Ec-static

Travel moments capture the littlest thing. Here is an episode from the not-too-distant past when I was staying in a studio apartment…

The maintenance guy in blue overalls was prodding the wires. I had called to complain about the shocks I was getting when my hands came in contact with the area near the sink or when I touched the coffee-maker even when it was switched off.

He went to the bathroom, shifted things around and was convinced there was nothing the matter. "Madam," he said in a heavy Malayalee accent, "Yor baudei iss lectric!" (Your body is electric.)

What? Thoughts of my anatomy sending currents through inanimate objects and moving machines (would mechanical men qualify?) quite startled me. Besides, modesty is very becoming at times...so I "what-ted" again.

He shook his head, grinned and said, "Saamtemss hooman baudei giving staatic. You taach and it shaking. You remove shuss and feel floh. Oakei?" (Sometimes human body gives static. You touch anything and it shakes. You remove shoes and feel the floor…)

"Oakei...mm...okay, thanks."

When I went to latch the door after him, zap! the door knob sent a current through my fingertips. I got cautious after that. I began to use hand-towels, face tissues, anything to touch metallic surfaces.

I imagined I had been transformed into a walking, talking, singing, musing, smirking, smiling vibrator.

Alas, back home, I became all flesh-and-blood.

I had returned to the sounds. And the first one I heard was on my answering machine, "I sent messages, emails, made calls...but you seem to want to stay incommunicado. I have never been able to see any reason for you to do so, but you do..."

Yes. I. Do.

Large polythene bags lay comatose.

I had rounded off my lunch with chocolates filled with cognac, biting off the top half and then tilting my head as the liquid poured down my throat. I love that slight burning sensation.

I have discovered that static is NOT static...