This piece began as a monologue writing exercise in a dialogue seminar with Jewell Parker Rhodes while I was in grad school. Didn't really know what a flash fiction was at the time, but looked back at this piece and realized that's exactly what it is! So here is my monologue-flash, and the beginnings of my publishing in the flash world.
Recirculation
from Ginger Piglet
Hey hey hey! … sorry, I just gotta tell you something real quick. No no, don’t … just sit with me for a minute, please. I promise. One minute. Thanks. Okay ... Your name’s Sarah. No no, that's not what I want to tell you, you already know that, because it's your name, but it’s really important that I know that because … look, I have a terrible time remembering stuff since I got this virus on an airplane, you know, the recirculated air? And so I only remember like 17%, of everything, longterm and shortterm, damaged … It’s a … damn. Hang on … Damaged hemisphere. Hippocampus. Hippopotamus. No come on, please, it doesn’t matter what's damaged, just … thirty more seconds. Please. Look. I can only learn things by chance or habit, so I do the same thing every day, which is why I come in to this cafe every morning at the same time and order the same thing – I do, right? Yes! Because you start making my same drink without asking me now, don't you. See I remember that too. But I can’t be sure if I’ll remember your name tomorrow, or next week, because I only remember 17% of my memories. So I want to add something to my daily routine because I can only learn things by habit since I caught a virus that affected my brain when I was flying, you know, the recirculated air? So I want to try a little experiment to see if I can add things to my routine, which I do to help me remember things, because I have to know if I can: I’d like to greet you every morning when I come in, say, “Hi, Sally,” when I come in each morning so I can see if I can remember to do that every morning as part of my daily routine. That’s all. I just don’t want to come off like I’m stalking you or being creepy, and maybe if it isn’t working so well you could maybe remind me at first, and maybe that would help? Look, I know it’s odd and greeting you isn’t any big deal and I know people are looking at us now but I don’t care because in about two minutes I won’t know the difference anyway and I want you to know about this and I need you to remember me telling you this because I won’t. Tell me tomorrow that we talked. That’s all. Would you just do that for me? Come on Sophie, don’t leave, we’re so close, just … I need to talk to you for a minute. Excuse me! Please sit with me. I have to tell you something. Hey! … What the fuck you looking at? … Sandra! Come here!
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