seeing that i won't have access to a computer this weekend, i'm posting my photos for the PSH today.
it didn't rain here, so item nº 14- rain, is missing. i couldn't find a pair of shoes that would blow my mind away, so item 10-a pair of shoes, also missing. same thing with the work of art - item nº16- and the interesting architecture - item nº1. (Viedma is the administrative capital of Rio Negro, so architecture here's pretty dull)
2- a sign of autumn
3- something musical
4- something sweet
5- something metallic
6- a landscape (not sure if this one's ok)
7- an interesting doorway
8- a reflection
9- a cemetery (that's my dad's shadow!)
11- a body of water
12- a drink (mate, typical Argentinian drink)
13- a mosaic or mural
15- classic car (1970 or older)
17- a church
18- a statue
19- an interesting sky (my favourite!)
20- something in motion
21- light at night (kinda blurry)
22- a silhouette
23- something historical (pre-1900)
24- a shot from an unusual perspective
25- flowers
26- self-portrait
so there you go, i joined this to have some fun, me and my digital (and sometimes my dad's borrowed nikon) camera... i don't expect to win or anything, but i would like you to leave a thought!
ok, so today mr. n.gray posted a couple of funny videos to make us laugh, and boy did he do it perfectly! those vids were hilarious! check them out here.
so, i youtubed the guys from these vids and came across this:
Reds are motivated by Power. They seek productivity and need to look good to others. Simply stated, reds want their own way. They like to be in the driver's seat and willingly pay the price to be in a leadership role. reds value whatever gets them ahead in life, whether it be in their careers, school endeavors, or personal life. What reds value, they get done. They are often workaholics. They will, however, resist doing anything that doesn't interest them.
Reds like to be right. They value approval from others for their intelligence and practical approach to life, and want to be respected for it. reds are confident, proactive, and visionary; and but can also be arrogant, selfish, and insensitive. When you deal with a RED, be precise, factual, direct, AND show no fear!
First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. NICHOLS! I do hope you have a great day! Look forward to seeing you in "Pedestrian"!
***
Secondly, Forbidden Love is officially FINISHED! For those of you who are not familiar with this, FL is a Fan Fiction I was writing, until this Wednesday, when I completed it! YAY! A bunch of people followed it, and it was their positive feedback what kept me going. Knowing that they liked what I wrote, and that they wanted to hear more, was (and still is) an amazing feeling. So, I think I can -kind of- relate to SGP. It's our support one of the most important -if not THE most important- things they need to keep on going. Even if you leave a short comment on their blog, telling them that they're doing it right, I'm sure they'll know how to appreciate it. It's those small things what brighten our day :)
And lastly, today in Chat it was OT Friday, or Random... and we got to talking about dancing. Indian dances, mostly. I truly admire those dancers, they can sure move!
Check out these 2 videos:
AISHWARYA RAI - BALE BALE - BRIDE & PREJUDICE
The Cheetah Girls 3 - One World - Official Music Video
"She sings as effortlessly as she breathes, an exhale of poetry and sincerity." Hilarie Burton. I couldn't agree more... Ladies and gentlemen: BIBIS! *** "Canta sin esfuerzo así como respira, un exhalo de poesía y sinceridad." Hilarie Burton.
No podría estar más de acuerdo...
Damas y Caballeros: BIBIS!
Bibis: Hey Southern Gothic fans! This is Bibis singing. I am going to play you a song I wrote, and it’s called “Foxes.”
("Foxes" Lyrics- Thank you Nicole, Vero and Niamh!)
Oh, you will ride your foxes And swim with armies You said you’d build us a tower where we could stretch our legs and be free
Oh, you have built this tower Made of lies and misery You scraped the skin from my bones Tied knots in my veins you have built this hole of me
Oh, you will ride your foxes You say you’d save me You swore you’d love, love me
Oh, I could swim these waters that have poured out of me I almost threw out my arms and swore you were the calvary But every mask, every day Through porcelain I see This fairy's tale is fading But I’m a little bit brighter Than you knew me to be My spine unwinds, you see
Yeah, this vision is fading And these walls don’t sing And I wonder if you ever think of me Oh, I wonder if you ever think of me
(Wearing my SGP Street Team T in my French Lesson, spreading the SGP love! / Usando mi remera del SGP Street Team en mi Clase de Francés, repartiendo el amor SGP!)
