Today in English class I finally got my assignment back. The assignment? To write three "snapshots" on a community you belong to with a 'scrupulously mean' eye (with a critical eye). I had a lot of fun doing it, but not because I don' t like this community. I was only following the instructions.I had fun writing them and I hope you enjoy reading them as well. The title is "Snapshots on the MK Community."
PS: I got an 8 out of 9 points for these, and from a strict teacher!
Introduction
These are several short snapshots on the MK community. While I have been a part of it for many years, I have also been apart from it, especially when I was younger. I feel that this gives me a certain advantage over my peers who have been in this community since they were born.
Mirrored Air
As he walked into the room, the conversation stopped. The hostess frowned with displeasure upon recognizing him.
“Oh. Him,” she said.
“Have a seat and come play this board game,” his friends told him.
He sat down and rolled the dice to take his turn at Life. The conversation continued around him, consisting mostly of popular actors, sci-fi movies and adventure films. He listened to his friends comment on the different subjects.
“Did you hear about the new movie about the masked man? They say the producers are not even sure if the actor’s name is what he says it is.”
“How about that actress who had plastic surgery on her face for the third time? Celebrity news people say she doesn’t look at all like before the surgery.”
“Heard about the new movie called “Mirrored Air?” I was so disappointed when it didn’t come out when they said it would; and they have postponed the date again!”
The group of friends continued taking turns around the Life board but never quite getting what they were after, always missing the place they wanted by just a square or so. Even so, they carefully guarded their voices and facial expressions; disappointment never made an appearance on the stage of their faces. They used the accepted forms of speech and twisted their faces to express things that their faces were not meant to do. Movies and actors continued to whirl above the Life board.
He walked home disillusioned with the Life game and how it had turned out. Being the same as everyone else was easier, just talk the way everyone else does.
“They’ll accept me if I’m not me,” he said to himself.
Middle
Eyes followed the group of young people stride by: people with long, blonde hair, swishing back and forth with the quick gait they set. Talking, laughing, these were things that the locals could understand. But these noises were very different, for those familiar sounds sounded high and mighty. These youth rarely were courteous, trying as hard as possible not to use the native language; they thought they could not, or would not, stoop to the “poor devil’s” level. They used sign language most, because even though it made them look ridiculous trying to explain simple things that would have taken but a word, it was better to be an idiot than an Indian. Gesticulating, their arms whirled like windmills in front of the shop keeper’s faces. Locals gave them queer looks as they passed by. They were loud and noisy too, besides the fact that they walked directly down the middle of the road. On market days, locals grumbled when they pushed past them, their arms laden with fragrant produce. Marching down the road, they only moved aside ever so slightly to let a vehicle pass by. Local eyes stared at them with detestation.
“Stupid foreigners who don’t even know to get out of the middle of the road.”
A Wrong Note
As they walked into the stillness of the church, penetrated only by the rustling of skirts and the flipping of pages, they suppressed their voices. They melted into the crowd, finding their place on a pew. Whispering, they continued their vigorous conversation.
“I never liked how Tolkien wrote. His fantasy world never really caught on with me. It’s like it’s too fake or something.”
“But you have no idea of how many people like his books. They got rave reviews by lots of publishing houses; and the movies are fantastic as well. The characters are so real and the descriptions in the books are so vivid that you can see with your mind exactly what he’s talking about.”
“Ok, so maybe he is ok after all.” Thoughtfully, “I guess you are right. He’s one of the best authors who ever wrote. Hey, do you have a copy of the books?”
Gradually the noise diminished into a silence only to be found in holy places and funerals. A chortle would bring the roof down. Of a sudden, the choir starts singing, the voices blending into one. Not a single misplaced note; not one person stepped out of line. Then the congregation joined in. The few people who sang out of tune were quickly hushed into silence.
I hope you enjoyed them! Please drop a comment!
