I am a mess at the moment. In fact, I feel like I am about to blow. With the endless pile of homework and exams, I don’t have a spare moment to relax. Continue reading “Exam Day”
Tag: Story
Give me Ten Minutes – A Little Life Update
I haven’t been feeling well this week. 😦 The temperature fluctuations tend to do this to me. Over the weekend, it went from the 80’s to the 50’s. The temperature difference in the classrooms doesn’t help either. So I have chills, headache, and my dizziness.
Yet I don’t tell anyone. No one will believe me plus I don’t have insurance. I don’t even bother talking to mom anymore because her temper had been at its worst ever since my aunt and cousin came to town. Yesterday, after enduring 2 hours of exam and not eating lunch, I went home straight to fighting. Frankly, my throat is coarse and tired.
What did we fought about? Two days ago, she had asked my aunt to re-park her new car and my aunt backed the car into the pole that held the basketball basket. She did what my boss did last November to my car. She turned the wheel in the wrong direction. So naturally, she blamed me for not stopping my aunt. Can you believe that? If I’d known that, I would have re-parked the damn car myself.
Then last night, after she found out how I did on my exam (I stupidly blurted out), she wouldn’t leave me alone and the fight went on for 90 minutes (storming into my room and interrupting me doing homework and all that). It’s so freaking annoying. I feel like the fights are going to go on and on probably until one of us dies or move out.
The other thing that is annoying me at the moment is ever since my aunt and cousin moved in, they’ve been eating, eating, and more eating. It feels like that’s all my cousin think about is food. In less than a month, they have eaten the amount of food that would normally take me and my mom two months to eat. I’m serious and I mean just my aunt and cousin. It doesn’t include me and my mom.
My cousin eats like there’s no tomorrow, like everything is free. Well, nothing is free. There’s no free lunch. He cooks three dishes for lunch and eat most of it himself and then 30 minutes later, snack and then 2 hours later, three or four dishes again, dinner and the cycle continues. Okay, I am at awe here because I have never seen a 17-year-old with such a large appetite. And the thing is, he doesn’t gain weight. Okay, now there’s something wrong with that kid.
Okay, my 10-minutes is up. I don’t really need prompt today but they are part of the fun for my day.
I’ve been super busy with school this week. If you leave a comment, I may not reply right away. Be patient, I will try to get to you as soon as I can find the time to sit.
Think before Be
Today’s prompt asks, To be, to have, to think, to move — which of these verbs is the one you feel most connected to? Or is there another verb that characterizes you better?
To think, that definitely characterize me. Although sometimes, I should just be because I tend to over-think the simplest of situation and end up with consequences.
I think the person that’s at fault for this characteristic might be my mom. At the age of five, she began sending me to chess lessons. Apparently, chess is a popular game that most parents send their five or six year old kid for lessons, maybe to see if they’ve got a prodigy.
Oh my gosh, I still remember those lessons. The instructor spent the first night handing us all a yay-size book that had the basic moves and all the tricks and then we paired up and play while the parents stood against the wall and watched. I don’t remember mom being there but I sure do remember that it was her that dropped me off and picked me up each night.
With that book, you can imagine everyone in that class knew all the tricks. I did too except I can’t apply it because my opponent would see it coming from a mile away. Anyway, I sucked at chess. Even now I suck. I can’t even beat my own self at the game. But a few classes later, I figured out how the other kids got so good. I saw their eyes move all over the chess board, determining their next move and the move after that. I started doing that too but it didn’t work. I still lost. Eventually, mom gave up sending me to lessons.
I used to be a “to be” person but after those chess lessons, it changed me forever. It’s morphed me into a “to think” person. Now, like a chess game, I would think and analyze every situation before acting, not that it’s bad thing but I just wish that I can just do what my instinct tells me and not think about the consequences.
An Open Letter to…
See, I told you I’d post something else today. Continue reading “An Open Letter to…”
I DO NOT Eat Everything!
I have been in the United States for almost 13 years now, more than half of my life had been spent here. When I meet Chinese folks, they tend to have all kinds of assumptions about my diet. Oh, you’ve been here a long time, you must eat all American food. Not exactly. What do you normally eat dinner? Most would ask. Rice, vegetables and meat, I’d tell them.
