Monday, December 18, 2006
on three-row seats on planesso the big uncle fell asleep as soon as he landed his bottom in the seat, and didn't thus clasp his seat belt shut. his tweed coat smelt like stale smoke.
"yuck," mina thought. "if the plane crashes and he falls on me i'll die of asphixyation by fat uncle, would i be able to push him off me?"
soon, the uncle's snoring became wet. he woke up and coughed
"sickkk" mina thought, edging away.
then he coughed some more, and went KKKKKCCHHHHH.
"OH DEAR GOD NO!!!" mina shrieked in her head as the uncle began to fumble for the barf bag, "I'LL DO ANYTHING PLEASE DON'T LET WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN HAPPEENNN NOOOO-"
"KAACHHHHH!!! PATOOOOIIIEEEEEEE" went the fat uncle.
"AAIIEEE" mina screamed in her head, plastering herself against the window, a horrified expression on her face that remained there until the landing.
on dancing
"i can't do that step! i go to oxford!"
skies
at a quarter to seven, karachi skies are mango-coloured, with a smudge of dark guava at the bottom. even a city that vibrates with such energy is slow to wake, and the roads are empty. a man washes his car at six a.m, i watch him from the apartment window.
having the flu
every beggar, khusra and mazdoor volunteer at the sunday bazaar zeroes in on me, for some reason. in retaliation- because i don't shout at them, which is effective but something i can't muster- i cough like i've been for two days, but make it sound dangerously consumptive; i add a few wheezes for good effect and then croak 'maaf kardein'. they all beat a hasty retreat, the khusra saying 'haw, dil torr diya mera pyarichandsibeti nein'.
Mina at 2:12 PM
