Waiter – “What would you want to have Sir?”
I am shuffling through the leaves of this menu card, but can’t seem to find Hot Chocolate and Sandwich! This is supposed to be a café right?
Waiter – “Umm sir can I help you with something?”
Oh yes I guess this is it. Moltenilicious Chocolate Fantasy (Skimmed milk topped with dollops of molten dark chocolate garnished with low fat crème de lait) and Double Decker Cheese and Legumes Paradise (Freshly baked bread cushioning farm picked veggies marinated with shredded cheddar cheese and garnished with black olives, green jalapeno, bell pepper and assortment of sauces). Phew! In the time they would have taken to think of the names, I would have made 2 coffees and sandwiches!
Damn! Expression is a funny entitlement! Such a simple thing, but such a complicated delivery! No doubt, this human race bestowed with the ease of communication is muddled with miscommunication.
Oh the waiter is waiting, shifting on his feet! I point my figure to the places where these complicated dishes are written and he notes my order.
Waiter – “Alright Sir, Number 4 and Number 12. Anything else Sir?”
I smile and wave my hand signaling that will be all. Well, if you are wondering, why I didn’t say a word to the Waiter, then let me tell you I am dumb. D-U-M-B, It’s the name scholars have given to some less fortunate people like me, whose vocal cord produces no sound when air strikes it from any direction.
Sound! You know I really like the feel of this word sound. Try pronouncing the word:
When you go S-A-A – your mouth opens and you can feel your gut expand to exhale some air
Then go O-U-O - your mouth makes a sudden U turn and along with it, your gut also contracts, immediately rolling back the air exhaled in the previous step
And finally N-D-D – well! It’s like you have it all back in you now – your gut, the air and…also the sound of the thought you rolled out.
Aha! I wonder how many are able to hear their own sound and add phonetics to the sound they want others to hear!
Aahhh here’s my fancy hot chocolate and sandwich, which by the way looks not so fancy.
Do you know what people like me who can’t have our voice fall on others’ ears like to do? Well, it is to talk to our own selves, because unlike you blessed ones, our SOUND can be heard just by us! So, my favorite pastime is observing, analyzing and absorbing.
Want a peek into my mind? Well, so what if you can’t hear my sound, I will make you read it. Because let’s accept it, if you really want to, there are million ways to make someone hear your sound.
Okay, so let me zero in on the table just across me. Hey, don’t judge me! I am not eavesdropping. I am just observing, as I said.
Alright, so there is a very beautiful lady sitting there, wearing a casual white tee paired with denims, her hair casually pinned up. I can’t help but notice that her pretty face is pretty confused! Let me guess the emotions riddling this beautiful woman. I can see worry from the way her eyebrows are slightly twitched and pupils wide and dilated. Then I can also spot anger! Her lips are quivering, yet glued to each other as if relenting any effort to force them apart.
Mhmmm..this coffee tastes so sweet. Have they put cream in coffee or coffee in cream?
Oh Oh..there’s a man approaching her table. How do I know he is approaching her? I can see dumb! He is walking towards her with palpitation visible on his face. He is taking very carefully measured steps towards her, his nervous gaze still at her. And now she notices him. The moment she sights him, she shifts uneasily, almost getting up, but then hurriedly settling down. He reaches her table and now the tensed muscles of his face have contrived into nonchalance. Perturbed? Well, me too! Let’s see what happens next!
He sits down and is now looking down on the not at all pretty table in the most unconcerned manner. She is also looking away now, staring somewhere. If I follow the path of her stare, it goes to….well nowhere in particular!
“Here, take these papers” he puts a roll of papers in front of her, without looking at her.
Her expressions are not comprehensible. She is looking at the papers, then at him, then back at the papers. What is that! I can see her pupils getting dilated! Oh and now he looks at her.
I can tell you he has also seen the moisture cornering her eyes, because his expression softens and he is now not averting her gaze.
“I..it..it’s all the way you wanted” He keeps looking at her with what I feel are expectant eyes, as he manages to say these words. “An..and you can keep our house. I am anyway moving to Gree..” he stops midway and says “to another country”. As he says that, her moistened eyes constrict and look at him in an elongated gaze. It seems to me like those pearled eyes are trying to capture as much of him as possible.
Well, I think you are thinking the same as me. Yes, this couple seems to be getting divorced. But, it appears like the signed paper, now between these two people is producing a lot of SOUNDS in their hearts! But are they listening to it? Their faces say so! But are they listening to each other’s sound? Umm..yeah it seems so! They are not saying a word to each other, just staring. Their expressions shuffling from anger to uncertainty to surety to shaky resolve to steeliness to nostalgia to regret to hope! Phew! But are they going to put sound to these emotions? Yes, they should. But when? Will it be in time? Or are they both dumb..like me?
Oh oh, he is now getting up to leave, but rather shakily, very slowly. Seeing him leave, she also gets up with a startle, pushing the chair back and just says “Mike…”, with a hand raised. Before she has finished calling out his name, he turns to look at her.
Oh great! Finally she is going to say something. I knew it. It’s true when they say that women are far more sensitive and intelligent than men.
But why isn’t she saying anything? Oh no they are again just gazing at each other. Oh common woman! Speak up! Speak up for the love of God!
“Umm, nothing. Take Care!” Damn! What the heck!
“Yeah! You too” his expectant eyes droop as he sighs on ‘Take care’! You buffoon, can’t you say what you wanted to listen from her?
Oh wow! Now they are again standing there, just looking at each other, neither of them speaking a word. Clearly, neither of them wants to leave, but no they just won’t speak up! They just won’t let the air flow over their emotions to take their sound to the other’s heart!
“Bye”, he finally says very softly and makes a move. As the restaurant door closes behind her, she drops down on her seat with a thump and takes her head in her hands.
And they say I am dumb!