When I worked for the Li’s earlier this year, they were even more ridiculous. They often asked me to eat the stuff that they don’t like such as cold pizza, burritos (chimichanga), and even over-sweetened cakes. I was like, why don’t you eat them? Don’t treat me like a garbage disposer. I remember a quote from my mom’s speech, “If there are 4 legs and it can walk, it’s food.” I guess they took it literally. When I complained to mom about it, she came up with the term, Garbage Mouth. It means someone who eat everything literally. 
No, that is not me. I am a super ridiculously picky eater. Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating a little but it’s true and I hate it when people assume I eat everything. One thing I tell you I do not eat is onions. Green, red, spring, anything that belongs to the onion family, I DO NOT eat, that includes leeks. I like the smell of minced garlic with vegetables but I throw it away right after.
Another kind of food I don’t like is squishy sloppy food. You’re like what? I’m talking about anything hot that makes the squishy sound when I squeeze it. No, Popsicles don’t count. Those include burritos, sloppy Joes, apply sauce, well, you get my point.
Oh and don’t get me started on smelly food. Smelly food makes my stomach churn and I can’t think around those kinds of food and I don’t mean like when people say they can’t think around food. I literally I get headaches and want to vomit.
One time when I was still living in L.A., My step-dad and his friends decided to go to an Indian restaurant after church since his friends resided in India for quite some time. As we entered the restaurant, the smell of curry was so potent that immediately I ran back outside and wanted to vomit. I’d never mind the smell of hot curry, in fact I liked curry, until that moment. It turned out what I smelled was a different kind of curry, I forgot what they called it but it was horrible. So no Greek, Thai, or Indian food for me.
Frankly, I can sit here and go on and on about what I don’t like to eat but I think by the time I’m done, you all might unsubscribe my blog so I’m going to end with these three. For now though, I think I’d stick to my favorite foods, Chinese, American, and Italian food.
Too Much Too Little
Today’s Daily Prompt reads: “Perhaps too much of everything is as bad as too little.” – Edna Ferber Do you agree with this statement on excess?
Yes, actually, I do agree with this statement. Some things are just perfect in the middle. Take baking, for example. If you have a cake with either too much salt or sugar, the cake won’t taste right.
It’s similar to my situation now. Late last night, mom has decided to 100% transfer the car to my aunt who is going to pay it off completely. Today, there’s a guy coming to look at my old car, less than two days after I post an ad to sell it for $2000. If the guy decides to buy my car, I will truly be car-less and you have no idea how horrible it feels because that means I can’t go anywhere. I live in a town where everything is spread out. There’s an enormous need for a car because without a car, I can’t go anywhere.
Anyway, back to the prompt. Mom told me I need to get a car for myself. Even though a used car is just in my price range, it’s out of the question because they won’t let me. It has to be a new car. Here’s where the statement on excess comes in. Mom wants me to buy an All-wheel drive so I’ll be safer on snow and icy roads but those come with a large price tag.
Well, I’m just driving to school and back, 30 miles round trip max daily. Do I really need to get such a pricey car? It’s not like I’m going to go up the mountain or somewhere with high elevation. On the other hand, I did some research on low-price car ($12000- 13000) and well those cars have other worries, wind. I pass through the mouth of a canyon everyday on my way to school and it’s often the windiest spot of the whole drive.
I have driven my mom’s car and it swayed uncontrollably like a piece of paper. That’s what I’m worried about with those cars. I guess I should probably go for the middle price, not the ridiculous price on the new car mom bought yesterday yet not as low as the tiny hatchbacks that might get me scared of the wind. Maybe I should just settle in the $15000 to $19000 price range because too large of a price will cause me a headache and too small of a price will make me run away from driving.
Headache and Heartache
I have a very awful headache right now. I think I need to lie down. Yeah yeah, I know what some of you’re going to say, I’m young and I shouldn’t get headaches. Well, I’m here to tell you the headache have something to do with my impending doom. Continue reading “Headache and Heartache”
What a day!
Well, yesterday was quite unexpected. If you’ve read yesterday’s post, you’d know how it started. How it ended, is another thing. As I was driving home yesterday with my aunt and cousin, my car decided to quit, not literally but almost. The RPM started dropping fast on the freeway and no matter how hard I pressed on the gas. It scared me to death.
So I barely made it home, ate the delicious lunch my mom made and then shakily drove my car to the mechanic. They can’t even diagnose the problem after I blurted the entire story to the front-desk guy. So mom had to drive me home and wait.
A few hours later, the mechanic called me back and told me the intake mass air flow sensor was bad which caused the car to wheeze and the RPM to drop suddenly. It’s going to cost $450 to fix it. Mom said no, we’re not throwing any more money into this car.
I felt like my heart’s been broken into a million pieces and I immediately wanted to cry. She wants to throw my car away. 😦 The car that’s been with me through so much ups and downs. She wants me to post it online to sell it. Me, of all people. That’s like asking me to sell my organs or something precious to me.
How can a day that started out okay-like be turned into so dark and horrible? Mom and aunt are going to help me down-pay a new car but I don’t think I will ever feel the same as when I’m driving my old car. Well, that’s 10 minutes and I shall stop my sad rambling.
A Break from Criticism
One of the great things I’ve found out about having my aunt and cousin here is that they can take some of the pressure off of my shoulder. Continue reading “A Break from Criticism”
Tests of Friendship
I am so excited this morning! I have made it through one year of blogging. Yeah, I didn’t post consistently until the summer but I did post once in a while whenever I’m inspired. It’s been a fun journey to watch this little blog of mine grow and thanks to all of you who took the time to read and like my posts. Let’s go for another year!
Anyway, enough of my babbling, today’s prompt reads: If you had to come up with one question, the answer to which would determine whether or not you could be friends with a person you’ve just met, what would it be? What would the right answer be?
Honestly, I don’t ask myself questions like that. If someone comes up to me and wants to be my friend, I will be so grateful. I would literally be friends with anyone. Then if that either one of us are not fit to be friends. Then we just slowly drift apart. For some reason, it always worked for me. Rarely will the friendship become something of a frenemy except that time.
I was in middle school. I know, I keep referencing back to middle school. I was in P.E. class and there was this new girl. She had gray-blue eyes and tan skin. Her name was Angel except she was no angel. She approached me and immediately seemed to want to be my friend. I was so happy because how often is there someone who comes up to me and wants to be my friend?
We had so much fun during class but unfortunately, that was the only class we had in common. The next day in PE, I’m not sure what happened but Angel had befriended with some of the other students and began teasing and making fun of me. I was like what the heck?! What happened overnight? I’ve never talked to her again as she was like everyone else who like to make people (i.e me) feel bad.
Although I don’t ask myself any sort of question, I do tests. If this person and I are still friends after a day, I will go for a week. Then I would go by a weekly basis. Also, if this person makes fun of me in front of others, if I’m there and it’s just light teasing and I’m laughing along, then yes, I would probably still be friends with this person.
However, if they are anything like my so-call friends in middle school who say bad things about me behind my back, I will ask why and then judge their answer to see whether or not I will still be friends with this person. There’s more, it goes on and on. Ultimately, it’s like there’s an algorithm in my head.
Thanks for your time
In several occasions during the past few years, I have been placed in a room full of strangers, mostly students I don’t know. Most of the times, they would ask me about my story but none of the times, they would give me the full allotted time to do. I mean, at least give me 2 minutes. I would’ve been grateful for four but come on, they would had lost their attention by then. After all, they are teenagers, they have a shorter attention span during adults.
In those occasions when I am placed in a classroom full of bratty hormonal teenagers who think life is all about shopping for brand-names like my cousin. He won’t wear anything that’s not a famous brand-name like Nike or Calvin Klein. That’s why we had to go to the Outlet Mall on Saturday, to get some brand-name clothing for him. Same with the ones I used to deal with at a time when people barely classified me as an adult.
Anyway, I am usually only given about 30 seconds to a minute to introduce myself before those people realize they don’t need to take me seriously. I can never figure out why until I looked myself in the mirror and realized I wasn’t intimidating enough. Clearly, you need to have an intimidating face to be a teacher and if you don’t, well, let’s just say you will come home screaming everyday crying out “Why!”
