I really wonder how you feel on these nights so alone

“if only you could see”

And when I wake up, you look so pretty, sleepin' next to me.

Mar 27, 2009 || 12:29 AM || comment?

Would ya like to know a little somethin'? I think it's funny how life, after ya get used to somethin', finally settled? How life decides to throw a fast one at ya, at jus the right moment, to keep ya on yer toes. Now I never learned to dance or anythin', but I'm pretty good at makin' things up as I go along. Mus' do it pretty well too, everyone thinks I'm a sly one, but I'm jus' me. Jus' Gus. Of course, it's right when I'm thinkin' that I'm "jus' Gus" when life decides to play her little game. Lemme tell ya the story so far.

The sun was pretty high up this afternoon, but it made no difference if it was close or far, the work day was jus' as long and miserable as it usually is. 'Course, me an' the guys always know how to make each day a good one. We tend to remind ourselves that someone's gotta do the job, and if it ain't us, then who? Plus the pay ain't bad. That's somethin' we remind ourselves of everyday, you can bet.

However, we finished work pretty early today, and with nothin' to do since the new supply wouldn't be in 'til tomorrow, the rest of the day was ours. It was then that plans had changed for the unknown.

"Hey, Gus?"

"Yeah?" I turned to face my good friend, Al. All of us have longer names, like mine is August, but when yer doin' what we do, heavy labor, ya really wanna keep to a single syllable most of the time.

"Look over there," Al said, pointin' across the way. The sun was in my eyes at this angle, but it was easy enough to see someone walkin' alongside the highway. I could jus' make out her form, a small thing, lookin' more lost than a baby bird.

"Huh. Dun' she know it ain't safe the walk along side the road like that?"

Al shrugged, then elbowed me lightly. "Ya know, she could be a real looker, huh? I saw her first, but ya know I got a wife to stay faithful to." He chuckled a bit, but I knew Al loved his wife more than anything.

"So what're ya sayin'? I should offer a ride or somethin'?"

"Wow Gus, the sun must be gettin' to ya? A heat stroke maybe? Use yer charm on the girl! Then again, the sun might be trickin' us, since we can't see her full well and all, but even if she ain't a looker, at least get her somewheres safe. She's gonna be a flat pancake on her own."

I thought about it fer a minute, didn't seem like such a bad idea at any rate.

"Well, Al, guess I'll catch ya later. I'm gonna go see about a bird."

And ya know, with all great stories, tha's jus' the beginnin'. It wasn't too hard to convince her she'd be safer with me, heck she looked so los' that any lead in any direction was good 'nuff fer her. So I had her ride on back and we drove a little ways before I 'membered she was headin' somewheres. I asked where that migh' be, and the poor thing hesitated. Then I s'pose she fished in her pockets 'cos she was gonna hand me a little piece of paper with some directions on it, but the wind just snatched it right up and laughed in our faces. I said to her, "Guess you're goin' with me now."

It was a little ways before the next stop, but we finally did and I had the girl run inside to get us some drinks. It was so hot out, I woulda been happy to drink whatever she managed to find. I watched as a giant of a person came outta the store jus' laughin' his head off like a loon. For a second I regretted makin' her go in alone. But she soon came out from the store, two canned drinks in her small hands. She shoved the drinks forward, waitin' for me to say somethin'. I didn't even have to read the label, it was a local favorite, with a strong taste, sure to knock a lightweight off his feet. I wondered how old she was 'cos of this, and how they let her outta the store with the drinks, then quickly let go of that thought as I downed the drink and we made on our way again.

As I was weavin' my way around the mountainside, I noticed somethin' in the sky, somethin' I didn't recognize as normal. Then I thought about my passenger, and realized I didn't even know her name. So I asked her, 'course.

"I know it's a little late to be askin', but what is your name?"

"It's Ophelia.." she said.

"Ophelia, you say? Huh."

Ophelia. Strange name. But also, a little familiar? I don't really know. Nice though. Like somethin' you might read in a poem, tho' I don't really read poems that much. I asked her where she was headed, and she couldn't answer me. I told her what I really thought: that she was a lost bird. That really seemed to put her down, she knew she was lost, she was with some strange person, and the way it looked, she would be lost for a good while. So without even thinking, I said words to try and comfort her.

"But I s'pose I'm okay with that, you're not that bad a sight. And you're quiet. Not sure how I feel about that, but right now, it's nice."

I'm still not sure why I said those things. But they didn't seem to do much, now that I'm thinkin' 'bout it, musta made her more uncomfortable hearin' me say she wasn't a bad sight. So I tried somethin' else.

