SURREAL ADVENTURES FROM THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS

Sunday, May 18, 2008

A distant flashing light

A lonesome night like that one deserved something more than just a boring TV show and a glass of hot milk in my nightie. Enjoying the blues would not be such a pleasure without a trip to the skies and some meditation about the latest events in my life.

I put my flying bracelet on and took the highest flight ever: through the atmosphere, above the world. The air was pure and clean. On my way up I met a flock of humble swallows heading down to Africa and three golden eagles in search for a sanctuary, escaping extermination.

After a ten-minutes vertical flight I ran into a white rocket that landed on a cloud bank. Through the small window I saw a spacewoman working on the control systems. I had a look on tiptoe, as she opened the hatch. She removed her helmet and said:

- Goodnight –she said-. Everything ok?
- Goodnight. Yes, I guess so. I‘ve just arrived.

- I’m the Sky Officer on duty tonight.
-Nice to meet you. Leni here. Apprentice writer.

We shook hands formally. I didn’t know there was a Sky Army; least of all that there would be Sky Officers; but to be honest, it didn’t impress me. I had seen it all before.

- I wonder if you could move these clouds a little to the left. I can’t see the Restless Ocean. Maybe you could even drop a bit of rain on my country: The South Sandwich Islands. We are suffering from severe draught. I supose you could take it away from Zeewland. I heard they’re having floods over there.
- I wish I was powerful enough to do that, but I’m just the engine driver. Running the world is the Supreme Being’s work. My Boss. I’ll ask Her.
- Is the Supreme Being a woman? –I asked, very surprised-.
- As true as the stars above! –she answered-
- Jeez! You should know there is a guy impersonating Her! I know a real man who goes spreading around that he is the Supreme Being!
- Oh! Typical man! They all proclaim the same stuff! She has the exclusivity on that; they can only imitate the magic and the fireworks, so no worries.
- He showed me how to make snow fall!
- That’s cute, Leni, but just a good trick to flirt with you. Let me see how it goes.

I closed my eyes; breathed in and focussed. A thousand snowflakes blew up from the palms of my hands and started quietly falling on us.

- Aww that’s lovely. Nice special effects. I bet he worked on it for hours. They start giving you a free ride on their flashy merry-go-round; then they orbit you on a satellite; one fine day then they invite you to a sex piano session, to end up waving goodbye and taking off on a white pegasus. And that's that. Ask him to show you something UNIQUE and then you tell me. I bet it’ll be a shoddy piece of work. –she said, as she cracked up laughing-

Did I have to stand up for men in heaven as well? What a bad press they had up in the sky! Yet I adored my snowflakes! But she left me wondering when my sex piano session invite would arrive.

- What's wrong with the sex piano?
-I asked-
- Nothing I guess, as long as you don't get mesmerized by the player of the melody. -she laughed-
- Hm... so women have won the war of the sexes in the Afterlife? –I asked-
- Yeah. A great battle indeed; we won and made peace with Heaven's guys. But the truth is… between me and you… that the guys from Hell are a lot more fun!

I could understand that.

- So Leni, what are you up to in heavenly realms? -she asked-.
- Wondering about my future. One hell of a guy! –I said, sighing and drawing in the air the shape of a heart-.
- Hm… as a Sky Officer it is my duty to advise you not to do silly things, such as having your hair cropped or dyed blood red. Terrestrial statistics suggest that some women do this kind of weird stuff when they get heartbroken.
- I won’t.
- Just in case you would. That’s typical dissorderly female behaviour. Don’t do that, Leni. Keep your brunette bobstyle there, ok?

I nodded. Suddenly, a pigeon landed on my cloud and interrupted our conversation:

- I am Wilbur’s cousin.
- Who’s Wilbur? - I asked-
- The one your friend killed in the forests of Lowenia yesterday and is intending to have cooked to treat you to lunch. Wilbur –rest in peace- had a wife and three chicks.

Urgh, that! I felt like a serial killer. But I had been only an accesory to the serial killer, not the real culprit. Anyway, I decided to proceed tactfully and stand up for the mystic hunter.

