Notepads/Lightning

By Jehan Z Bano

--

Opening scene:

Act 1:G:Gary’ss yard  in his house patio

   As the sun set, Gary retreated to his hammock in the garden to unwind for the evening. He snuggled in and pulled out his writing pad, slowly sipping on his warm chamomile. He had just barely started brainstorming for an updated resume when he began feeling strangely drowsy. One yawn led to another, and before he knew it, a profound slumber had completely overtaken him.

Within minutes, he found himself in another world.

Suddenly, a mysterious yet somehow sweet voice said, “Do not distress”, and began calling him as the sky blackened for the night. Her eyes sparkled like diamonds, and the light of her face illuminated the darkness of the sky. A comforting sense of relief filled his heart after years of anguish and animosity. She took him by the hand and danced in her warm embrace. His heart was alive for the first time in years as he gazed into her eyes, and he was inspired to place the pearl necklace around her neck.

After a short dance, he was unexpectedly exhausted and overwhelmed by the sense of pleasure. The angel-like maiden led him to the bed in the corner of the cozy cottage and helped him climb in. As he lay down to surrender for the evening, she wrapped him in a warm blanket. She closed the window to keep out the cold draft and drew the drapes. Within minutes of settling into this perfect abode, the storm violently began.

The wind howled like a pack of wolves, and the rain hammered down like a barrage of relentless bullets. Needless to say, he was rudely awakened to find himself amidst the wreckage. He leaped out of bed to face his fractured life.

He was late, and it was another hectic morning in Brussels.  Gary is scrambling to catch his meeting at the Corinthia Grand Hotel. He carelessly drove, forcing his way through the unbearable city congestion. Once he arrived, he arrogantly threw the keys to his Porsche at the valet attendant. As he quickly popped a Godiva or two in his mouth with one hand for breakfast, he checked his phone with the other. It was another bad day in the stock market for his blanket business. He muttered a few colorful words under his breath.

The wreckage consumed him. He couldn't separate himself from the debris. Twenty feet under the ocean surface, it was darker than ever. He was trapped inside a water bubble. The stained glass wall was the only glimmer of occasional light. A mysterious yet sinister voice addressed him incessantly. “Loser, loser, loser,” rang loudly in his ears. He was terrified by Chard's eerie voice.

“How did this happen?” He glanced down at his watch. Was it possible?. Can 500 years pass with the blink of an eye?The fair maiden appeared again to console him. She led him back to his bed to rest.

Scene 1  Act:2    Gary”  grandma’s Farm

Managing Grandma's farm was a big undertaking. The recent drought has taken a toll on the crops and animals. The goats were especially hungry. One baby goat couldn't wait for food. She nimbled on his golden blonde hair until he became his shiny head glimmered. Another failure under this belt. The needle on the clock was swiftly moving. By now, the next half century had already passed.

Againn he heard the mocking ghost-like voice penetrating his sound. This time, the voice repeatedly uttered, “You are irresponsible, you are insincere.” He could barely recover from the taunting when he received news there was a wildfire had engulfed the family farm, eradicating all the sugar cane fields.

Jehan zaib bano                                           

L I G H T E N I N G

     As the sun set, he retreated to his patio, as he had been preserved for centuries. He saw that the currency of time is no more. Gold bars are now coins, the utensils are changed into cups and plates, clothes are now of modern styles, hair cuts are spikey and blonde. As he was sailing along, he longed for his wooden boat. It all reminded him that he had ravelled through time for another 500 years.

     Out of hunger for so many days, his apple was squished, and thirst took away all of his energy and strength for further endeavors. As fire eradicated his surroundings, the ghost voice whispered to him not to deprive himself of enjoyment. It was persuading him to become immortal by trying the mouth-watering, soul-nourishing, face-glowing food which is wheat.

Out of his heart, fulfilling the desire of piety, he ran in the field of wheat farm where the leaves on the farm were a yard long. He roamed around in the field, finding a place full of a view and fresh air from the balcony. He saw a ghost walking around. The stalks of wheat were swaying with the wind.  Suddenly, he gulped a few grounded wheat stalks from the pool of his beautiful long fingers. The shocking outcome brought tears to his blue eyes, seeing himself covered and drowning inside the stormy water where his clothes were stuck on the thorn. The ripped clothes fell from his body, and at that moment of sadness, the only refuge was to hide behind the yard-sized leaves.   He used needles to sew a rag out of leaves to cover his starkly visible body from neck to toe.

As he was hiding behind the leaves in the wheat farm, the evil ghost's voice appeared, mocking and shaming him for his indecent act. It was expressing hatred toward him and laughing constantly. The skin of his nose was dripping with pain in the heart of becoming impure, indecent. There was an unknown fear of disloyalty to the lover.

