flash fiction friday #85
flash fiction friday #85 trigger: write [of/in/from] an alternate reality.
rules of engagement:
you will send in your suggestions for flash fiction friday triggers (starter sentences/phrases, closers, titles, inclusions, structural/thematic challenges, etc.) anytime during the week up to 11.09a.m. friday, trinbago time; i will post the new fff trigger by noon friday trinbago time.*
if your trigger is not chosen and you think it is too brilliant not to be chosen, you will send it in again the next week.
you will write an anecdote, short story, song or novel length prose poem using the trigger provided.
you will add comments and appropriate linkage to this/my trigger-post indicating your desire to participate and the completion of your piece (don't need a blogger/gmail account to comment here).
you may join in at any time prior to deadline.*
you will display your piece as a post on your own blog (or as a comment on this/my trigger-post or fasbook note or instastory or whaever, once we can all read it; please make sure we can all access the link to read it, not just those who are your friends online).
you will be done by monday noon trinbago time.*
[in light of collective busyness and my general mentality, i not pressed about these deadlines 'cause i'd rather have fun reading late than never, so if you want to fff past deadline, go through hard, just make sure you comment on the appropriate trigger-post so we know which it belongs to, and if is a real old trigger, comment on the most recent post as well so we know something new to back-back+read...if nobody fffs i leave the same trigger up until at least 1person other than myself writes a piece]*
write fresh!
walk good.
posted by sweet trini @ 11:59 am
7 comments
7 Comments:
Ants eh tell nobody nothing, he eh give no warning, just so he stop marching and lie down right where he was halfway up the wall with the crack, in the corner by the stove.
"Wha de hell going on with you breds?" Cockroach ask him, honestly bewildered, and it does take plenty to confuse Cockroach.
''Like you eh hear? De Prime Minister say how de place on lockdown boy. Nobody is to leave dey home, only essential persons is allowed outside at this time.''
"So you just going and pose up on de people dem wall? You eh fraid dey come and spray yuh ass down?''
''Dey cyah do dat. Police go come fuh dem.''
''Which police? Man police?''
''Man police self! Is only essential work allowed. Dat is what the PM say. Killing one ants essential?''
This now make Cockroach sit deep in thought. Probably you didn't realize it at the time, but we is all come across cockroaches in this position. You know like when you walk into a room and you see one in the middle of the floor, not scurrying, not hidden by anything, just kinda in plain sight, like if it believe it all of a sudden turn invincible or invisible. Well that is when Cockroach stick in thought. Sometimes, if the thought deep enough you could walk right up to Cockroach and squash him and he eh even know nothing. Most times though, they will pick up on you just in time and manage to get away before you whole foot swallow them up and flatten them flat.
What Ants now tell Cockroach really make him sit, this was one of them deep ones, so that he eh even see when Man come walking in the kitchen with he belly in he hand. Man see de roach but he so hungry and he mind on all kinda other thing that he pass Cockroach straight, and is only on the way back out the kitchen that Cockroach clock what went on, with him being deep in thought and ting.
''Well shit, Ants. Like yuh was right? I going and tell everybody. This news is essential!''
''I staying right here pardnah,'' come Ants reply. ''Not me and no man police and you best mind yuhself running around out there playing town crier.''
The first man cockroach bounce up is Kisskidee. Well Kisskidee study he luck must be change. He on a branch and watching how cockroach walking brazen in the open. He moving with his usual stop-start, jerky pace, but he not ducking in shadows or hugging close to the wall. Is like he inviting Kisskidee to swoop in and eat him. So Kisskidee take flight and as he diving in Cockroach jump up, watching him so stern and proper that Kisskidee feel like to kill him now would be wrong, so he modify trajectory and ting, and land right next to Mr. Roach.
"And what you think you about to be doing pardnah?'' Asked Cockroach indignantly.
''How yuh mean Mr. Roach? When last you take a walk in the sun boldfaced so? Is eat I coming to eat you.''
