Silence

My last few days have been a struggle for silence. It never occured to me how many people expect conversation from me until my voice escapes me. I have been dodging around my building so to try to avoid having to explain that I cannot speak. I leap into the elevator when I see the lady who always wants to speak at length about my haircuts and fashion choices. I sweep in towards the mailbox when I see the woman from Argentina who is never silent. She sees me though, and follows me to the mailboxes, half screaming at me to speak to her. The doorman eagerly asks about my literary adventures and my quest to explore music. I smile at him holding my throught. Miyoko san gives me packages of medicines written in Japanese. They make me laugh as I try to figure out how and why to use them based on the cartoon drawings on the packages.

I lost my voice after avoiding the advances of far too many eager men at work. Anyone and everyone thought themself to be Mr Wonderful, while I simply wanted to do my job. After 27 hours of work in two days, the voice was bound to fail me. I was beginning to fell greatly outnumbered as the last party was for 475 men and 25 women. They threw me to the wolves by having me carry cases of beer through the crowd. Just like parting the Red Sea. My jobs are odd, eventful and always full of drama. It makes me treasure the moments of solitude at home, my new Phalaenopsis orchid named "Inky" due to it's patterning like fuscia ink dropped onto blotting paper, the woodpecker in the tree outside, and curling chartruse leaves on the tree inside my home. I watch silent videos and realize how much I like the little hideaway I have created. Surrounded by books, colorful videos, art and my plants.