The paradise is now a stranger to him.

And Earth is the only refuge.  The loss of love sank him from inside, the desire to be a candidate of paradise, a wish unfulfilled, regret of friendship with a monster that leaves him alone on the monster road with ups and downs. Tears,t ears, tears,h e was falling apart.

Angelic maiden with her melodious voice held his hand and took him to a cave for solitude and meditation. After a long praying, meditation and solitude he look outside the cave and went to the city for end his meats surprisingly the custodian of the city are friendly, no more enemy,withoud teaching him alluding,n o more indecency, and the currency of business changed into paper instead of coins he was holding to purchase things he need, stores are not in canopies but changed into bazar, travelling rides of horses,cammel are now using for trades, roads are made instead of walking trails, forest acorn are replaced into living societ. He looked at the needle of the clock and found that he had travelled through time by another 500 years. Paradise Lost dealt with the earth's ups and downs.

He crossed the sea in a wooden ark holding the hands of the angelic maiden. As the sun set, he retreated to his patio, drinking milk from a goat from his grandma's farm. Playing and driving the goats to Daffodil Hill shrinks the belly of goats, drying the sugarcane farm, leaving no food to eat, remains his blonde hair while sleeping is gone as goats quench their thirst and break their fast by eating his hair. He continued his meditation, going up hills to feed the birds and humans.

Appeared the ghost voice,dimmer, gone,melonchony replacedbyo chirping of birds, singing of moving waves of river,water fals with the bright sunlight emerging from the east.Rolling glass doors with stains of sadness washed away with the stream of lake.

Holding hand the angelic maiden shows him the path to success, leading to the town of people trading,m erchandise, beautiful horses, blanket, caravan going from east to europe but currency he use changed into dirham, people now building houses to live in, rooms of which up and down inside the deep,n arrow trail of rocky mountain, riding up on his bicycle, looking the full moon, celebrating the birth of his best friend time passed b. Tik tik of the needle once again flying up to five centuries amazed his gaze.

As the sunse he retreated his pateo lady dropping a child for nursing to his grandma,orphen a beautiful like fullmoon, drought has gone, field are flourishin g, grass is for grazing cows and goats, turtle, rooms, spider flys, bees sucking the flowers, fruits growin g, plants are well watered, light emerging shinner then ever before. His misery is gone, meditation in the mountains increases, an angelic voice comforts his heart, leaving distress, joyous celebrations, joking around, fun, and laughter with the mistress.

Holding hands with an angelic maiden, removing the griefs oof the past, comforting the happiness of thefuturee, glad tidings walking together in the night by the lakeRotatingng the Ferris wheel, holding the hand of the windmill, moving around leaving the unrapp presents, approaching the tree up and again,r epeating the glimmers, shimmering light,s parkling coliour the water mill keep on rotating leaving his hand on top,e yes fulfilled, sight of petals spresading on the reflecting light showing the glass rotating mirror clearer as ever be. Ghost voice disappeared, angelic maiden gone, it’s me, it’s me, it’ me, he replied with cheers.

Clock tik tik the needle moves as the master embraces his lover, forgives his sin, removes signs of forgetfulness, as he shows mercy to look after the injured legs of the grazing goat in the defodils, while praying, reciting the verses of his creator.

Enter he orderfrom the well watered plant as you arrived here fast, recovered from misery of night darkened, walking on the bridge not but flying, to paradise, enjoy the custard apple, keep your rivers and lakes, mountains and houses, maiden and fruits, meeting to families,s ocialize with lover inside the canopy drippin drizzling while dropping the drapes,eatig, quenching the thrust with drinks in golden goblets, pleasure with your better behalf. That's your destination, he found his present shining heart, glowing out of humble cheer,  thanking his creator, looking at his reflecting, rotating glass doors.

The sky was glistening while he was climbing on the rock in the galaxy. The stars packed the sky and lit the shore. He was walking aimlessly at first. Then the voice addressed him from the center of the lake. She called him firmly to return to balance and abandon his desires. He was recovering from the indiscretions of his past. His heart was renewed. It was reformed after this journey of a lifetime.

In paradise, it's always twilight time. Families are flying on the buraq. The fields are full of fruit like annina squamosa, and the view was full of gardens with lily flowers. The people are joyfully sipping from golden chalices. The rivers of milk and honey flow abundantly. Sugar-covered grapes will be delivered on golden platters. Beautiful silk plates will be dropped at the entrance of places. In an open field, large canopies are spreading under the umbrellas for each individual. This was the life of the heavens. He reached the Pinnacle of success, and now he was so precious because of the struggles he had endured and how his heart was purified. He became among the best of all creation.

Calling his name slave, slave, beloved slaves, success, success, finding place, radasi is now my space.

The end.