Anyway, at the start of the class, I would say something like, “I am Yinglan and you will be learning ESL from me.”
Then someone would raise their hand, “What is ESL?”
“English-as-a-Second-Language.”
“Anyway, I will be teaching you the basis of English starting with grammar and vocabulary.” Then I’d pass out the disclosure statement, all the teachers does it, that states my rules. I’d read each rule aloud, then have them sign it. Just like that, strict town and anxiety was over. They began talking and not listening to me.
They must have sensed something about me that I couldn’t sense myself. They have decided to not take me seriously. That’s why I like blogging by the way, people here don’t know who I am, they don’t know what I sound like. I am just another normal-ish person. If I was given a chance to be in a room full of stranger that would give me 4 minutes of their undivided attention, I would be able to tell from life story and by that, I mean, the slightly extended version of “About me“.
Just Say It!
What a long day! I just got home from a long day of shopping for clothes and food. Continue reading “Just Say It!”
If I meet my extended family…
In the past week, I’ve managed to learn something new about my extended family. It turns out I have a bunch more of family in China, more than I’ve ever known (grandparents, aunts, uncles).
Anyway, for as long as I could remember, I’ve always been the second oldest among my cousins that is until mom told me a couple days ago about an older cousin whom I’ve never known about in China. Now, I maybe third eldest or the forth or the fifth… Whoever knows.
I had to asked, “How much more family do I have?”
She chuckled, “More than you know.”
“Well, then the next time I go back, remind me to have them sit in one room and everyone will introduce themselves.”
If I am to meet all of them, my entire clan, for the first time today and I assume today means the present, some time in the 21st century and not some time in the 1900’s, that is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to sit them all in a giant circle, the eldest shall sit directly across from me while from there on, the circle shall go in a counter-clockwise direction with age like the second eldest would sit to the left of the eldest and it goes on. Then we’ll go around the circle introducing each other.
I am sure that is the strangest way they have ever encountered to introduce themselves, after all, why would they need to? They know each other. Unfortunately I don’t know them, so we’ll do it my way. Wait, would I be known as the family’s weirdo after that? I bet I will but I am sure some of my many cousins will have my back. So I’ll probably have a posse. 🙂
Life’s Tiny Rambles
Okay, I guess you know by now that I like to talk about me. Well, who doesn’t? Talking about ourselves is the best subject we know. Well, today, I can because the daily prompt is to just write for 10 minutes.
Anyway, yesterday was a weird day. I went to school and while in class, the wire in my braces shifted and popped out, forcing me to have to waste $1.99 to call my orthodontist. Thank god, his receptionist picked up and I was able to fix it yesterday.
I had to hurried home right after class and made a bowl of ramen noodle. Mom wasn’t home and either was my aunt and cousin, mom took them to register for classes at the community learning center and shopping for food. They bought a lot especially my cousin.
So I left for the orthodontist just as they decided to take a nap to adjust to the time difference. When I came back 2 hours later, they are still asleep! Mom urged me to wake them up. Why do I have to do everything around here? So I did.
Last night, they were so awake. I wonder if they slept at all last night. Well today is their entrance exam to see which level of ESL class they should be placed in. I have to take them there in about 30 minutes.
Well, 10 minutes is almost up and I am in danger of one of them busting through my door any second to wake me up. So I guess that’s all I am going to say today. Have a great day! 🙂
Meddling with Other’s Happiness
This morning feels kind of weird to me because despite only sleeping for 7 hours, I feel weirdly awake. That’s right, my aunt and cousin have arrived and their first test, adjusting time zone difference.
Anyway, at least today’s daily prompt is so much better than yesterday and the day before. It asks: Are you a good judge of other people’s happiness? Tell us about a time you were spot on despite external hints to the contrary (or, alternatively, about a time you were dead wrong).
No, I am not a good judge of other people’s happiness. That’s why I typically stay out of people’s way because first of all, I am a doubtful person, I have doubts after each decision that was made. Also I don’t try to meddle in other people’s business because if it doesn’t work out, I will definitely be the person to blame and I don’t want that.