- My sincere condolences to Wilbur’s family; I’m very sorry for your loss. As for my friend… I have no doubt it was a most unfortunate accident. And just for your information: That lunch is very unlikely to happen.
- How come?
-asked Wilbur's cousin, raising an eyebrow-
- Because me and my friend are not on good terms right now. -I answered-
- How come?
- He pissed me off.

- How come?

I sighed.

- It’s a very long story and I don’t think you want to hear it. -I said-
- That’s right. I’m not here to listen to that murderer's stories but to bring him a message: tell him to go vegetarian or the Pigeons Council of Lowenia will chop his head off and take a goal-kick with it. I have spoken.

Wilbur’s cousin flew away before I could even answer back.

- Hey! I get it now! –said the spacewoman- Now I understand why something was flashing in Washingdown City. I can see into your future, but I’m not allowed to tell you. –she smiled and winked-. We know everything up here.

The Sky Officer walked back to her spacecraft.

- I must be going before you start asking, Leni. But I recommend you be careful in your dreams. Remember this: the mystic hunter will get in touch. His flash will reach you soon.
- When? And how?
- Don’t ask. I've already said too much. Safe paths, me dear!
-she said, waving goodbye-
- Safe paths! Be well! -I said, waving back at her-

As the spacecraft took off, I saw thick storm clouds approaching from the east. I wrapped myself in a warm cloud blanket.

I closed my eyes; blew a kiss from the palms of my hands and let my snowflakes fall on Washingdown City, where a distant light was still flashing.

Goodnight to you, wherever you are.





"Worry about you" (Ivy)


Video: Clip from "Kingdom Hospital", the TV series bassed on Lars Von Trier's film "The Kingdom", developed for TV in 2004 by Stephen King.


23 comments:

Grass said...

Awww, you're thinking about him! :D How come you meet a lot of feminist people in SL? hehe! The idea about female Supreme Being is intriguing though! It reminded me of the book by Paulo Coelho "By the River Piedra I Sat and Wept" where the main character's lover believed the same concept. :-)

Nice post! I tried blowing into my hands to see if there will be snowflakes but if ever, the sun melted them immediately. My hand is now a waterfall! LOL *just me being silly* :-)


Is it true that you have drought in Sandwhich Island? Just curious. There's drought in some parts of Asia (Pakistan) and Australia...


xxx Grass

Fernando said...

Lo mismo viajas al fondo del mar que te vas al cielo... Amazing!!!

El ser supremo una mujer... Todo el mundo sabe eso ya!!!

Un beso. Y gracias (por compartirlo).

Leni Qinan said...

Hi Grassy! Thanks for your sweet comment! :)

Yeah, I think of him a lot! How could I possibly not? (I promise you it was not intended to rhyme this time). LOL.

WOW Paulo Coelho!!! A fav too!!! I love this passage from "By river Piedra..." : "Love is always new. It doesn't matter if we love one, two, ten times in our life; we are always facing a situation we don't know; it may take us to hell or paradise, but will always take us somewhere". (Rough translation)

Yes, I usually run into feminists in SL -don't ask me why, I guess the average SL female player is an independent and quite confident woman who knows very well what she wants-

About making snowflakes: You need the genuine SL trick, Grass, otherwise it won't work, lol. I really like this one. It's a very lovely gift I received some weeks ago.

No, we don't have drought in the South Sandwich Islands. I was only testing the spacewoman's powers. Drought is almost permanent in some parts of Australia, but as far as I know they're the most experienced country -with Israel- at water treatment and recycling. They don't miss one single drop of it. We should learn from that, water is a threatened resource!

XXX. Leni.

PS.- Just one last recommendation: read "Stone ache" by the Italian writer Milena Agus. It's a very short book you can read in 2 hours. I've done it this weekend, YOU'LL SIMPLY LOVE IT.

Leni Qinan said...

Hola Fernan!
Cuando las penas aprietan, lo mismo me voy al fondo del mar que al cielo.

¿Tú sabías que el Ser Supremo es una mujer? Debo ser la única tonta que cree que es un hombre, y encima le acepta los trucos y la pirotecnia!

Estoy encantada de compartir todo esto con vosotros; ¡es mi mayor satisfacción como escritora!

XXX. Leni.

Leni Qinan said...

1ST TRANSLATION OF THE DAY (I HOPE YOU PAY ME WITH BARS OF GOLD):

Fernan said:
You either travel to the bottom of the sea or to heaven... Amazing!!!

