Forty minutes and fifty six seconds
Posted by SgtPepper | Posted in short story | Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008
She might not have known this, but in 40 minutes and 56 seconds, she would meet with her creator.
40.55
She was all dressed up ,and had even put some make-up on. But regardless of how "different" was that date going to be, something was constant: Richard's lack of sense of punctuality. She had waited for several minutes in a very uncomfortable chair, those that are designed for real girly girls with their right postures and legs crossed, not for Miranda. And after two glasses of free water, she felt forced to ask for something more expensive than 20 cents, which was the price of napkins.
38.48
She had the whole nagging planned out, beginning from the tardiness, which was more of a habit than an event, and going on to to the wasted 12.45 dlls for some overpriced espresso size "petite", that coffee tasted like a lot of things, but French was not one of them. So she was even making self-notes on how she was going to emphasize the fact that he had even begged for her to be on time, and had even dared to say it was "not as casual as we're used to". Who the hell did he think he was to ask her to put on mascara? But then again, he said it was important, perhaps he had gotten that promotion and would now buy expensive things. She liked to buy expensive things (books and mugs).
30.51
Richard decided to appear and apologize, blaming the traffic for his lateness, even when the fault was he cat's for messing his black blazer. So Miranda never knew Richard had to change really quick for such an important date, neither did she knew that he had left something important in the black blazer, and was completely ignorant that he had indeed remember the important thing and was in his left pocket. And so they both talked about their days, and as observing as Miranda was, she couldn't tell Richard was nervous. Not even because his palms sweat, his legs couldn't stop moving and he constantly noticed how the temperature was above the regular. She was quiet an observer.
24.32
Richard convinced Miranda to take a walk to a "lovely" park around the corned, and to reach they would have to cross lots of streets, each with a handful of heavy metallic masses that moved around 90km/h and could easily miss a pedestrian. In the way they talked about Miranda's 20 year old sister going to Prague next week, and how would she enjoy it along with her 40 year old boyfriend, who was obviously paying for everything. They also talked about the changing climate in the city and how annoying was to still have to sleep with pajamas with 35ºC nights. And discussing again how awkward was that they both were adopted in the same year, both born the 27th of different months. Richard kept the small talk superficial while he looked for something in his pockets, Miranda thought he had lost his cell phone, again. Richard thought he had dropped the letter in the coffee shop.
19.50
Once they were in the park and Miranda had made him buy her an ice cream, they began to talk about some serious stuff, as if they would ever move in together again, again because they had tried it a year ago and it had ended their relationship for about 3 months. They also talked about traveling the world together and the irony in asking for French fries in France. So after a few moments in which Richard cooled off he decided to grow a pair and begin.
10.01
While Miranda was very concentrated on not dropping her ice cream she just heard Richard ranting and uttering something that sounded like words but she didn't have the patience to understand. So after a while of the babbling Richard looked at her and said something about some stupid letter that he had forgotten in his other coat, and how fatidic all had been. And then she smelled mystery in the air, but was too oblivious to notice yet what was to happen. So then he said for the first time in a very long time the three words a regular girl melts for, but Miranda was busy making her ice cream melt to notice, and then she got tired of the ranting and got Richard cut to the chase.
4.41
Miranda was for the first time in the whole day impressed, really impressed. The image of Richard on his knee holing a little box had never crossed her mind in that date, perhaps when they were in the roller coaster or when they were lying in the woods watching the stars, there she had imagined an extravagant proposal. But never some odd request in a public park. And it took a few seconds for her to come off of whatever day-dream she was on to freak out and stand up ready to run. She will never knew is she didn't ran because it was politically incorrect or because the only way out was surrounded by fast traffic and possibly-dangerous odd looking people. The fact is that she stayed.
1.03
The moment was too emotional to let it go without drama, so she decided to say a simple "I need time to think", and in fact she needed time. So as if she had not heard well Richard repeated the same words in the same order, but with more emphasis in wife. And some seconds later she was taking the ring and saying yes, because it just felt right, and because the moment was right, and because she indeed loved him. And both of them yelled and jumped and yelled some more. Theirs had not been a fairy tale, but it sure had been a sweet, creamy yet intense one.
0.0
While they were in their little private party they missed to observe some nasty looking hobo, which happened to be carrying a gun in his pocket. As the pair was still filling the atmosphere with joy and nervous laughter the hobo approached in a subtle movement. He warned his victims they were about to be mugged and they should better cooperate, he obviously asked for the ring. And despite his efforts for terrorizing the happy couple they were too much into each other to notice anything else, that until he pulled out the gun. The first one to notice was Richard, and it didn't took longer than had a second for Miranda to bee terrified by the scene.
She doubt on giving him the ring, perhaps they could escape, maybe the hobo didn't even had any amo. But her common sense was greater than her imprudence. So she gave the ring, but the hobo still looked quiet aggressive, he was not OK, something in his mind many years ago was damaged irreparably to a degree were he could hardly think things trough.
It was all too fast, too fast for people around to notice, too fast for any police officer to do something. It happened, the couple's happy moment was ruined forever, the ring was lost. But the most significant part was the part where Miranda met with his creator, and if given a choice she wouldn't have want to, not under such circumstances.
Because it turns out that Miranda would never know the man that had robbed her ring and ruined such a merry moment was the same man that gave her to an orphanage 26 years 11 months and 13 days ago. The same man who had put half of the genetic information in her. He had met her birth father, her creator.
