Loonville

A flutter of papery wings… and a sudden swish. And before you know it, you’re covered with dust that’s so ancient it makes King Tut look like a preschooler. And if you’re still clueless about what I’m talking about, it is that age old ceremony that many a soul dreads and fears… the horrid but indispensable ritual of “cleaning the room”!

Now before you cringe and draw in your toes and scream, I must tell you, this ‘chore’ (though I call it ‘punishment’) is not as bad as it seems. And for those who are easily distracted by the silliest of things (sounds familiar ne?), this chore could turn out to be really fun! Almost like getting lost in Wonderland! (Alright…. that’s dragging it a tat bit too far… but please? Play along?)

It’s at times like these that you find interesting curios that you thought were long dead or missing. Little things like granny’s false teeth under the sofa, Grampa’s stamp collection behind the TV, Dad’s insurance papers on the window sill… you know… little things. But what really makes this cleaning business interesting is that you find a little part of you that you thought to be long dead and gone, slumbering like a little baby *sniffle* deep inside you!

And it is also a good time when you realize what a ditz you were when you come across old pictures with you staring at the guy below you, hopelessly in ‘love’ with him. This is also the time when you find old journals where you’ve written things you’d rather die with than let the world know about it!

And well… as I was going about the chores of cleanliness, I managed to stumble upon (quite literally) my old journal. And as I started to turn its yellowing pages, I came face-to-face with who I was… a few years ago…

*cue for dramatic violins*

Not many people know this…And well… it isn’t that shocking a fact actually, but back when I was in school (when I was still in braces and glasses thick enough to please Newton); I happened to have what normal people would refer to as a crush.

And for those who do not know much about me, I was (and still in many ways am) oblivious to the obvious – boys in this case and so, when my first (serious) crush made his way into my head, you can imagine what happened to my happily ignorant cerebrum!

For a whole year, all I could talk about was him! I would use his name at least twice in every sentence I spoke. And well… now that I think about it, it is surprising that none of my friends (read silent sufferers) actually gagged me with smelly socks and hung me upside down in some abandoned harbor!

And it sets me thinking…Why did I like him in the first place? And why did I get so obsessed about his every little actions? Why did I waste a fortune in driving past his house everyday when I could be saving my Dad’s petrol, the ecosystem of the world and the oil-wells in the middle East all at one go?

I would never know (not that knowing it would make any sense in the first place!).

But I do know that the said person is currently dating my neighbor and she sticks her nose ten feet higher into the atmosphere every time she sees me. Oh well… cest la vie!

And for those of you who were wondering what this blab about a silly crush had to do with cleaning my room, *sigh* you’ll never understand. And for those who do… Message me! I wanna hear all about it! *winkwink nudgenudge*

Ever your slightly deluded fellow inhabitor,
Asha Menon.