Boredom does not leave me even to lunch and dine. I, in turn, cannot let go of a day without lunch and dinner. So, I lunch and dine and pretend I like her. But even my pretension hates her. You see she has overstayed her visit. The last time she paid me a visit, I changed my job. She left then only to return three months later.
"You're back?" I asked not knowing what else to ask her.
"Yes, I missed you."
"Oh but you see I didn't."
"Really?"
"Yes, I am actually having a nice time."
"That I can see."
"Well, if you aren't that blind, you aren't that dumb either."
"No no not at all."
"Then know and realize I don't want you here."
"Oh come now," she said as she ran her fingers through my hair, "I so know you don't mean that."
"Well I do. I do." I said, but it was too late. She had already walked into my being, unpacked in my head, and made herself comfortable in my senses.
"Why are you doing this?" I pretended to ask her, "Don't you have better work to do?"
"This is my job dear."
"And a horrible one it is."
"Well, it's a job. It must be done. Or else, I'll not be occupied."
"You realize if you are occupied, I am not?"
"Oh totally."
"So how about you visiting my that friend I told you about? He is so in love with you. He wants you so much."
"But you're okay. You don't crack mirrors but then the good God can't give everything to everyone."
"That really is not the point here. The point is I want you out."
"And I think I might take some time to agree to that."
"How long will you take? You know I don't have time for this."
"How about a week?"
To that I said, "Yes, alright."
Two weeks later, I live to see regret dine with my decision. There I was on a date with my conscience. And there they were at a table next to mine.
"What a terrible fellow!" I heard my decision say.
"Yes, he knew she brings me along - all the time."
"Well, he just doesn't know to say no."
"Oh he does. He says no to reason."
And they both laughed.
I had no words to say to my conscience. Neither could I hear her as well. My ears were at the other table. So whatever she said, my ears told regret. Regret in turn told decision. And they both looked at my conscience and pitied her.
"What a fellow! He doesn't even listen to her."
"At least if he did, we would not have to sit here and bore ourselves as well."
"But no! He will do what he thinks best."
"Well, does he even think?"
"I guess he does."
"Does he?"
"Oh yes, he thinks about getting out of office by 5:30."
"That is some thinking."
"Ha ha."
I had had enough by now. I walked out and onto a shore. The sea ran to meet me but the sand decided to stop her a few metres away. I smiled and walked on. The Sun rose, placed its legs on the waters near the horizon, and was quite amused to see me.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Oh just walking."
"Ahh, boredom! She's such a nuisance no?"
"How did you know?"
"Well, you of all people I never see here at this hour. And you I know never think of walking!"
"I walk quite a lot."
"Walking on the shore I mean. You love to laze and sit than walk and amble."
"Okay yes, it's her again."
"Well, she is a nuisance."
"I know. You've said that before."
"She's irritating."
"I know that too. What I do not is how to deal with that woman?"
"Oh you make her sound like a wife."
"Will you stop already?"
"Oh sorry sorry," he beamed as he hoisted himself on a step above the waters, "Let's see. How do I deal with her? Well, it's simple. Just don't think of her."
"You mean I think of her?"
"Yes you do - all the time."
"No I don't."
"Yes you do. If there's nothing to do, what's your line? 'I am bored.' If there's something to do, what's that line again? 'I am bored.'"
"Well, what I do and do not do is boring you see."
"So is what I am doing here. You think it's splendid to rise up and run all over the sky? You think I love to do this? I have been at it for God knows how many years. I am fed up but I have to do it because I need to."
"That is not helpful you know."
"Yes, I just read Socrates yesterday. I thought I'll throw a dash of it on you."
"Oh shut up."
"Ha ha. See Gary Dearest. You know that woman Boredom? She'll always be there. Years may come, people will come and then those people and those years will go. But she'll remain. She is that faithful."
"Faithful?"
"Well, What else can it be? You insult her, throw her out of your self, and yet she comes back to you all the time. What else could be the reason?"
"Hmm. Okay."
"I know you're not convinced. Don't be. Just let her be. And she'll let you be as well."
I smiled at that. That was a line I had used to explain someone's behaviour to someone close to me.
"Alright then. I'll walk back now. I have a weekend to spend."
"And I have a weak end to tend."
"Ha ha. I'll see you soon."
"I hope not at high noon."
"No no. Not at all. Perhaps, in Goa, in June."
