It tells me you have not eaten your lunch and you will allow me to take you out on lunch.”
“You said you wanted to go to Walmart.”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want anything to cool me off.”
“Really?”
“Yeah!”
“So now you want me to eat lunch with you?”
“Right.”
“I cannot eat lunch; what about dinner?”
“Dinner is fine with me.”
“All right, then, pick me up at 8. I’m leaving now.”
“All right.”
Levon came out of the store with no intention of coming back again. The gentle breeze of the air conditioner inside the old store had soaked up the sweat glistening on his forehead. He had regained strength and mental clarity, which heat had previously stolen from him. He was happy to have engaged in a talk with the girl, he didn’t get an opportunity to see, or what he rather had avoided for not ruining the picture in his head. Content with what he had done, he hobbled across the road to the place where his bike was parked; after reaching upon his bike, he fought hard with the intense desire to catch a glimpse of the girl, and decided not to ruin the power of his imagination.
Afterthought:
I like summers so much. The warm wind suffused with the strong smell of flowers and earth; the cool breeze in the evening rumpling my hair and sprouting a desire to stay awake all night. My sitting in one corner outside my house, embracing the darkness spattered with a million stars, with a crescent-shaped swing rocking up and down, with the heavy wind, intoxicating me and nudging me to so amorously await somebody’s arrival in my life.
Kelly had been alone for a little more than a year, now; her last boy friend left her without so much as a formal goodbye, and she had no clue where he lived now. She had not loved him, or never thought about it; but she liked to make love with him. He was from a cold town, so he always cried about the heat in Atlanta. Sometimes, she thought that her boy friend had not left her but the hot weather of Atlanta. She had fought with her boy friend for his crying for such a small thing as the barmy weather, at least for her, of Atlanta.
“You should better run away,” she had said once.
“Yeah, I will, one day.”
“Lair.”
But he did run away from her when she didn’t want it to happen—she had started to feel something about him, mostly about his ability to calm her.
“I like you,” she had said once.
“So do I,” he had replied.
“Don’t leave me,” she had said.
“I’ll not,” he had replied.
But he did leave her, for, perhaps, the heat was causing him a lot of discomfort. The weather was the only source of disagreement between them. They were a happy, outspoken, and exciting, for their long-drawn, verbal duels, couple. There was no limit to which they could verbally stimulate each other. they were true companions.
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Re: Levon and Kelly
Wed, May 16, 2007 - 9:22 PMI am back into the writing world after a long break of 4 months, for I was busy tidying up al lot of things in my life. Finally, I've graduated, so I've some quality time for reading and writing.
This story is not much of a story than a discussion between people who loved each other, but due to some unimportant reasons they couldn't work out to stay together. I know that the plot is clunky, but I am clunky, as well, after a long break from my favorite hobby.
I hope people still recognize me.
Deepak
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Re: Levon and Kelly
Thu, May 17, 2007 - 7:46 AMHey Deepak, long time no see. Great having you back.
As far as the work, it's interesting as always. I noticed a little of the language barrier still, but the concept was nice. The inane rambling inside his head about 'things' that may or may not exist between the two was interesting. There were a few sentences that didn't really translate into English well, though I did get the gist of what you were shooting for. Mostly just trimming would work. The dialogue, and in particular the first run, was my biggest concern. It was long enough that some identifier occasionally needed to be used. You seemed to clean that up later on with an occasional “he said” or “she said” which really helped. Unsure about the afterthought, though I saw where you were headed with it. Tying up reality at the end works, but I’m unsure whether or not the end was more clarifying or confusing. What I’ll do is read it again after work and see what my impressions are.
Once again, good to see you around. Keep writing.