(2 pics deleted. I realized the printer made a mistake! grrr, i'll be going there later)
YAY! I finally have my T with me!!! It's just like the original one, but this one says "Street Team" under SoGoPro :) This could be the outfit for the SGP cheer squad! lol ;)
a secret: i think i found a way to get my SGP signed T!
I'll be wearing this T-Shirt almost every day! haha
xo, Ella
ps.: let's go street team, let's go!!! (cheer chanting)
(happy birthday, little one! we love you Greenpeace, ha! your friends.)
-my friends call me Greenpeace, because i care about the environment more than anyone they know. and because i used to hit them when they threw rubbish on the streets! now they know better, lol-
(Deb's card- inside)
(Deb's card- outside)
i love my friends so much! now i have to go, the day's not over yet for me, i'm really tired, but still, i'm going for dinner with my family!
Thank you all for wishing me a happy birthday, i believe your wishes came true!
Kelly Tenney's last post got me thinking, do I have a mentor? who? and what does it mean to have one?
I really didn't believe I could have one, I'm only 17 an have a long way to go. But then, I realized, you can have many mentors throughout your life, who will help you in many different ways.
One of them, the most important one so far (and probably, till the end of my days), has been my Mother. My crazy, old fashioned, really patient, loving mother.
With her, I learned the basic things you must know in order to survive in this world. Although she may think I don't pay attention to her, I actually do, well, most of the time. She's always been here for me, wether I wanted her to or not. Guiding me in the right direction. Conforting me when I needed her to, and grounding me when I thought I was right, and turned out I wasn't.
I absolutely adore her, although, I may not tell her that very often. Maybe I should...
As the years will go by, I'll be discovering many new things and perhaps, find new people to guide me through this journey we call "life".
***
I also wanted to mention the guys from SGP: Hilarie, Nick and Kelly, who have taught me that any seed we plant can grow into a magnificent tree, always keeping our feet, or roots, on the ground. Now I now for a fact that every dream of ours can come true. You just need to pour your heart and soul into it.
So, after chatting with the guys from SGP Street Team, one of them gave me this idea, and since I was so bored, I said, why not? So here it is, my plastic (from my brother's huge egg) SGP Easter egg!
Not so long ago, I started questioning my religion -I was a christian. Questions started popping up in my mind, like: how do people know Jesus did all the things they say he did? How can they be so sure? I do recognize his existence, it's the miracle part the one I'm not so sure about. So I started researching (it looks like I'm doing that more and more every day), and found a Buddhist site. Reading through it, I realized this was the way of life for me. Not having a God, only a Master, seems very rational. I look at people who are very devoted to God, and some of them I get, some of them I think are just ridiculous. Living in a certain way, dressing like this, talking like that, so they won't upset their God. I do think it's good to have something to believe in, but just don't take it to the extremes.
Buddhism has taught me so many things, I'm seeing life through new eyes. I'm still learning though, and have a long way to go.
But, how to explain this to my family and friends? Some of them know about this, and they tease me, but I guess it's until they see I'm really into this new me. Some, I'm afraid to come clean to. Afraid of their reaction.
I've decided to celebrate Easter anyway, celebrate my family's happiness. My little brothers' excitement when they open their eggs.
After having Googled "animal totems" for a while, I came across several sites, most of them just junk. Here I gathered some of the info I found.
Apparently, you can't know what your 9 AT's are through the Internet- like with a quiz-, you have to find the AT's yourself, by meditation, or by going to see a Reader (they'll read the Cards for you and tell you your totems). Personally, I'd like to find my totems myself, I don't really believe in the so-called Readers, but to find them, you need to have an OPEN MIND! So...
The Nine Totems
Your totems are found in 7 directions around your spirit: East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Within. The last two animals are walking beside you at all times; your Right Side (male) and your Left Side (feminine). While sometimes the living animal is around you, most often they are only the essence of the animal.
At different times in your life, you may also have Special Helpers and/or Special Protectors.These stay with you for an limited period of time, depending on the challenges that you must face.They usually appear in person, in dreams or during meditation.