"Oh good. I'll arrive with the monsoon."
"Ha ha. Okay see you."
"See you too."
And I slept a sleep that peace envied.
"You're back?" I asked not knowing what else to ask her.
"Yes, I missed you."
"Oh but you see I didn't."
"Really?"
"Yes, I am actually having a nice time."
"That I can see."
"Well, if you aren't that blind, you aren't that dumb either."
"No no not at all."
"Then know and realize I don't want you here."
"Oh come now," she said as she ran her fingers through my hair, "I so know you don't mean that."
"Well I do. I do." I said, but it was too late. She had already walked into my being, unpacked in my head, and made herself comfortable in my senses.
"Why are you doing this?" I pretended to ask her, "Don't you have better work to do?"
"This is my job dear."
"And a horrible one it is."
"Well, it's a job. It must be done. Or else, I'll not be occupied."
"You realize if you are occupied, I am not?"
"Oh totally."
"So how about you visiting my that friend I told you about? He is so in love with you. He wants you so much."
"But you're okay. You don't crack mirrors but then the good God can't give everything to everyone."
"That really is not the point here. The point is I want you out."
"And I think I might take some time to agree to that."
"How long will you take? You know I don't have time for this."
"How about a week?"
To that I said, "Yes, alright."
Two weeks later, I live to see regret dine with my decision. There I was on a date with my conscience. And there they were at a table next to mine.
"What a terrible fellow!" I heard my decision say.
"Yes, he knew she brings me along - all the time."
"Well, he just doesn't know to say no."
"Oh he does. He says no to reason."
And they both laughed.
I had no words to say to my conscience. Neither could I hear her as well. My ears were at the other table. So whatever she said, my ears told regret. Regret in turn told decision. And they both looked at my conscience and pitied her.
"What a fellow! He doesn't even listen to her."
"At least if he did, we would not have to sit here and bore ourselves as well."
"But no! He will do what he thinks best."
"Well, does he even think?"
"I guess he does."
"Does he?"
"Oh yes, he thinks about getting out of office by 5:30."
"That is some thinking."
"Ha ha."
I had had enough by now. I walked out and onto a shore. The sea ran to meet me but the sand decided to stop her a few metres away. I smiled and walked on. The Sun rose, placed its legs on the waters near the horizon, and was quite amused to see me.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Oh just walking."
"Ahh, boredom! She's such a nuisance no?"
"How did you know?"
"Well, you of all people I never see here at this hour. And you I know never think of walking!"
"I walk quite a lot."
"Walking on the shore I mean. You love to laze and sit than walk and amble."
"Okay yes, it's her again."
"Well, she is a nuisance."
"I know. You've said that before."
"She's irritating."
"I know that too. What I do not is how to deal with that woman?"
"Oh you make her sound like a wife."
"Will you stop already?"
"Oh sorry sorry," he beamed as he hoisted himself on a step above the waters, "Let's see. How do I deal with her? Well, it's simple. Just don't think of her."
"You mean I think of her?"
"Yes you do - all the time."
"No I don't."
"Yes you do. If there's nothing to do, what's your line? 'I am bored.' If there's something to do, what's that line again? 'I am bored.'"
"Well, what I do and do not do is boring you see."
"So is what I am doing here. You think it's splendid to rise up and run all over the sky? You think I love to do this? I have been at it for God knows how many years. I am fed up but I have to do it because I need to."
"That is not helpful you know."
"Yes, I just read Socrates yesterday. I thought I'll throw a dash of it on you."
"Oh shut up."
"Ha ha. See Gary Dearest. You know that woman Boredom? She'll always be there. Years may come, people will come and then those people and those years will go. But she'll remain. She is that faithful."
"Faithful?"
"Well, What else can it be? You insult her, throw her out of your self, and yet she comes back to you all the time. What else could be the reason?"
"Hmm. Okay."
"I know you're not convinced. Don't be. Just let her be. And she'll let you be as well."
I smiled at that. That was a line I had used to explain someone's behaviour to someone close to me.
"Alright then. I'll walk back now. I have a weekend to spend."
"And I have a weak end to tend."
"Ha ha. I'll see you soon."
"I hope not at high noon."
"No no. Not at all. Perhaps, in Goa, in June."
"Oh good. I'll arrive with the monsoon."
"Ha ha. Okay see you."
"See you too."
And I slept a sleep that peace envied.
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