''Is allyuh so does give we animal bad name yes. You eh hear de place on lockdown?''
''Who lockdown de place?'' Kisskidee now skeptical. He eh know if Cockroach feel he is Anansi and trying to pull a fast one.
"De PM himself, boy, bird boy. Ants now tell me inside. If you feel ah lie, flap round de corner, I sure he still park up on de wall by de stove.''
Kisskidee take two flap and ah peep and true enough, right where Cockroach say, he see Ants lie down like he dead, except he not squash or nothing, like a serge-ant shout stand at ease and never say dismiss.
"Well this is ah ting!'' Kisskidee say when he come back around the corner. He didn't come flying, mind you, but rather he was walking on the ground, lest some police or busybody spot him and he get in trouble.
Now, we all know the reasons why birds fly, and one of them reasons happen to bend the corner and come across Mr. Roach and Kisskidee in long talk. Well yuh know Puss eh waste no time.
''Watch how Pussin belly full today!'' She shout and pounce same time and when the dust settle, is because Roach under one paw and Kisskidee under the next. Puss so happy with herself, she start monologing.
"They say Dog is hunter? That dog come down from wolf and wolf is hunter? Dog is man best friend. When man go hunting, is dog he does take. He doh take hunting cat, you know why? Me say, you know why? Puss looked at them know, with bewitching eyes and was very surprised to find them most un-bewitched.
''See here now Puss,'' began Mr. Roach.
''Now, now...cyat,'' started Kisskidee and poor Pussin confused. Not only were the two of them un-bewitched, but Kisskidee know full well that she liked to be called Puss, none of this common cyat shit, she was bewildered by the sheer audacity of it all.
''You go ahead, Mr. Roach. Tell cyat what happening.'' Kisskidee looking across at Roach, not even wondering if his head about to get remove in a one bite and crunch up. The whole thing just so unprecendented, Puss really stop. She even raise paws and release the two of them, because they really didn't look like they was going anywhere.
''Puss, you eh hear what the PM say?''
''Who PM?''
''DE PM, girl! Prime Minister! The minister divisible by itself and one!''
''Aite nah. Jus tell mih what he say.''
''De place lockdown. All non-essential movement is hereby and forthwith prohibited, Puss.''
''I see. But, tell me, Mr. Roach,'' began Puss ever so sly, ''isn't eating essential?'' With this Kisskidee feel his heart flutter-flutter and he shoot Roach a nervous glance and was ready to take flight. Lockdown or not he did not come out here to be eaten. But Mr. Roach was calm.
''Now Puss, yes, eating is essential and you have owners, don't you, Puss? I seeing that collar around your neck.''
''I do not have 'owners' Mr. Roach. I have contracted a family to provide me with food and a place to sleep when I choose in return for my presence and affections. I am free to go and come as I please. Owners? I look like a fish in a bowl? A dog? I am not a pet!''
''Ah! But this is my point, Puss. They provide you with food. So yes, eating is essential, but, because you are provided with food, eating us is not essential for you.''
Well Kisskidee flutter-flutter again, but this time for a different reason.
Puss watch Kisskidee, watch Roach and watch Kisskidee again. She sit down and put her head between her two paws and calculating, watching them, first one, then the other. She continued like this for minutes, saying nothing. Both Roach and Kisskidee ready to dead, both want to make a bolt for it but even though her paws no longer on them, she close enough to kill either with one swipe, much less a pounce. Then she sit up fast, the movement looking like almost like a pounce. If bird could pee they self, that is what Kisskidee would do. Although, the sudden movement was only because she had reached the end of her calculations and she yawned a long, lazy satisfying yawn, as if she had just eaten.
''So then, she began, what you telling me is that man, woman, child, on lockdown?''
''Well de PM say everybody, Puss. So while yes, I am a roach, I have a body so I count in everybody. Same with Kisskidee here, Ants, who is the one tell me, and you. No lie, Puss, when Ants tell me I so deep in though I eh even see Man walk in the kitchen until he walk out. An' I dey in de middle ah de floor!''