Children also benefit greatly from having their totems around them.Placing figurines or stuffed versions of their totems in their room is very soothing for a child -- and brings the essence of their totems even closer. Their room becomes a safe haven and your child will be happy there. They grow up instinctively knowing their animal -- even if they've never heard of totems.
Each and every person on earth has nine power totem animals that symbolize the medicine they carry in their Earth Walk. These animals or creatures beings imitate each person’s abilities, talents, challenges and dreams. For instance, if a person is linked to a Wolf as a power animal, that person is born a teacher, pathfinder, innovator, and self-starter. This does not necessarily mean that a person has acknowledged those gifts and is using them to the fullest. It can mean that Wolf is there to bring that person to an understanding of the talents; you might say that Wolf would be appearing in the contrary. As you come into Earth Walk, there are seven directions surrounding your physical body. These directions are East, South, West, North, Above, Below, and Within. The direction called Within exists within you, but also surrounds you, since the entire universe is inside your consciousness’. You have a totem animal in each of the seven directions to teach you the lessons of these directions. The other two animals, which make up your nine totems are the ones which are walking at each side of you at all times, and which may possibly have been coming to you for years in your dreams. If they have not come to you in dreams, they may be animals that you are drawn to but which have not appeared amongst the seven you selected. You may find that these last two creatures will appear for you at a later date. The two that walk by your side may be from any part of the animal kingdom on Mother Earth. One of them could be a Duck, Big Horned Sheep, Vulture, or a Raccoon. Seeking advice from a book on animal habits to better understand the Medicines of these animals, and see how their characteristics applies to both human kind and your self. Your opinions of your self cannot get in the way when you pick these cards, therefore you will tend to learn more about your true nature when you simply allow the animals come to you. Once you have finished the selection of your seven animals for the seven directions, you should not do this process again. These are the creature beings that are your medicine.
To The East of You:
This Animal Totem guides you to your highest Spiritual challenges and protects you.
To The West of You:
This Animal Totem guides you to your inner being, your higher self.
To the South of You:
This Animal Totem guides you with your balance - Spiritually, Emotionally, Physically & Financially
To the North of You:
This Animal Totem guides your inner wisdom-right and wrong.
Above You:
This Animal Totem guides you into the Universe and visits with you during relaxed dream state.
Below You:
This Animal Totem guides you to be in touch with Mother Earth and brings balance for you.
Within You:
This Animal Totem guides you to want you are really wanting and creates with you your experiences.
To The Right Of You:
This Animal Totem is your protector and instills courage and strength within you.
To The Left Of You:
This Animal Totem teaches you to take care of yourself and all others.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF FINDING YOUR TOTEM:
-1-
Step 1
Understand what a totem is:
The word totem, itself, originated from the Ojibwe word doodem. The original concept had to do with kinship and clan – a personal and family symbol.
The translated word totem, nowadays, can mean many different things - different cultures have different concepts of this guardian spirit. For the purpose of this guide and as its most common modern meaning, a totem is in general an animal; a guide and an influence in life, self-discovery, and learning.
Step 2
Now I know what it is, but do I have one?
Discovering your totem animal entails more than just deciding that you have one. It is not something you can force. I personally believe that everyone has a totem animal (and sometimes more than one!) – it is just a matter of finding out what it is. Your totem animal may not necessarily resemble you. It could even be something you don’t like but that is trying to teach you a lesson you really need to learn. For instance, many people do not like skunks, but did you know that they represent respect and self-assurance? That is certainly a lesson many people need to learn – to respect themselves and gain positive self-esteem. So, keep an open mind!
Step 3
Ok, if I have one, what is it?
One of the easiest ways to discover your totem animal is to start by asking yourself the following questions.
1. Is there a specific animal I’ve always been drawn to?
2. Is there an animal that has had a strong influence on your life?
3. Is there any animal out there that particularly fascinates you?
If nothing is coming to mind, try to think of a time in your life that you received unexplained guidance or had an epiphany of sorts. What was it about? Different animals represent different lessons and if there is something that’s always kind of been there with you, look for an animal that corresponds with this ‘invisible’ guide. For instance, if you always find courage when you need it and have no idea how you overcame a certain circumstance, perhaps there is a lion there, offering strength and not-so-gentle nudge.
