THE OTHER DAY

By ~ Richard Duhai’ Sam Khuptong

“Bang” the sound of a gun being fired, even though she was so closed to the gun men, she did not have the time to hear it, all she did was think about the things she needs to think, and there she lay with all her thoughts in her minds. She lain with them all. The Body of Miss. Ching was lying on the street there after she had been shot accidentally.

Summer of 2011 11:25 am it was, the day she thought would have been the best day, with a little bit of promptness she left her apartment leaving behind some unfinished breakfast and a messed up kitchen. With a phone call being left unattended she took a ride down the lift hoping that it would be a life saver, yet she still believes, she cannot fly the coop of death. 1 minutes ride down the lift was like a million years for her, as all her blood rushes through her veins from the beat of her heart which does not missed even once but rather faster than ever before.

Doors opens, she almost ran for the door but thinking it twice she walked and in a fleetly manners she walked. The sun was higher than she thought the moment she steps out of the building, without a further glance at how things are around her. She knows clearly that, everything in and around her are all the same they never changed except that without prior notification nothing changed was what she used to say. She walked down the pavement.

While all the thought of sitting in her office and the things to happen after the time in her office were running on her mind, she got a bit nervous and was exited. She smiled once, looking up to the sky, maybe thanking God for giving her that day or maybe thanking him for all that are going to happen, nobody ever could tell, for a facial appearance is just a mere expression of not who we are but how we want others to see us. The phone rang; she runs her hand through her bag and after struggling for sometime managed to answer her first call for that day. “So, I guess all will be well for the much awaited evening?” Come from the other end “Ya! I’m hoping for it too. How’s all the preparation going?” She asked, even though she already knew the answer which was updated to her the night before through her mail. “Everything is ready except one thing?” She heard over the phone and was curious and asked “and that would be?” Just then the bus arrived, “I gotta go, the bus is here, I’ll be on the line once I get to the office, please do update me the details again, bye” she rushes those words while boarding her bus. As she walk down aisle noticing that not too many empty seats are there, she managed to make herself comfortable in one of the seat which a man had sacrificed for her. “Thank You” she said with her hand grabbing one of the poles in the bus and making her way with her hands forward, which is neither a gesture of appreciation nor a denial of the offer. She does not even know if she really meant it or not when she said “THANK YOU”, for all that matters right now is that, things to work just as planned, nothing is really on her mind but just the evening.

She was felling a little numb for the time she was in the bus. The bus almost took off from the stop as she saw the Big Board saying IMPERIAL and awakes herself. “I need to get down” she shouted, making her way through the door. Getting off the bus was the fastest thing she ever did for that day. Making her way towards her Office she said to herself, “yesterday I had almost done everything I can so, I hope, there is not much of a work left for today.” “Good Morning Miss Ching” a warm greeting with a pleasant smile welcoming her hoping that she would be fine having a talk with her, but “Morning(smile) hey I need to rush to my desk can I talk to you later?” This is all she got from her. It was Miss Liani who greeted her, like all the other day she had a little bit of problems for Miss Ching to solve yet again, and this time she really needs her. “No Ching! I really need to talk” she replied, looking at her watch “You got exactly 2 minutes. Now tell me what you have for today?” “Okok” without even taking a breath she continues “He proposed to me the night before and…” “…And what” anxiously Ching asked “I denied his proposal” was not what she expected instead it is what she heard. “But Why?? I thought you tell me how good you were together?” Ching asked with her enormous eyes looking at her without a blink. Liani continues telling “He just loves me too much and I really need space, you know, sometimes I wanted to free myself” “All right if hats what you thought the best for you then, I do not disagree, but I really think you are making the wrong choice, your on the verge of yours 20s look at you.” Ching telling this left her for her desk.

Like she had said to herself there was not much of a work to be done that day. She calms herself down from all the rushes that she had and sign. Just as she was about to have that enlightenment of peace, her cell rang. “I thought you said you would call me once you get there?” “Yes, and I am about to be making that call, but… Wait can’t you have a little patience, you know I have been in a rush from the moment I get out of bed this morning” Unable to hide the stress anymore she blurt it out all at once. “Hey, hey!!! I do not mean that… I just wanted to make sure you are all right with what we are about to do” came from the phone. “Yes! I am absolutely sure, and I do not hesitate anything, in fact, I wish the evening is now” she replied and tell him that she need to get away from the phone as she forgot to take her coffee before making her entrance.

Now, nothing really is on her mind, more of like a Mind Blank, the term for her. She went out to get her Cappuccino which she never forgot to take it once she get to the office, before the day start she would sip it from her favourite coloured Mug which was a gift to her on her last birthday by someone who is really special, as it was written on the mug.

She crossed the street which was so crowded that you might even have to hold your breath for a moment. Stepping her foot on the other side as she looks toward the Coffee stall, she breath, with a sign of relief she breath, the way she breath is more like she had been suffocating for the past five minutes or so. She breath and again, she breath, she hears people screaming, without taking a look around she looked up and breath again for the last time, then, she lied on the streets with all her thoughts for the big evening. Vision blurred but all she could recognise was a voice saying, “Everything will be all right! Hold on there,”

On her dairy the other night before she goes to sleep she wrote. “If I had been given a second chance to live after I died I rather take no risk anymore.”

Copyright © & ℗ 2011 Richard Khuptong & ©Siamsinna leh Vakiangbu