"Hypothetical World" by Haidji - Book: "Harables - Short Stories 2"

Book: Harables - Short Stories 2

Hypothetical World

The end of the week passed by slowly, until the weekend finally arrived. Covering the city with promises of rest, fun or simple happiness.

Paulette spent her morning inside her bedroom, under house arrest for a reason she did not exactly remember: maybe it was because she forgot to make her bed in the morning, or skipped lunch or dinner playing outside, or this time she was too long in the shower.  For whatever reason it was, she did not remember anymore and would probably do the same things again on the following days.  Happy to be able to run out of the house after lunchtime, thirsty for sunrays, she did not think about it anymore.

Swinging her legs, sitting on the branch of a tree, chewing sugar cane sliced in pieces as would they be Macdonald’s chips… fake chips over a real tree leaf pretending to be a plate.  No ketchup, of course.  Sugar instead of salt.  But chips are chips; potatoes and sugar canes are both yellow, aren’t they?  So, Paulette’s chips were sugar canes’ ones. Paulette had to cut the sugar cane herself with a big knife she took out of the kitchen.  Small knives were nothing for her; too dangerous, they fell easily out of her hand, pricking her foot; she felt safer dealing with big ones, despite other people’s views about it.  Apart from that, small knives made her feel like a simple thief; big ones, like a real pirate. After slicing the sugar cane for her imaginary crew -- composed actually only of herself and some birds that don’t eat chips at all -- Paulette climbed the tree, carrying the chips wrapped inside of several tree leaves, under her t-shirt. Even if the t-shirt was threaded inside of her skirt, she lost some chips on her way to the top because they slid out of the tree leaves, running over her legs, falling all the way to the ground… turning them into ants’ food, inside of Paulette’s mind, as she saw them falling over the ground.

The sun going down over the city was orange due to the air pollution, but this did not make the color less beautiful for Paulette. Some beautiful things we see are created due to not-so-good circumstances, but they are not less beautiful or magical for our eyes; at least, this is what we think until we know what creates them, but most times even after we know it…. Sometimes, to know why, increases their beauty, as would they be survivors from a post-apocalyptic time. 

You rarely know what creates the beauty you see in front of you. It is rare that you know where it comes from. To know the facts beyond situations mostly increases their beauty, instead of decreasing it.   Paulette herself was being raised in a house that was far away from being peaceful; but even then, she had peace inside of herself. 

Sitting on the branch of a tree, as high she could be. No one could touch her, no house arrest; the sky was so close that she could almost touch her dreams.

Suddenly the world was magic; suddenly, the world was peaceful. The orange sun was beautiful, despite the air pollution. Sugar canes were chips; the birds around her were feeding the thirst of her soul with their melody, filling her with serenity, hope and peace. Swinging her legs, chewing fake chips, she was on the top of the world, on the top of the highest tree she could climb, watching the sunset. 

Paulette forgot the reality for a while, living inside of her hypothetical world.

Next to her, a pair of birds was building a nest; it was a couple of brown birds, Argentina’s national bird, horneros.  The species is monogamous and pairs remain together through the year, working on their nest.  Like human couples are in some cases, both parents would incubate the eggs and feed the young.  Their nests looked like a real house, made from clay.  They were building their place in the world, on the branch of a tree.  No birds’ nests look like horneros’ bird nests. They look like real small houses. Made by mud, they create a hardened shelter, oriented to face away from the wind, creating a refuge from the weather, with hard stable walls backed by the sun. 

“Do I have a place in this world too?” asked Paulette, to the birds. “Maybe my place in the world is here, on the top of a tree, watching the sunset.  Maybe one day I will build a tree house made by clay like horneros do and have my own kids inside of it.”  Paulette answered her own questions, watching the birds close to her, until the sun went completely down.

It was time to go back home.  There was no bed story waiting for Paulette.  There was no peace in the house.  There was too loud music that made the house walls tremble and Paulette made her hands over her ears, trying to sleep.  Or pretend to be sleeping.  In a certain kind of way, she was like the orange sun… flourishing her beauty inside of a polluted world. Yes, she skipped dinner again, and would probably be house arrested the next morning again.  Cooked with too much pepper and spices, with hate instead of love, the food could not pass through her throat.  She had her chips, and was full at dinnertime.  All she could eat were fruits; she could not eat the food in this house.  It came back and made her throw up. As she could finally fall asleep, despite the noise, Paulette was again in her place in the world. Inside of her own body, living inside of her dreams… 

The people in the world can take almost everything from you. But your place in the World belongs to yourself. Nobody can take it away; so long as you are alive. Even if at the beginning of your life journey it is only The space that your soul has to be, Inside of your body, inside of your own dreams, A small place that cannot be measured.

But it is the first step It is all you need to be able to walk To be able to create your way in the World Manifesting this place to be outside of you, too.

...thanks for reading "Hypothetical World"

This short story is part of "Harables- Short Stories 2"

Harables - Short Stories 2

Haidji, author of SG Suicide Game, Life into Mist, Fancy & Adriaan, Harables - Short Stories 1 and Ines' Words now brings us Harables - Short Stories 2, with fifteen new stories. Each story showcases Haidji's unique voice and imagery, including "The Gondola Walker", "Lob's Castle", "The Blue Spot", "Final Destination" and "Candles". True to Haidji's form, this book is beautiful and magical. You'll want to read each story more than once, to uncover all Haidji's meanings. Entering Haidji's world, you will find hope, love and wonderful mysteries.

You can find "Harables - Short Stories 2" available as e-book or paperback on Amazon and free with Kindle Unlimited. 

I wish you a beautiful day and thank you for reading my books,

Haidji