Deja Vu Demitasse
I had this GREAT idea for a story. It was about a man I would meet in hospital reception. He would look at the scar on my hand and say ‘I had an accident once’. And then he would get flustered, panicky even, and would open his jacket. It would have hundreds of those 4 x 6 cards, all neatly laminated, in pockets sewn into the lining. He would hunt feverishly, and fish out one. It looked like one of those speaker’s notes. He would read out details of his accident. I would watch him vaguely puzzled. Then he would sit back, satisfied. And hand me a card that said he had progressive short term memory loss. That is, he would begin a story, but lose the thread of conversation in between and fall silent. So he carried all his stories in 4x6 cards, so that as soon as he began, he could fish out a card.
He would look at my hand, and start 3 stories; the one that he finished, above. One he would get flustered and not be able to finish. One he would start and I would help search the card and finish.
Then he would explain with another card how he used to recollect long stories. And how his memory was progressively getting shorter. And how he had started getting these cards made to retain his memories.
And he would start saying thrice about his overriding fear as time passed on. And not be able to finish. And in the end, would be able to convey it.
‘How will I remember meeting you ?”
I bounced this idea off somebody really creative. Got back an answer that went roughly mmmmm…. Uhuh. Then was gently informed that this story has already been told.
Was musing over this for a couple of days, then I remembered where even this “mistaken originality” tale had been told.
Don’t ask me any details. A thousand others do jobs identical to mine. My hopes and fears are shared by millions more. These hankerings after attention, affection, exclusivity; these fears of saying too much and too little; these trite verses and bland comedies …
Generic, seared, like the brand on cattle, by unknown gods with unfeeling regularity.
He would look at my hand, and start 3 stories; the one that he finished, above. One he would get flustered and not be able to finish. One he would start and I would help search the card and finish.
Then he would explain with another card how he used to recollect long stories. And how his memory was progressively getting shorter. And how he had started getting these cards made to retain his memories.
And he would start saying thrice about his overriding fear as time passed on. And not be able to finish. And in the end, would be able to convey it.
‘How will I remember meeting you ?”
I bounced this idea off somebody really creative. Got back an answer that went roughly mmmmm…. Uhuh. Then was gently informed that this story has already been told.
Was musing over this for a couple of days, then I remembered where even this “mistaken originality” tale had been told.
Don’t ask me any details. A thousand others do jobs identical to mine. My hopes and fears are shared by millions more. These hankerings after attention, affection, exclusivity; these fears of saying too much and too little; these trite verses and bland comedies …
Generic, seared, like the brand on cattle, by unknown gods with unfeeling regularity.
Hai.n aur bhee duniya mei.n Sukhanwar bahut achche
kehte haiN ki 'Ghalib' ka hai andaaz-e-bayaaN aur
Posted by
Anonymous |
May 10, 2006 6:08 PM
Naanimouse : The gent (with some justification) said that about himself ... I am not that Ghalible!
Posted by
?! |
May 11, 2006 7:18 AM
But why demitasse? Summa-terration?
Posted by
ammani |
May 12, 2006 2:54 AM
A : If you don't know me by now ... coffee cup + pun ... DVD !
Posted by
?! |
May 12, 2006 5:24 AM
i didn get pun?
Posted by
Anonymous |
May 12, 2006 8:27 AM
Coffee Cup + (bad) pun = Caffiene fiend! So, quit puntificating and explain already!
Posted by
Anonymous |
May 12, 2006 10:40 AM
Ahhh the dubious man
continues to puzzle
Almost makes us hold the muzzle
To our tembles
Alas our fingers tremble
makes us mumble
thinking about the babe
in the temble.
*exits with the calm assurance that he does not make much sense to people either.
Posted by
anantha |
May 13, 2006 1:27 AM
Whose Breeze : Now who ?
Anti: You were a formerly known blogger ? Wattapend, all those ppl deny knowing you now ? Sigghhhhh. Fickle, fickle. Whats a DUI charge or two between friends ?
==> is even more capable of random nonsense : )
(WB, BTW).
Posted by
?! |
May 13, 2006 5:49 AM