By I'm the penguin
40.55
She was all dressed up ,and had even put some make-up on. But regardless of how "different" was that date going to be, something was constant: Richard's lack of sense of punctuality. She had waited for several minutes in a very uncomfortable chair, those that are designed for real girly girls with their right postures and legs crossed, not for Miranda. And after two glasses of free water, she felt forced to ask for something more expensive than 20 cents, which was the price of napkins.
38.48
She had the whole nagging planned out, beginning from the tardiness, which was more of a habit than an event, and going on to to the wasted 12.45 dlls for some overpriced espresso size "petite", that coffee tasted like a lot of things, but French was not one of them. So she was even making self-notes on how she was going to emphasize the fact that he had even begged for her to be on time, and had even dared to say it was "not as casual as we're used to". Who the hell did he think he was to ask her to put on mascara? But then again, he said it was important, perhaps he had gotten that promotion and would now buy expensive things. She liked to buy expensive things (books and mugs).
30.51
Richard decided to appear and apologize, blaming the traffic for his lateness, even when the fault was he cat's for messing his black blazer. So Miranda never knew Richard had to change really quick for such an important date, neither did she knew that he had left something important in the black blazer, and was completely ignorant that he had indeed remember the important thing and was in his left pocket. And so they both talked about their days, and as observing as Miranda was, she couldn't tell Richard was nervous. Not even because his palms sweat, his legs couldn't stop moving and he constantly noticed how the temperature was above the regular. She was quiet an observer.
24.32
Richard convinced Miranda to take a walk to a "lovely" park around the corned, and to reach they would have to cross lots of streets, each with a handful of heavy metallic masses that moved around 90km/h and could easily miss a pedestrian. In the way they talked about Miranda's 20 year old sister going to Prague next week, and how would she enjoy it along with her 40 year old boyfriend, who was obviously paying for everything. They also talked about the changing climate in the city and how annoying was to still have to sleep with pajamas with 35ºC nights. And discussing again how awkward was that they both were adopted in the same year, both born the 27th of different months. Richard kept the small talk superficial while he looked for something in his pockets, Miranda thought he had lost his cell phone, again. Richard thought he had dropped the letter in the coffee shop.
19.50
Once they were in the park and Miranda had made him buy her an ice cream, they began to talk about some serious stuff, as if they would ever move in together again, again because they had tried it a year ago and it had ended their relationship for about 3 months. They also talked about traveling the world together and the irony in asking for French fries in France. So after a few moments in which Richard cooled off he decided to grow a pair and begin.
10.01
While Miranda was very concentrated on not dropping her ice cream she just heard Richard ranting and uttering something that sounded like words but she didn't have the patience to understand. So after a while of the babbling Richard looked at her and said something about some stupid letter that he had forgotten in his other coat, and how fatidic all had been. And then she smelled mystery in the air, but was too oblivious to notice yet what was to happen. So then he said for the first time in a very long time the three words a regular girl melts for, but Miranda was busy making her ice cream melt to notice, and then she got tired of the ranting and got Richard cut to the chase.
4.41
Miranda was for the first time in the whole day impressed, really impressed. The image of Richard on his knee holing a little box had never crossed her mind in that date, perhaps when they were in the roller coaster or when they were lying in the woods watching the stars, there she had imagined an extravagant proposal. But never some odd request in a public park. And it took a few seconds for her to come off of whatever day-dream she was on to freak out and stand up ready to run. She will never knew is she didn't ran because it was politically incorrect or because the only way out was surrounded by fast traffic and possibly-dangerous odd looking people. The fact is that she stayed.
1.03
The moment was too emotional to let it go without drama, so she decided to say a simple "I need time to think", and in fact she needed time. So as if she had not heard well Richard repeated the same words in the same order, but with more emphasis in wife. And some seconds later she was taking the ring and saying yes, because it just felt right, and because the moment was right, and because she indeed loved him. And both of them yelled and jumped and yelled some more. Theirs had not been a fairy tale, but it sure had been a sweet, creamy yet intense one.
0.0
While they were in their little private party they missed to observe some nasty looking hobo, which happened to be carrying a gun in his pocket. As the pair was still filling the atmosphere with joy and nervous laughter the hobo approached in a subtle movement. He warned his victims they were about to be mugged and they should better cooperate, he obviously asked for the ring. And despite his efforts for terrorizing the happy couple they were too much into each other to notice anything else, that until he pulled out the gun. The first one to notice was Richard, and it didn't took longer than had a second for Miranda to bee terrified by the scene.
She doubt on giving him the ring, perhaps they could escape, maybe the hobo didn't even had any amo. But her common sense was greater than her imprudence. So she gave the ring, but the hobo still looked quiet aggressive, he was not OK, something in his mind many years ago was damaged irreparably to a degree were he could hardly think things trough.
It was all too fast, too fast for people around to notice, too fast for any police officer to do something. It happened, the couple's happy moment was ruined forever, the ring was lost. But the most significant part was the part where Miranda met with his creator, and if given a choice she wouldn't have want to, not under such circumstances.
Because it turns out that Miranda would never know the man that had robbed her ring and ruined such a merry moment was the same man that gave her to an orphanage 26 years 11 months and 13 days ago. The same man who had put half of the genetic information in her. He had met her birth father, her creator.
By I'm the penguin
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