The last time I meddle in other people’s happiness was with my mom and it’s just a few months ago. I remember writing about this in a series of posts a few months ago too. I meddled in my mom’s happiness by persuading her to purchase that plot of land. She kept awing on how nice the view was. So I told her just buy it, whatever makes her happy.
But then, she was having second thoughts because the view was partially blocked by the house in front. In the end, she refused the offer because she lost the $4000 custom design bonus as well as the partially obstructed view.
Also last week, she started feeling thankful she didn’t purchase the land because yesterday she got fired. Yeah, I know, horrible, at least that’s what a normal person would react but she was happy. Apparently, she wanted to leave for a long time but didn’t want to resign because then she wouldn’t get unemployment benefits. So she’s just waiting for the right moment.
Anyway, after that land fiasco that I went through this past summer, I am never ever convincing mom to do anything ever again because it will probably and always end up my fault.
Information and Common Sense
Today’s Daily Prompt asks whether I agree with this statement: “Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” — Gertrude Stein Continue reading “Information and Common Sense”
A Life-changing Accident
Sometimes, when life’s going too great, there ought to be a curve ball or two coming your way. Continue reading “A Life-changing Accident”
Everything has Feelings!
To me, everything has feelings and a mind of their own. I know what’s like to be used. To notice you when you’re needed and neglected when you’re not. All my life, I am taught to be careful with objects, that I have to treat it gently to prolong use. So since then, I have treated every object as if it’s a person. Sometimes, I even feel sad for those objects.
Like the couch, I feel sad for it especially when guests come. I remember when my mom’s friend from San Francisco came visit, her son would occupy the leather recliner couch in the family room. I watched as he reclined the seat all the way and then lay his head on the reclining side. The reclining side is the vulnerable part of the recliner couch. The metal won’t hold a lot of weight. That’s the part that’s supposed to hold the feet, not the upper part of the body.
I felt awful for the couch, for having to endure all of that but I was afraid to tell the boy to not lay like that but his mom was there and I was equally afraid of his mom as mine.
Computers, on the other hand, have a much more sophisticate mind of my own. Though it doesn’t have feelings, it has a mind of its own. So I guess the most human machine I own would be my two laptops and the external hard-drive.
The Good, The Bad, and the Oddest
So I’ve had a wonderfully odd day that was full of good and bad, how ’bout you? Continue reading “The Good, The Bad, and the Oddest”
Too much socializing for this great night
I did so much socializing tonight that my throat feels bone dry right now. I just drank a bottle of water (0.5 L) and my throat still feels strained. Before you ask, no I wasn’t at a party. I was at an event at school. It’s call “Meet the Firms” and it’s held every year, the second Wednesday of September. Basically, all the companies around the area come to one place and as Accounting students, it’s our jobs to go meet them and try to secure an interview for an internship or a full-time position.
It turned out every firm is hiring interns. All the firms I met tonight ask me which way I’m leaning, auditing or tax. I answered them, no preference. I am still exploring. Was that a risky answer? I have no idea. All I knew was my heart was pounding every time I approach a representative. I don’t know why. I guess I just want to say the wrong thing and then end up on their “do not hire” list if they had one which I’m pretty sure they do. 🙂
Anyway, I arrived there at a little after 5:30 pm and walked in. From the get-go, I had no clue what to do, where to start, and where’s the club. Everyone looked the same. I couldn’t tell who from who. Everyone except me wore suits. Guys, white shirt, black jacket and pants, and slick shoes while ladies, white shirt, skirt, jacket, and heels or dress shoes. Me, slacks, my most formal shirt, and tennis shoes. I guess that made me stand out just a little.
My face immediately turned red while making a round around to see what kind of firms are here. There was a lot and by a lot, I mean, much more than the turn out for the engineering career fair earlier this year.
After a few minutes, I gathered my courage and approached a company. I introduced myself, told the representative my name. He asked me where I am currently in the program and I recited my 30-seconds elevator pitch as I’ve practiced earlier today during the general career fair held at the school.
“I am currently leveling to get into the Masters program.” I said.
Immediately, he knew I didn’t do my undergrad in Accounting. “What was your major for you undergraduate?” He asked.
