To Perceive an Image

Thirty: Images of an Unexpected Lesson Plan

Maryanland, September 22, 2040, 10:00 AM

The thing I did not expect myself to do transpired to be the very thing this sunny morning graced me with doing. Visiting Maryanland Flynn's home once was what I wrote on my itinerary, but I got proven wrong. A funny aspect of life is its habit of playing with its players, tossing them around like a volleyball. Or like how orca whales do with seals before they devour them. Yup, that's the perfect metaphor.

Orca whales are life, and humans are the seals getting downright screwed left, right, and center. Right now, the substituted subject for the whale is this home, and I'm the seal dying from dehydration. Haha, both Azail and seal end with the letter L.

That also means I'm a dehydrated loser who's part of a joke.

Back to today's scheduled program, I have some acting in store to perform. I can't mess up or else.

Else what? Flynn's too kind to do anything considered rude. Well, at least to me. I know because whenever I do something; I get a smile from him, someone else does it, and his face turns more stoic than stones. But staying on someone's good side does more good than harm.

Speaking of the handsome specimen, I look to my right and notice his discrete form hiding behind the large tree. He's doing his part well, hiding behind a tree and out of Maryanland Flynn's view. It's the tree not playing its intended role well. Geometry isn't my thing, but the tree's diameter doesn't match that of Flynn's upper half in the slightest. In return, I can still get a peek at his shoulders. Screw the plan to stay hidden. My anxiety appreciates seeing him whenever my asthma acts up.

A sincere screw you to my lungs, they're supposed to support me, not be against me.

Flynn notices my gaze and gives me two thumbs up with a reassuring smile.

I can do this, fuck yeah. I think.

Deep breaths, Azail, except don't take them too deeply, I can't afford to run home for my inhalers since my dumbass forgot them.

With a hesitant hand, I knock on the door.

Don't open the door, please, this can wait.

No, it can't. Shut up, it can.

My prayers must've reached biblically accurate angels instead of the human-like ones we always believed them to look like because my wishes were not fucking heard.

Have no fear, my ass. I'm shaking with fear right now. Why the fuck did the residents have to be respectful and open the door?

I try to keep my reaction to a minimum when khalto opens the door. I've seen her once before, but shit, this back-and-forth stuff does not get familiar, even after a while.

Her drooping eyelids lift to show surprise once she gazes up at me. Wow, I never thought I'd see the day someone would have to look UP at me. The joys of life.

Her hand raises to cover her dropped mouth. When she takes her sweet time registering my mighty presence, she points her index finger at me. "I recognize you, you've been here before, right?" The urge to lie makes my legs shake with the desire to run around this block in continuous circles.

"Yes khalto, I mean ma'am," shit. I doubt Flynn mentioned anything about the creepy interviewer after I left, so let's try to keep shit hidden, Azail.

By Flynn, I mean Flynn squared.

Once again, her eyes widen, "you know Arabic?"

Well, fuck me, "yes, I do."

Smile and wave, babes, wait, the waving part doesn't fit this situation; smile and nod, babes. And wow, what a smile and nod I did. Natural points out of ten come up at about eight, and convincing points are a beautiful ten out of ten. Forget becoming a psychologist, acting should be my career.