By The Swing
The Meeting
Thursday was the day today. After a few long moments on my soft bed, I got up. I looked sideways and saw that Luna was still sleeping. Yesterday seemed to be a tiring day for her.
I silently crawled out of my bed. There on the wall was my schedule. I remembered the meeting. This meeting was quite important, since it helped me understand my own life sometimes.
As I walked towards my big old wardrobe, I sorted out my ‘todays outfit’.
“Let’s see. Grey jacket with blue jeans,” I suggested to myself.
I heard a bark from behind. It was Luna, up and ready for anything to come.
“So now you think I don’t have a taste in fashion?” I asked her, grinning.
She gave out a whine as if she agreed.
“I am deeply hurt, Luna,” I said while badly acting like a poor, miserable old man.
Luna bought it, hilariously.
A few moments later, after I set my clothes on the bed, the doorbell rang. When I got the door, there in the darkness, was the deliverer of my favorite magazine.
“Greetings from ‘Game Planet’, where all gamers rule,” he said in a very boring way, “Please sign.”
After I signed it, he thanked me and turned away. Just as I already closed the door, I heard a voice outside say, “I need a raise.”
I took out the mag out of the plastic and checked the layout and the new featured games. In one part of the cover, it said:
“Nintendo Wii,
Are You Still Without One?”
Nope, I said to myself. I showed Luna the magazine with a smile. She looked quite confused but still happy.
I gave Luna her breakfast, which she humbly ate.
While Luna was eating, I washed my face and looked into the mirror for a long time. I saw someone very unlike me.
I got my towel and dried my face. I then looked at my sched. I soon was eatem by troubled feelings. How could I leave Luna here? When I left her before, I was only going to stay away for a short time. But today was different. The meeting was two hours long.
A few minutes passed, when a thought had struck me in the head. I knew exactly what to do.
I got the new leash from the pet store and tied it on to Luna. I ran downstairs with Luna. I always skipped a step when going up or down.
When we came upon the smooth concrete floor, Luna stopped dead in her tracks. She was looking at the nearby park.
I felt weird when I too looked at the park. I was trying to see if the mysterious girl was on the swing again.
Thankfully, there wasn’t anyone on the swing. I sighed in relief. But I noticed that the swing was still moving back and forth.
Luna was already moving towards the park. That reminded me that she was still not my dog. I ran back to the room and got my camera. I also got my rollerblades since I left them.
I brought Luna to the smell of strawberry sundae, Fred’s ice cream parlour.
“G’mornin Craig!” Fred greeted me, “What brings you this early?”
I explained to him that I had to leave Luna somewhere, since I was going to a meeting.
“And I was wondering if you can take care of Luna, just for a while.” I said.
“No problemo, boss!” he cheerfully replied, “I’ll just let her stay and be petted by the visitors. If they ever want to.”
I thanked him gratefully. Then I instructed Luna to not do anything uneccesary. She understood. I patted her on the head, bought a sundae and left.
I really wondered how people could make their dogs understand them.
As I skated towards the old building, a beggar chanced upon me.
“C’mon man, just so that I could have a meal for today,” he pleaded.
I gave him several coins and patted him on the shoulder.
“Make sure you get something to eat,” I told him.
“Thanks man,” he replied back with a smile, “Now my wife isn’t going to kill me!”
I said nothing.
I arrived at the steps of the warehouse. I met the common old sign that read: SPEAK UP!
This meeting was some sort of “express-your-feelings-and-feel-good” gathering where drug abusers or any person with troubles will come home happy or content.
It was normal to have debates. Sometimes even a fight can tear out. But no one needed to worry. Bobby was there to stop any fight. Bobby was a big, tall, muscular man. Everyone was afraid of him. But Bobby isn’t really your typical bully back in high school. He was often times soft-hearted and like a teddy bear. I would talk to him once in a while.
When I got into the abandoned room there was a circle of chairs. I presumed that the meeting would be there.
Then there was a table a little far away from the circle. Sitting on the table was Mellanie, the founder of the society. She was drinking lemonade with some people who came early. Mellanie smiled and waved at me. I waved back.
When I sat down, I didn’t notice that someone was behind me. I looked back and saw Bobby.
“Hiya Bobby,” I greeted, “What you been up to lately?”
He told me he was fine, but had some problems. By the look on his face though, Bobby looked like he had tons of problems.
Some minutes passed and more and more people came. Mellanie decided it was time to start the meeting.
We all sat on the circle of chairs. I guess it was a productive way of talking since all can see you and here you.
Mellanie was the person who broke the silence.
“Welcome to all of you,” she said, “Are there any new comers?”
Then the usual thing happened. No one raised a hand or showed a signal that they were new to the society.
Mellanie sighed and went on with the discussion.
“So who would want to share about their life first?
A mother who I didn’t really know started.
“Today, my son disected a frog,” she said, “and eventually ended up in the principal’s office.”
“Well, why?” a young man asked.
“The teacher told me that my son was trying to stop everyone from ‘torchuring’ the poor frog.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” commented a girl near the parent.
“I know,” she muttered, “but then, the principal explained that my child wanted his classmates to make it into a wallet or a cellphone case instead.”
The room was silent. Then another person within the circle shared his thoughts.
“Today I met the woman of my life,” he confessed dramatically.
One of my friends whispered, “Time to get outta here!”
“But then she told me, ‘David, you are too embarrassing for me,’ so I went to the shadows and cried and I cried, and after that…”
“OK, Dave, that’s quite enough now,” Mellanie interrupted, “Lets see…oh, how about you Craig?”