''So is Ants tell you? And where Ants get it fom? Ants hear it from Man?''
''Well yes. Have to be.''
"But Roach, what Ants know about man? And house ants to boot? Marching up and down de place, making ah set ah noise. Ants doh hear nothing over de sound ah dey own foot. What you telling me bout Ants hear it from Man?''
''And ent I tell you Man walk straight past me in de kitchen? If it have one place Man coming after yuh is in dey. How you explain dat?''
''Boy! Is all kinna ting is go on with dem you know? You feel 'higher brain' is ah blessing?
Higher brain does give yuh something we doh get, Roach. Worries! And when dem have worries is de worst ting. Dey does fuhget tuh eat, fuhget tuh clean deyself and dey place. Is anything could give dem worries and ting dat dey cyah control too. From love tuh loss dey job. From children to de weather.You ever hear about cricket? De worst is one ah dem who like cricket. Worries! I know Man better dan Ants, and I say Ants eh know what he talking bout. Is one man in one house allyuh see moving ah how and all of ah sudden de whole place on lockdown?''
Well now, Kisskidee get an idea. A bird doh really have expressions to play over its face. A bird face just one way, nervous. So Kisskidee with his idea, start to hop up and down in a little circle. Not like he flying away or anything, but it obvious that he have something to say.
''Now what, is your problem?'' Puss still lazy, but everybody know a cat is a deceptive thing and you really can't trust what you see.
''Weh...weh...weh...,'' began Kisskidee, extra nervous in front of the sharp claws and teeth.
''Out with it man! Is either you contributing or you not. What all de blasted hoppin' for?''
''Weh...Well, I was nuh..nuh..now thinking it hah-have somebody we could ark-ark-ask. Suh...Suh..Somebody who know Man good, his best friend. Why we don't ark-ark-ask Rambo?''
''Rambo! So this is allyuh game?'' And Puss back down on all fours now, her eyes narrow, whiskers twitching with suspicion.
"I was to snatch allyuh de first time and done de talk. What fool ting it is I hearing here? Man's best friend? Me, Pussin, supposed to what? Roll up by the biggest dog on the street and ask advice? Me Pussin, getting advice from some fool dog. Man's best friend my front paws! Because what? He is dog he know better? I never understand that best friend ting. How dog is he best friend and he name pum-pum after me? And de two ah you, her eyes narrowing further now. De two ah you mus really take poor Pussin for a fool tuh tink dat I going to roll up by Rambo.
So you, Roach,'' and she drop a paw on him. ''And you bird, and she drop a paw on him too. I going to eat de two of you, find me some shade and have a little nap.''
As Puss saying this, the boy from the house come outside and bend the corner behind her. He walk straight past them, into the garden shed. Puss freeze, watching him. She leaning one way and ready to run the next. This boy is a terror! He always trying to grab her by the tail or do her some wickedness. Once he had caught her and put her in a bag. He tie that bag to a tree and swing her inside there for what feel like forever. Just when she feel like her heart going to burst, after she claw every direction from upside down to north by north west, the boy mother come and catch him and for him to let Pussin out. And now, this demon child, walking through the yard, mind preoccupied, being, well, normal for once. It make Pussin stop and take stock, and just as she was going to eat Mr. Roach and Kisskidee too.
She not moving. Pussin frozen, her eyes following the boy until he bend the corner where he had come from and went back in the house. Only then she relax a little bit. Only then she study it might have something to this lockdown talk in truth.
wow
a four post fff
sorry for the length
my fff#85@ https://urbanfolktales.blogspot.com/2020/06/fff85.html
@adam, never apologise for length, once it good [:
walk good.
Four could have been 20. very engaging. funny and smart. easy to fall into the rhythm and get right up close with these characters. I totally enjoyed. Brilliant
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