The Supreme Being is a woman... everybody knows that already!!!

Kiss. And thanks (for sharing this).


Leni said:
When I want to drown my sorrows I either go to the bottom of the sea or to heaven.

Did you know that the Supreme Being is a woman?
I have been so dumb to think it's a guy, and yet I accept the tricks and the fireworks! LOL

I am very happy to share all this with you; it's my biggest satisfaction as a writer!

XXX. Leni.

Unknown said...

Amazing! Simply amazing, dont you just love dreams? I do too :D
Where else can one have beautiful envisions like yours? Or wasnt it a dream but SL instead? Maybe a nice cocktail of the both of them.

So god is a woman, eh? That was a shocker. :P

I loved Wilbur’s cousin, that bird is funny. "That’s right. I’m not here to listen to ... ", this cracked me up. hahah

I really enjoyed this tale. Very cool work!

Leni Qinan said...

Hi! (Mocky, I suppose, LOL)

Thank you very much for your comment, I really appreciate!

Yes, just like you, I love dreams. I still can't go lucid, but I try every night. So one day we can meet up in Dreamland, ok?

So you'd like to know if it's a dream or SL or a cocktail of both when I fly to heaven or have a walk at the bottom of the sea?

Ok, let me unveil the mistery a tiny bit: These envisions come from a cocktail of dreams and fantasies, imagination, SL and RL. That's not a secret. But there is a strong element of truth in all of them, as you should know. Not everything is a fantasy there. I hope this satisfies your evil curiosity, hahahahah.

Yes, Mocky, sorry to say it seems that god is a woman -who did you think it was? A cool guy who gives the girls the power to make snowflakes? Remove your white wings and halo, please. I gotcha! LOL.

I'm glad that you laughed at Wilbur's cousin's remarks. He was really pissed off! Thank gawd Bob was not there!

It's always nice to have you back here!

Keep smiling :)

Len.

Grass said...

Okay, thanks for that bit of information on Australia sis.. I'm applying for a job in a coal mining company in Brisbane :-) Wish me luck sis! This could be the career break I have been looking for. :-)

Yeah, I agree with Mocky. I forgot to mention that Wilbur is a funny bird. Quite bold and frank too! If Bob were there with you, he probably would shoot down the bird to join his poor cousin in his grave (or pan?)..:-)

Okay, I will look that book up in our bookstore. I hope it's available here. if not, I'll drop by your house and grab your copy and borrow it for two hours.. is that okay with you? Hehe!


xxx Grass

Grass said...

Oops, wilbur's cousin..hehe sowee.

Leni Qinan said...

Nice to see you again, sis!

Wow! Brisbane! Australia, what a great country! I cross my fingers to wish you the best luck, Grass!

I worked with Aussies from Melbourne in SSI for 2 years and they were always very nice and funny workmates. I can't complain, rather the opposite! (They like to play Crocodile Dundee sometimes though, hahahah, take care, they bite!)

Well you two think Wilbur's cousin was funny? If you had been in my shoes you wouldn't think to! I thought ha was gonna chop my head off on Bob's account! LOL.
I bet Bob would have shot the cousin in his pan and we would have had a pigeon feast!

Yeah sis you're always welcome to come home, have a cup of coffee, sit on the sofa, read the book with me and stay as long as you want to have a nice chat!

XXX. Leni.

Anonymous said...

Hi all!

All my support to Wilbur's cousin -rest in peace- :(

From this moment on, I solemnly declare that I will collaborate with any initiative that the Pigeons Council of Lowenia might take, in the case Bob ever went back there.

I would suggest him to better stay in Orsinia (perhaps it would be a good idea to get in touch with the Worldwide Pigeons Council. They could be interested in shooting a remake of Hitchcock's "The birds" with him). Lol.

Max

Unknown said...

LOL @ max!

oh btw, did you read that:
So one day we can meet up in Dreamland, ok?

I have a date!

Anonymous said...

Dream on, Mocky...

Hahahahaha

Grass said...

Nice new picture of you sis! Thanks for sharing! :-) Nah, Wilbur's cousin was angry but he can't really chop off a beautiful head. For all I know, you can mesmerize any guy/bird into chopping his own head. Hehe!

