by Q. Maram Zoaria
The Parasite You Animated
Isolation pounced on you like a predator. Tied its barbarous vines around you tight, and now your shadow is your only companion. But it stays only till the sun mercifully shares the last of its rays on the walls. With the uncanny silence and blackness, the voices of memories are exceptionally loud in your head. Memories of love, lust, cheer, laughter, sadness, achievements, failures. Memories of the times you took things and people for granted. Regrets. New and old. Why are colors and sounds different from usual? Why are people indifferent? Is this the new normal? Isolation, you croaked hope and incited paranoia. Man is envious of those who have loved ones around. Such envy! Never seen before. You locked yourself in to escape one parasite only to be taken by another. It stands in the corner staring at you like the monster in your sleep. It is paralysing you. One sane part at a time.
She Forgot to Salt the Eggs Again
Where the master sits catapulting profanity and food bits at her, there is a trail of dust kissed toast, yolk bleeding splotched eggs and a thousand bits of crippled ceramic, patterning towards her. Abstract art of coffee spots all over the floor. Another day sacrificed to master’s disappointment. And where this trail ends, she stands in a corner, meek, petrified and apologetic.
This one explains the struggles of a wife who is abused at home everyday for something as little as forgetting to put salt in her husband’s eggs for breakfast. If he’s breaking crockery and verbally abusing her over something so trivial, one can imagine his wrath over other things. It is providing a wider screen to the abuse she faces everyday and now that he is home due to the COVID-19 lockdown, she is constantly living in fear. Before the pandemic struck, she, at least, had time to recover a little from his abuse, when he was at work. She had those little hours of relief and happiness, had time for herself. Now, she is treated like a dog on a leash; Submissive and abused. Hence, quarantine is not the same for everyone.
Riza Press 