Friday, December 28, 2012

Lambent Chance

BCC Cours
A book of clouds, that was my gift.
I opened it and turned the pages randomly.
A face, a mushroom, a flying saucer, a world of lambent pictures in the sky. They made my child smile and point and laugh and giggle for no reason.
By chance, I opened the book on a page where the clouds had formed a 6, his age. He stopped, staring at the photo, then looked up.
“That’s me!”
“Yes, that’s your age,” I replied.
He beamed and said “I have been to the sky!”
Being a kid is such an amazing thing, isn’t it?

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Arctic

North Sea

She missed the Arctic. She had traveled up north a long time ago, as her younger years seemed eternal. Today, as she floated in the clear blue warm sea, she missed the quietness, the brightness, the peace. A seagull flew by, languidly flapping her wings. The sun was setting and the day coming to an end. As she closed her eyes, she suddenly realized she also had peace, brightness and quietness here, and it seemed to match her years coming to an end. She smiled. Life had been good to her.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Incandescense

Santa's Workshop


Surrounded by lights,
I sit and listen.
It’s Christmas, it’s Christmas.
So bright, so bright.
Surrounded by lights,
I wonder and glisten.
A gleam of trust,
A sparkle of joy,
A shimmer of hope.

Sleigh Bells

Santa's Workshop

“I hear them, I hear them!”
The list was still being written.
“The naughty, the nice, and Billy-Bob.”
Santa read through the list again and again.
“Why isn’t Billy-Bob listed as either naughty or nice? Every year, it’s the same thing.
Billy-Bob needs to learn a lesson. Elf?”
The elf rushed in.
“No present for Billy-Bob.”
The elf nodded.
“We are late!” Santa ran out the door and hurried away.
After an exhausting trip throughout the world, Santa was surprised to see Billy-Bob standing at his door, arms crossed and looking even more crossed than his arms.
“Santa, where is my present?”
"Billy-Bob, don’t be insolent, there’s no present for you this year.”
“Why?”
“You don’t behave for the first six months of the year. Then you behave like an angel. I never know whether to list you as naughty or as nice.”
“Nice, of course.”
“Every single year, Billy-Bob, every single year.”
Billy-Bob frowned, clutching his arms closer to his chest.
“I want my present.”
“No. Go home and behave. Perhaps next year you’ll receive a present, IF you’re nice.”
Billy-Bob walked away, not before knocking down the snowman’s hat and kicking the sleigh, making its bells chuckle, amused by the scene.
“I’m taking a note of that, Billy-Bob,” yelled Santa.
  
The next year, as he was preparing for Christmas, Santa saw a box at his doorstep. He opened it. Inside, there was nothing but a card. It said “Dear Santa, you’re taking the year off. No Christmas. I have the list, I have the sleigh, and I have the bells. I took the elves too. Signed, Billy-Bob”
Santa was furious. He trotted down from the Pole straight to Billy-Bob’s house.
“Open this door immediately. From now on, you’re on the naughty list, do you hear me?”
Billy-Bob looked through the window and waved defiantly.
Santa was livid. He kicked the door in and grabbed the kid by the arm, dragging him outside. With the elves rushing out behind them. They had never seen Santa angry. Billy-Bob’s parents couldn’t believe their eyes either.

And Billy-Bob’s smug face anticipated the long overdue revenge. “Even you are a bit naughty sometimes, aren’t you, Santa?”
Santa froze, waking up from a stupor of rage. He let go of the kid and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Elves, let’s go home.”

Santa did manage to give each child in the world a present in time, even Billy-Bob. His gift was a note. It said “Dear Billy-Bob, you’re taking another year off. No Christmas. I have the list, I have the sleigh, and I have the bells. I took the elves too. See you next year. Signed, Santa”

And this was how a long-lasting war between a kid and Santa started, a war that would inevitably teach each one of them a few things!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Twinkle

Santa's Workshop

It’s the season to be jolly, the e-reader burped to the sound of a merry song. It was full. We simply eat too much during these festivities, don’t we? The Christmas gift glistened wrapped in gold and red ribbons. Twinkle, twinkle, and here they come. The smiles and thank yous flooded throughout the room in a cacophony of joy.  The e-reader was happy too. The evil smirk on its screen, undoubtedly uploaded by a terribly wicked soul, was the perfect opening curtain for a lovely present filled with the most dignifying horror stories, the most intriguing love affairs and the least expected endings to disgustingly charming crimes. Life was good. In the meantime, the e-reader secretly plotted to have an obtuse software problem and drive its oh so cuddly owner to despair. How quickly the joy of the season can turn into a wretched feeling of gloom. It’s a season to be gloomy, burped the e-reader merrily.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Funk

Bridgetown

“The end of the world… close call,” thought Lisa fearfully.

Bag? Check. Ticket? P28. It was time to leave the planet.

At the local flight-pod station, a sign said “No flights. The end is here.” What? Again? “Open this door right now,” she shouted in despair. When no one came, she kicked the door in, searched for P28, locked herself in it and clicked “Go”.

Where she went, no one knows. That pod model had been discontinued just the day before due to serious technical problems; it sort of disintegrated people. Well, apparently the end was here alright… for Lisa.