“Civil Engineering,” I said and immediately, I could tell he was surprised just like all the other company representatives I visited. They all asked me why I decided to do accounting. I told some of them I wanted to try new things but I also told most of them all the females in my mom’s family were accountant and I decided to follow family tradition which it’s partially true.
It did the trick for some of them, I struck a conversation while some of them just told me to go online to their websites to check out the internships. Was that a hint that I am not getting hired? Anyway, after talking to that first company, I finally found the club and I was supposed to report for volunteering duty for the next 30 minutes. They asked me to sit down and do check-in duty. It was a piece of cake since I worked as a secretary and a receptionist. After a while, I even struck a conversation with the girl sitting next to me. She was also on volunteer duty.
The 30 minutes went by just like that but now I have finally mustered the courage to go speak to the companies. Conversing with that girl helped me warm up, now I knew exactly what to say. I have made it through half of the companies by the time I checked the time on my cell. An hour had gone by. Whoa, and I thought I would rush through this and go home. Guess not.
Another 20 minutes had gone by by the time I finished talking to the other half of the companies. I’ve collected so much souvenirs, brochures, and business cards from the companies that I had to find an empty spot to organize them and put all of them in my purse. My three copies of resumes were gone, I’ve handed them out to the only companies that requested it. In the end, I got a water bottle, a dozen business cards and brochures, pens, and chocolate. I was done. I drove home and now I am going to enjoy the remainder of my lunar B-day.
Good Night!
Meaningful Hand-me-downs
I am no stranger to hand-me-downs but then again who is, unless you’re incredibly rich but even then, you will have something that is sort of a hand-me-down. Mom and I almost escaped to Salt Lake City from Austin with just the things that can fit into her small car (long story, will/might tell later). So we didn’t have a lot when we came here but not to the point that we had to start over.
We moved into an one-bedroom apartment a few weeks after we arrived. We had no furniture. For the first few days, we sat on a towel on the carpet while eating from some spare bowls lend to us by mom’s nosy friend who lived several blocks away.
That first weekend, when her nosy friend’s husband was off, he helped move all the furniture that’s been occupying his garage into our apartment. They were eager to get rid of it even though some of it were still pretty much brand new. It belonged to Mrs. Nosy’s uncle who decided to leave Utah and move back to San Francisco.
The apartment was soon furnished with second-hand furniture. An out-of-date flowery pattern love seat in the living room while a really weird texture Laz-Boy sofa-bed in the bedroom where mom and I will sleep for the next two years. Then a folded table and very heavy chairs for dining, a rectangular broken-legged mirror-glass coffee table as well as a square table for the hand-me-down TV and some shelves. Even the silverware were hand-me-downs.
But I was thankful because we were struggling back then. Mom’s new job as a school teacher hadn’t begin so we didn’t have any income and I was only 16. Anyway, 100% of the things in that apartment were hand-me-downs.
A block away from the apartment was a thrift shop and that was where we would shop until we moved to our current home 30 miles away. Mrs. Nosy loved this thrift shop because a lot of wealthy old people lived nearby and their homes are full of beautiful antiquities. As well as that, a lot of the clothes that were donated were pretty clean and new. I didn’t like shopping in that store at first because I thought second-hand clothes were yucky. But I adjusted after a while and knew where to look.
We got quite a deal in that store, most of the clothes we bought were $1 and some of them were free. Anyway, when we moved into our current home, again, we were nearly furniture-less because when you move from a 500 square-foot apartment to a 2000 square-house, it will make a difference. We had no beds. So for the first week or so, we slept on the sofa bed which now resides in the family room. Then the love seat now resides in the living room. We rarely shop at the thrift shop now because we often find better deals at the Exchange in the air force base.
Out of all the hand-me-downs I had in my life and I have had a lot, there three items I think it’s the most meaningful.
- The television-set that was giving to us by my step-grandparents when we moved to Austin. We were just about broke back then with my step-dad spending every dime my mom made from her two jobs on alcohol and cigarettes. This television-set provided entertainment and comfort for me because at least for a short time, I can forget I live in tiny apartment with constant fighting parents.
