Apple and Orange - Episode 2

Apple and Orange by vino4d - Episode 2

Next day, I'm went earlier to studio at 9:00 am, it not earlier actually, he was late—this is one of the advantage of freelancing. So I was just watching around the studio about an hour. While doing that, I found a couple of tiny green turtles in tiny bowl. It was so adorable. I like to touch them, so my fingers stretching towards the bowl, otherside my brain saying things like—

"Your touch may hurt them"

"Don't stab their eyes."

"They are too small"

"Don't distrub their sleep"

"You really need to touch them?"

So, I gently touched one' green shell, and embraced. It felt rough. Both are sleeping like a baby. I loved it. The next minute, I decided to buy this creature as pet for myself. 

My photographer Friend arrived with some people—photoshoot director, model, model's friend—and carrying some big baggages—light, camera, stand. He shoot picture of products—shirts—with model. I helped him to adjust the lighting, lifting the baggages, then uplifted and held the light stand for almost the day—if I wrote the last phrase in tamil, it delivers another meaning. I am not expecting this. But it doesn't big deal for me. Although holding the stand for too long made my hands slightly weak. He noticed I am not held correctly.

"Jerking off all time was like this" he showing his teeth and told me to adjusting the position.

Actually I am not allowing people to make fun of me. I hate it. Here, I just smiled back, I knew it was just for a day and he was the friend. So I readjusted the position.

Sky became darker and clock hit the nine. The shoot was finished. He gave me a 500₹ and said " just keep this now da, I will give balance after I get settlement"

I don't know how much was that balance. I assumed it maybe 200 or 300 rupees and planning with the balance while returning home. Finally I got that balance after several weeks, it was zero. Atleast he gave five hundred, I keep the money for my good sake.

After some days, I called my school friend for accompanying me to a store. We reached the store, also searched the extra one— to increase the probabilities of discount. At last, we entered into first and only store present there. On hallway, love birds are arrested into cages, a pair of hare munching some spinach and cabbage, one puppy was eating curd rice— but they recommend us to feed some shining package food. We stood across a big fish tank, a giant turtle swiming left and right, we had fun watching someone feeding it a live gold fish —being chased and killed. In next tank, oodles of water terrapin are busy at the underwater diving. Some clever terrapins observing us and acting regular.

"Place your hand on glass, take which turtle come to you" My friend said excitedly.

So I did. All are fully engaged with their routine—sleeping, thinking colour pebbles as food and biting, chasing others' tail—and no one respecting me. I looked my friend. He shrugged with baby face.

I choosed active one and pretty one—everyone was pretty so finding best pretty— with darker shell, and brought them to home.

I wanted to make their homecoming was recorded— to posting status on social media like all do. My friend filmed the reaction of my parents.

"What is that?" My grandma asked with a smile.

"Turtles." I replied with a smile, then her smile was vanished away. She started the roasting.

My mom seen turtles, was not screeching like broken speaker— as my grandma doing. She telling, " Turtles are not a pet. Its a bad omen why brought this to home?".

My friend was stumped at this scene. I tried to convince them. But they are adamant with the arguments.

Amai puguntha veedum, Amina puguntha veedum..

Vilangathu..

Literally means, Turtles(and tortoise) and executant entered home was ruinated.

Sounds crazy right. 

The quote had many stories—sounds reasonable stories— like it because of the earlier conquerors invaded the new countries by following sea turtles, Amai tamil word was representing poramai(jealous), kallamai(illiteracy), muyalamai(laziness), so on and veedu denoting the human mind. Like this many stories it had. But, most tamil people take it as it is, because of lack of education. Even though some educated people also argued with me for that. 

"Our ancestors was not dumb, they said turtles are not allowed at home for good sake" they argued. 

At the moment, I realised what they said was correct. Our ancestors are not dumb, we are dumb.

So, I lessened them the history, science, nature and more things about the green water creature. I told many stuff like I said before while. They are quite until I finishing my lecture, and after continued the roasting. They are stubborn. First I couldn't find why my parents are not listening me. Later I found two reasonable reasons.

1) My parents are dumb enough for blindly believing and agreeing somethings without questioning it. Also sticked with it, just for their superstition belief.

2) At that day, I am not superior— jobless and useless adamant grown kid who wasted their money by the name of engineering— for them. Although, I never blamed them and it hard to define why, situations. Here, the superiority was you had money or you earning money. I thought its suit for all morden world. Money.

"How small these creatures!" I said to my sister, she peered the green tiny creatures.

"Nothing to say" mom said blankly and back to kitchen

I played with the turtles—they ramming against the short wall of the tray.

"Take away this from my cot. Keep this with your place" grandma barked.

I went my room and placed the plastic tray on my cot and setting the home for new members.

"It can be home for the few and also can destroy the home of the most" I heard my friend voice, as I leave turtles into the plastic tray.

"Yeah, technology mainly favours their owners" my brain said silently.

"In world, which kids pet a turtle!!. I never see this kind of kid like you …" grandma yelling at distant.

"Can I stop recording?"  My Friend asked, was stood behind me and holding up the camera phone.

***

First night with these creatures, I keep them next to me on my bed. I really couldn't sleep that night. I raised and checked them they're are sleeping or not—Sleeping, they're wanting food or not—not. Then I covered up my face with blanket.

They are alive?

I raised up and tapped once on both shells—no movements, tapped again—those bodies shrinking in jerkly. Alive. I smiled, and getting back to sleep.

***

As sunrising, I was thinking names for my pets, uplifted one, it shrunk the limps and peanut head into the shell. It was baby. I checked its under shell, its pale yellowish with some black marks.

I was playing a spot the eight difference game with turtles. Both are looking same, even finding sex of them was difficult at babyhood. And I couldn't saw any sign of private parts on them.

God. How do I choose name without knowing sex.

I pinned at them. They biting and eating pellets while, several names crossing my mind. Finally, I selected.

Apple and Orange.

***

To be continue ...