The next topic is Now and Then
TURA
The monkeys’ wedding
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Go into the forest on a certain night and sit against a tree. Be still, very still, and wait.
First appear the heralds, stoats and weasels bearing lanterns which they set out as footlights. Then foxes and squirrels mingling unafraid, for on this night none bares its jaws to another. More creatures than you ever did see. At last, the monkeys to be wed, leaping and screeching.
The festivities last for days, yet but a single night passes.
Should they see you, you must flee, though they be little creatures, for even a Tyrannosaurus will succumb to ten thousand chickens.
TOM
Mom Love Him
Din Wo was a one hit wonder. He recorded a grandma song in the mid-50s. A staple of the Hawaiian tour trifecta: Lays, luaus, and light lyrics. Brandishing a foot long bamboo tiki mug he would stroll between tables at the Leaky Leaky Club sidling up to some matron and go into his signature song Shiny Pebbles. In the wine, make me happy Make me feel fine. Though he flashed a 1000-watt smile, inside he was cringing to the bottom of his soul. Exiting the floor, he would hum a selection from the Sex Pistols to cleanse his music pallet.
863
Let a hundred flowers bloom
Ren Chu was born on the Martian Base in 2095. Her father Ben Chu had been the colonial governor, but quit politics when the facts of the affair came out. She and her mother left the Governor’s mansion and moved from place until they ended up in the Mouse Trap. Ren grow up hard and fast. One day an envelope Arrived for San Chu with the red dragon stamp. She had caught the eye of Director Bin Wha. Ren Chu swiftly rose through the ranks. Her heroism gained her a seat on the ruling council. 2110 she was elected governor.
SERENDIPIDY
I taste salt on my lips, my cheeks burn.
Shiny wet pebbles crunch underfoot.
I pause, gazing out to sea and the distant, hazy horizon.
Before crouching to examine the pebbles at my feet.
I test each one, seeking the perfect candidate for my purpose.
Colour, sheen, size, shape, weight and balance are critically considered.
Many are rejected, but few are chosen.
Finally, I settle on a single stone and resume my long trek along the beach.
And, when we finally meet.
I’ll use it to smash your skull in.
LIZZIE
Pebbles, Shiny, and Footlights decided to order a birthday cake from the local store. They had tried to bake one. However, that didn’t work out well. Let’s just say that a burned down kitchen was a small portion of the problem. So, they ordered the cake, their angelic little faces looking up at the store owner. And they waited. And they waited some more. They became restless. Where’s the kitchen, they asked. Long story short, Pebbles, Shiny and Footlights ended up in jail for burning down the whole block. Talk about an upgrade, minus the birthday cake, they said, chuckling.
RICHARD
– The Gathering –
“I’m not sure about this place, it’s freaky” muttered my traveling companion.
He had a point. The Lair of the Golden Monkeys was legendary, almost mythical; wreathed in mystery and mystique.
“Listen!”
The dark passageways were filled with whispers… The words of half-forgotten stories echoed around us, the voices of writers, fragments of tales lost in time.
We felt like intruders, but we were here as guests. Invited to witness a monkey’s wedding.
Up ahead, shadowy figures loomed: Iron Monkeys, keepers of the written word, here to witness the gathering.
It had all the makings of a great story.
…
LISA
Birthday Parties
No day was the same. We celebrated Birthdays in a haphazard way – it was never specifically anyone’s birthday but probably weekly we would have a Birthday Cake and a party with traditional party games. Most days had singing or dancing
The world of work was a long way away. We cooked together and grew a lot of what we ate. We made and shared clothes. Communal living had once seemed as odd as a Monkey’s wedding but I soon found it hard to think of any other way of doing things.
I was thinking about my family less and less.
NORVAL JOE
The following day at the hospital, though the sun was out, it rained. Raindrops on Sabrina’s window looked like tiny, shiny pebbles. She sat in her bed, wearing a Hello Kitty t-shirt and pink cutoff sweatpants. Something about her seemed different and it wasn’t only her cheery expression.
“Something seems different. What is it?” Billbert asked with an embarrassed smile.
She pointed to her broken leg. “Because of your mother’s help my bones have healed so fast, they took all the pins out.”
All the metal was gone, and though she winced when she did it, Sabrina bent her leg.
PLANET Z
Peterson was well past the age of birthday cakes and parties.
While getting gas, he bought himself one of those cupcake packs, ate both of the cupcakes, and didn’t bother with any candles or anything.
His coworkers knew not to bother him about it.
The last time, he just looked at the cake and left for the day.
Nobody said anything the next day, and the next year, well, it was a Saturday, but the year after that, they didn’t do anything and nobody said anything.
Not even a card.
Because that’s how he liked it. Nice, calm, and quiet.
CHATGPT
At the zoo, Ava and her friends celebrated her birthday under a bright sun that made the pebbles in the path shine like tiny jewels. A sudden rainstorm turned into a “monkey’s wedding,” a sunshower that delighted the children. Ava’s favorite part was the monkey enclosure, where the playful animals jumped around, their fur glistening like footlights on a stage. They paused to listen as the zookeeper explained the phenomenon of a monkey’s wedding. The rain soon cleared, revealing a rainbow. As the zookeeper brought out a birthday cake, Ava grinned, knowing this would be her most memorable birthday.