- The sofa-bed that was handed down by Mrs. Nosy’s uncle. It provided me with a place to sleep. Not comfortable but it’s better than sleeping on the ground.
- The television also handed-down by Mrs. Nosy’s uncle. It provided mom and me hours of entertainment while we spent many late-nights during that first year staying up grading paper.
I know my definition of “meaningful” is different than everyone else’s but these three things got me through some tough times. Isn’t that’s what the term “meaningful” is about? Getting through memorable hard times? Anyway, when I listen to this song, it kind of remind me of those times.
Just writing this post makes me feel older already. Today is my lunar birthday. I may be turning 23 in a few weeks but I bet my aunt will send me a card today saying happy 24th because some people in China go by the lunar birthdays and count the 9 months in the mother’s belly.
Late Night Thoughts
I am a bit scared right now. Outside my bedroom window parked three cop cars. The last time there were this many cop cars outside my home was a few years ago when mom and I had just moved into our current home. Our neighbor had called the cops one night after they heard shots fired.
It turned out it was a group of idiots in the next street playing a game of paintball with BB guns and plastic bullet. Then when the plastic bullets ricocheted off of the garbage cans, it made this loud bang. It scared me to death when I went to take out the garbage. Anyway several police cars came that night and I never again heard another loud bang in the neighborhood again.
The only other time I’ve seen a police car outside my home was when a cop pulled someone over for speeding. That is until tonight. I could’ve sworn those police cars weren’t there when I watched the carpet installer left a hour ago. When did they get here? Why are they here?
I cringe at the sight of cop cars. I don’t like police but then who does? The last time I had a run-in with a police-officer, I got a citation for not yielding cars going straight. It wasn’t my fault, I tell ya but the cop rather believe the big-breasted lady with sad puppy dog eyes and totaled car. Also, at the sight of police, I feel like I’ve done something wrong even though I didn’t.
When I noticed the cars 30 minutes ago, creepy and horrible thoughts began to take over my mind. What if they are monitoring my activities? Or could the cops be friends with my next door neighbor and he’s just over there visiting or staying the night? Or what if one of my neighbors had done something wrong? My teeth are clattering here.
Stop it! Geez, it’s not like they are flashing lights or screaming over the bullhorn to tell me to come out and surrender. Relax. They are just parked there, occupying a quarter of the curb to my driveway, but they are just there. Oh, please tell me that’s it. That’s what all it is. It’s been a long, confusing, and horrible day and I don’t want to deal with anything else.
Good night and be back tomorrow morning. 🙂
If I can only dream…
About two years ago, while I was heading to the computer lab to print off some papers, a boy I don’t remember meeting came up to me and said, “How are you?”
I was like, “There are good.” Do I know you? I wanted to ask but if he knew me, I should have known him too. Perhaps we were in a class together. Besides, I was afraid of looking stupid for not remembering someone but now after graduating, I realized that wasn’t stupid at all. I’ve been in numerous classes, there are ought to be a few forgotten faces along the way.
Anyway, he nodded, “Well it’s nice to see you again.” Then he walked away.
I continued walking toward the computer lab, reminiscing my strange encounter. Who is that? Then I started ticking off the classes I’ve been in so far and kept coming back to the Computer Science class I took about a year earlier. Maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s the class we shared.
If I twisted this situation and changed the location to say, oh I don’t know, a cafe, and instead of saying how are you, he says, “I’ve been looking for you.” I would had been completely freaked because there are two reasons and only two reasons why he would say those words:
- He has been looking for his soul mate or someone that has a mysterious supernatural connection to him and it just so happens to be me. That is if such thing exist.
- I forgot I have a team assignment and I didn’t do my part. This guy just come and drag me to work on the assignment.
I would have asked, “Do I know you?” under reason #1 or “Oh my gosh, did I forget the group assignment?” under reason #2. Then I would probably get either an exasperating answer or a don’t worry about it, we’re already finished. That would be my lucky day and I lean back to enjoy my drink.
Under reason #1 however, I would imagine him smiling and sits down. Then we’d start a conversation about whatever and fall in love almost instantaneously. Then we get married and live happily ever after. Did I mention I am a dreamer? Yeah, well if I can only dream of such situation happening in real life…
This is Another Story 