"Ah, don't worry so much about it. I'll take care of ya, if ya like."

That one went much better, maybe I was imaginin' it, but she seemed to hold onto me jus' a little bit tighter, and we rode off into the distance. We were still a ways from home, and the evenin' was catchin' up to us. Jus' as it was gettin' good and dark, we made it to my simple home. I parked my bike, and led her inside, gave her a grand tour. Not much to boast about, tho'. There's a couch in the livin' room, a small but well stocked kitchen, and there was my room, which I figured I'd let her have the comfort of my bed. Luckily yesterday was cleanin' day. I'm not really a messy guy, but I don't have too many extra things either.

"Well, this is it." I said after showing her everything. She nodded, and yawned, but tried to hide it from me. "S'okay, I been workin' all day, and who knows how long you were walkin' around." I took her back to my bedroom, I usually don't make too much fuss about fixin' the sheets, but some reason I fixed 'em this mornin'. "You can sleep in here, if ya like." Her face went kinda pale, then it brightened like a ripe tomato, and that's when I knew she got the wrong idea. "Oh no, no, I don't mean like that. I'm gonna take the couch, see? But, I noticed...you don't really have much other things..er. D'you want a shirt or something to sleep in? And I can wash your clothes tomorrow." I found a plain white shirt in my closet, probably two sizes too big, but it'd be comfortable, I figured. "Here you go," I said, and handed her the shirt. "So I'll see ya in the mornin'." She nodded, and I closed the door as quietly as I could, then strolled into the livin' room. Usually I'm not too tired after work, but tonight was different, to say the least. As I laid down on the couch, I thought about the story I'd tell Al. Things didn't go exactly as planned...But I was soon driftin' to sleep, and forgot all the things I mighta thought.

Labels: fiction junction

Test Three

Mar 5, 2009 || 9:08 PM || comment?

I actually forgot to record Test Two, so I'll have to go back and buy another root beer of that brand and tell you guys about it.

But let's being with today's experiment.

Observation: Abita Root Beer, Made with pure Louisiana Cane Sugar. It was $1.99 (let's say $2) at Jason's Deli, 355 ml/ 12 oz. so 1.775 ml/penny, or 6 oz/dollar. This container is made of glass, the label is navy, maroon, green, and gold. It's cute but the colors are dull and the glass is also brown so it's not terribly eye catching. It's a smaller bottle because it is 12 oz instead of 16 or 20. The lid was easy to screw off, and gave a satisfying hiss. I'd say this soda deserves a 7.0 or 8.0 out of 10.0 for a few reasons. The taste is good, I would need to drink another one, but there is a strong taste of something..Another reason is this: upon inspection of the ingredients label, I find that it contains: Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, root beer flavor, phosphoric acid. This is probably the simplest ingredient list ever! Nothing hard to pronounce, and nothing too foreign. "Root beer flavor" is a little subjective, and therefore mysterious. This brand is also bottled in Abita Springs, Louisiana. Pretty cool huh? I give this soda a rating of PRETTY GOOD.

Would drink again, hopefully I can find a cheaper one.

Life has never felt so sweet.

Mar 4, 2009 || 3:00 PM || comment?

These past few days have literally been an "emotional rollercoaster" for me.

I think that's a very common expression, but it's very appropriate for right now.

Actually I'm at work right now! :D

Today's my first that at the mathematical gymnasium, otherwise known as Mathnasium, otherwise known as THIS LADY LEFT ME ALONE ON MY FIRST DAY OF WORK.

I must be trustworty?

Anyways, I am being paid money to sit on my lower backside, shredding old answer keys, printing 24 x 25 (aka SIX HUNDRED) pages of flyers to bring to Our Lady of Fatima tomorrow morning before I come to work again, type this blog, fool around on facebook, possibly head to the Broken Egg Café in a little bit because I've never been and am kind of hungry and thirsty and I can lock this place up and go on a little lunch break, then come back and give two kids their diagnostic tests, tutor two kids, then lock up and go home. Luckily another lady is coming around the time those kids that need tutoring. The other lady is cool, I guess. She seems kinda funny. Not in the hilarious sense. In the strange sense.

Anyways. I should like bring my homework and stuff to work on because tomorrow as a dead day, well 10 - 7. freaking cheese and crackers. probably my calculus project instead. aggggghhhhhh.

well home dogs it is time to shred some paper!

(i wonder if she recycles.)

(also Chih I wanted to say thank you.)

...Thank you. (: