Alien Landscape

that time of the eyeless zombies.

all of a sudden he lapsed into this strange mood.
vehement, gently enraged and thoughtful.
look at them! he burst out, arms flailing. i shrunk in my seat instinctively as people started to stare in curiousity and mild shock. he turned to me.

quickly gathering my thoughts about what our conversation was about, i nodded and looked.
they're not even here he whispered. it made him look crazy. still, i looked. he was right.

us people. we are ever absent in present moments. our thoughts live in either the past or the future. i looked at them intently. shells of flesh with souls stretched so thin like membranous nebulae.

what about now? where is everybody now? where are they if they are never here? never now? always then, always later. always reminiscing, always planning. these zombies with eyes so light, they disappear in the breeze. eyeless. misplaced.

a jolt of movement distracted me from my thoughts. he was standing in the middle of these misplaced people. he cleared his throat. oh no. my apprehension was confirmed when i heard his trembling tenor struggling to be heard above the train howls. i hid behind a book.

the people stared.
amused. curious. even frightened. nonetheless,
awakened.
they were all here! back from flights of fancy and ridiculous reminiscing. wide - eyed and mesmerised by this tall lanky man-boy singing his heart out, red faced and stumbling against the train's lurches. shaking my head i got up and stood beside him. they acknowledged my presence with occasional glances. i was proud to be the wordless, songless pillar that stood alongside this singing awakener.

the train slowed and stopped. he bowed and rushed out of the beeping doors, with me trailing behind. with a glance, i saw to my mild surprise these people, these eyeless zombies with misplaced membranous souls, smiling and shaking their heads, talking among themselves. strangers united in humour under the banner of the present. shaken awake by spontaneous eccentricity.

all in a day's work! he exclaimed, grinning. i've brought them back.
technically, i said, ever eager to be the villain, you just became the figure in the past which they are reminded of whenever they board the train. i don't get how your lousy singing is going to teach them how to live in the moment.

unfazed, he said you're right. then a smirk. jealous, he accused teasingly. i made a face and went on my way, his tenor voice resounding in my head.
Posted by NHJ 2/01/2007 12:38:00 pm

Thursday, February 01, 2007