I silently crawled out of my bed. There on the wall was my schedule. I remembered the meeting. This meeting was quite important, since it helped me understand my own life sometimes.
As I walked towards my big old wardrobe, I sorted out my ‘todays outfit’.
“Let’s see. Grey jacket with blue jeans,” I suggested to myself.
I heard a bark from behind. It was Luna, up and ready for anything to come.
“So now you think I don’t have a taste in fashion?” I asked her, grinning.
She gave out a whine as if she agreed.
“I am deeply hurt, Luna,” I said while badly acting like a poor, miserable old man.
Luna bought it, hilariously.
A few moments later, after I set my clothes on the bed, the doorbell rang. When I got the door, there in the darkness, was the deliverer of my favorite magazine.
“Greetings from ‘Game Planet’, where all gamers rule,” he said in a very boring way, “Please sign.”
After I signed it, he thanked me and turned away. Just as I already closed the door, I heard a voice outside say, “I need a raise.”
I took out the mag out of the plastic and checked the layout and the new featured games. In one part of the cover, it said:
“Nintendo Wii,
Are You Still Without One?”
Nope, I said to myself. I showed Luna the magazine with a smile. She looked quite confused but still happy.
I gave Luna her breakfast, which she humbly ate.
While Luna was eating, I washed my face and looked into the mirror for a long time. I saw someone very unlike me.
I got my towel and dried my face. I then looked at my sched. I soon was eatem by troubled feelings. How could I leave Luna here? When I left her before, I was only going to stay away for a short time. But today was different. The meeting was two hours long.
A few minutes passed, when a thought had struck me in the head. I knew exactly what to do.
I got the new leash from the pet store and tied it on to Luna. I ran downstairs with Luna. I always skipped a step when going up or down.
When we came upon the smooth concrete floor, Luna stopped dead in her tracks. She was looking at the nearby park.
I felt weird when I too looked at the park. I was trying to see if the mysterious girl was on the swing again.
Thankfully, there wasn’t anyone on the swing. I sighed in relief. But I noticed that the swing was still moving back and forth.
Luna was already moving towards the park. That reminded me that she was still not my dog. I ran back to the room and got my camera. I also got my rollerblades since I left them.
I brought Luna to the smell of strawberry sundae, Fred’s ice cream parlour.
“G’mornin Craig!” Fred greeted me, “What brings you this early?”
I explained to him that I had to leave Luna somewhere, since I was going to a meeting.
“And I was wondering if you can take care of Luna, just for a while.” I said.
“No problemo, boss!” he cheerfully replied, “I’ll just let her stay and be petted by the visitors. If they ever want to.”
I thanked him gratefully. Then I instructed Luna to not do anything uneccesary. She understood. I patted her on the head, bought a sundae and left.
I really wondered how people could make their dogs understand them.
As I skated towards the old building, a beggar chanced upon me.
“C’mon man, just so that I could have a meal for today,” he pleaded.
I gave him several coins and patted him on the shoulder.
“Make sure you get something to eat,” I told him.
“Thanks man,” he replied back with a smile, “Now my wife isn’t going to kill me!”
I said nothing.
I arrived at the steps of the warehouse. I met the common old sign that read: SPEAK UP!
This meeting was some sort of “express-your-feelings-and-feel-good” gathering where drug abusers or any person with troubles will come home happy or content.
It was normal to have debates. Sometimes even a fight can tear out. But no one needed to worry. Bobby was there to stop any fight. Bobby was a big, tall, muscular man. Everyone was afraid of him. But Bobby isn’t really your typical bully back in high school. He was often times soft-hearted and like a teddy bear. I would talk to him once in a while.
When I got into the abandoned room there was a circle of chairs. I presumed that the meeting would be there.
Then there was a table a little far away from the circle. Sitting on the table was Mellanie, the founder of the society. She was drinking lemonade with some people who came early. Mellanie smiled and waved at me. I waved back.
When I sat down, I didn’t notice that someone was behind me. I looked back and saw Bobby.
“Hiya Bobby,” I greeted, “What you been up to lately?”
He told me he was fine, but had some problems. By the look on his face though, Bobby looked like he had tons of problems.
Some minutes passed and more and more people came. Mellanie decided it was time to start the meeting.
We all sat on the circle of chairs. I guess it was a productive way of talking since all can see you and here you.
Mellanie was the person who broke the silence.
“Welcome to all of you,” she said, “Are there any new comers?”
Then the usual thing happened. No one raised a hand or showed a signal that they were new to the society.
Mellanie sighed and went on with the discussion.
“So who would want to share about their life first?
A mother who I didn’t really know started.
“Today, my son disected a frog,” she said, “and eventually ended up in the principal’s office.”
“Well, why?” a young man asked.
“The teacher told me that my son was trying to stop everyone from ‘torchuring’ the poor frog.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” commented a girl near the parent.
“I know,” she muttered, “but then, the principal explained that my child wanted his classmates to make it into a wallet or a cellphone case instead.”
The room was silent. Then another person within the circle shared his thoughts.
“Today I met the woman of my life,” he confessed dramatically.
One of my friends whispered, “Time to get outta here!”
“But then she told me, ‘David, you are too embarrassing for me,’ so I went to the shadows and cried and I cried, and after that…”
“OK, Dave, that’s quite enough now,” Mellanie interrupted, “Lets see…oh, how about you Craig?”