Wow, Mocky and Max, I didn't realize til now that both of you were vying for Leni's attention! It must be a sight to see you guys get violent and fight over Leni! LOL I really should go to Dreamland to see the action! :P

I can't relate about Hitchcock's "the birds" Mr. Max. What was it about? But knowing you, I guess it's about angry birds led by a mad man who ask them to attack rifle holding guys.. lol

Cheers!


Grass

Leni Qinan said...

Hi Grassy!
I changed the pic, i got a bit bored of the other one. I hope none of you run away! hehhehe.

I am here at my desk laughing now! Thanks for the compliment -my beautiful head- but i bet Wilbur's cousin coulc have really chopped my head off for standing up for Bob!

About mesmerizing any guy into chopping his own head, hahahahaha, I may try with Mocky and Max. What do you think? Maybe I should stop these two, you could help me sis, they're getting a bit difficult!
Hahahaha I LOVE IT!

Yes, definitely, you should come over to Dreamland and have a look. It seems that I have a date there with Mocky, as soon as I learn how to have a lucid dream!

Oh "The birds", thats a question for Max. I bet he's sleeping right now. Just like Mocky. They're in love with their beds. hahahah.

We're just you and me in cyberspace, sis. :( hihihih.

Sleep tight, and have sweet dreams. Take care with the unexpected visitors, lol.

XXX. Leni.

Grass said...

Aww, none of us will run away. On the contrary, expect more male visitors coming in to visit this blog! :-)

I can help you stop Mocky and Max from chopping each other's heads with their blunt chert axes. Hang on a sec, I'm reaching for my whip *my white unicorn is a little restless with excitement, her name's Lolita by the way*! LOL

Now who's being naughty today? LOL Max? Mocky? Want your banana leaf diapers whipped off your butts? Now go back to your caves! :P

I had fun! LOL


xxx Zorra the Whip Slasher

Anonymous said...

Good morning ye all.
Yes ladies, I had a good night sleep, thanks.

Leni: You look so cute, as usual! Love your new pic.

Grass: You are cheeky as hell! Don't be so naughty or I'll slap your b*tt until it gets sore! Wow, you're evil and yet you look like a lil' angel!

"The birds" is about mad birds attacking humans. A movie masterpiece directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1963(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056869/). I think Mocky should play the main character in the remake.

Mocky: I hope Leni never learns to have lucid dreams. But I know how to. Forewarned is forearmed. Hehehe.

Anonymous said...

Hola de nou,

ja soc aqui i ple d'energies, encare no he lleguit la historia pero estoy en ello, pero ja veig que viento en popa, jejejeje felicitats.

Cuidat,

Leni Qinan said...

Hola Sedi!

Gracies, espero que t'agradi. Com veus, el cotarro està molt animat aquí. Pasa i llegeix!

Petons.

Leni Qinan said...

2ND TRANSLATION, CATALAN/ENGLISH (I COULD MAKE THIS FOR A LIVING, I THINK, LOL):

Sedi said:
Hi again, I'm back, full of energy. I still haven't read your story, but I am on it. Anyway, I see that things are going full speed ahead! Hehehe, congrats.

Take care.

Leni said:
Hi Sedi!
Thank you, I hope you like it. As you can see, it's busy here, and very funny too! Come in and read!

Kiss.

Leni Qinan said...

Hi sis!

Thanks a lot for the compliments on my pic! I reaaally feel flattered. :)
You look very sweet too (though you scared me the first time you commented here, I thought you were a man eater with that absof*ck*ng terrific look!). I prefer your real pic. You look so very pretty!

Wow! Don't stop them, dearie, it's fun to see them fight, BWAHAHAHAAH. But i won't allow any blood here, ok?
So keep your virtual axes away from Dreamland and also from this blog!

You have an unicorn named Lolita! Woohoa! That's new! I hope she is a female unicorn! hihihih

What a naughty girl you are sis, under that innocent look! Lol you're so funny!

Big hug and big kiss!

Fernando said...

Great Picture!!!

Beautiful girl, indeed!!!

Un beso.

Leni Qinan said...

Hey Captain! You're always sooo nice!

Thanks a lot. :)

Big kiss!