Check out guides on animal symbolism (there are some resources listed at the bottom of this article) and read about the characteristics and lessons of different animals. Do any particularly inspire you?
Step 4
I think I’ve found something, now what?
The reason animal totems can be so powerful is what we can learn from them. Spend some time learning about what animals interest (or repel) you. Learn about their behavior and biology. Look at pictures and videos of them. Think about them and how you could draw on their strengths.
For instance, many people think of crows and ravens as being dark, dirty birds – harbingers of death and disease. In reality, these birds are both extremely intelligent and playful. Have you ever seen a raven sledding on its back down a snowy slope just for the fun of it? Far from the evil, solitary shadow they can sometimes invoke, corvids can teach us a lot about community and building positive relationships in our lives.
-2-
How To Find Your Animal Totem
An Animal Totem is an important symbolic object used by a person to get in touch with specific qualities found within an animal which the person needs, connects with, or feels a deep affinity toward.
You can have several animal guides through out your life. Sometimes an animal guide will come into your life for a short period of time, and then be replaced by another depending on the journey or direction you are headed toward. Your guide will instruct and protect you as you learn how to navigate through your spiritual and physical life. When you find an animal that speaks strongly to you or feel you must draw more deeply into your life, you might fill your environment with images of the animal to let the animal know it's welcome in your space. Animal guides can help you get back to your Earthly roots, and reconnect with nature by reminding you that we are all interconnected. To first do this you need to know what your Animal Totem is.
If You Don't Know
If you don't know what your Animal Totem is there are several questions you can ask yourself. All of the questions below are designed to get you thinking about a prominent animal in your life. There are no right or wrong answers. Only you can truly know which Animal Totem(s) are right for your journey.
1. Since we are drawn to that which resonates with us, what animal, bird, or insect are you drawn to?
2. When you go to the park, forest, or zoo what animal are you most interested in seeing?
3. What animal do you most frequently see when you're out in nature or in the city?
4. What animals are you currently interested in learning about?
5. Which animal do you find most frightening or intriguing?
6. Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal?
7. Is there a recurring animal in your dreams or do you have one you have never forgotten?
Still Uncertain?
If you are still uncertain which animal is your totem, here a few exercises you can do to come closer to the answer. You must not try to force the animal to come, it can pick up on that energy and be put off. Being patient and doing the following exercises will draw your animal totem to you.
1. Ask yourself what animal has played a meaningful part in your world? If you're unsure, make a list of animals that have drawn your interest or have left a deep impression on you from paintings, photographs, stories, movies, carvings, etc.
2. Which animal shows up in your life most frequently? Keep a journal of the animals present in your dreams or that you encounter through the day for the next month. How did the animal behave? Did you interact with the animal?
3. Find a place where you can be alone to meditate. Sit quietly and ask your animal to make it's nature known to you. Feel free to use tools such as incense, smudge, and candles to help you.
4. Don't give up, sometimes your animal totem is nearby watching to see if you're serious about connecting with it. Keep doing the above exercises until your animal totem makes itself known to you.
-3- (Personal Favourite):
Answer these questions to help you discover the Animal Totems in your life. For Journey and Message Animal Totems you will have to often ask yourself the same questions. Remember that you may not currently have a Journey or Message totem. And finding out your Life animal totem is not always easy. When answering these questions you may have more than one answer per question, just don't start listing out all animals - only the ones that are really important to you. Follow your instincts when answering the question - when in doubt, don't.
Life Long Animal Totems
When you were a child, what animal did you collect or obsess over that you are still attracted to today?
Of all animals if you could have any animal as a pet or companion what would it be?
When going to the zoo, which animal do you spend the most time with or are drawn to?
If you could be any animal what animal would it be?
What animal is in your dreams that you have had since childhood?
What animal are you afraid of that you have no idea why you are afraid of it?
Of all animals what animals are you most attracted to?
When you are out in nature, do you often seem to run into the same animal?
What animal have you bumped into over and over throughout your life?
What animal have you watched for hours?
Does art work or jewelry with a certain animal always attract you?
You Life Long Animal Totem will be the animal that you answered at least three times out of the eleven questions. The more times the same animal is listed in your answers the more important and stronger it is in your life. The one that appeared most is your current Animal Spirit totem.
Journey Animal Totems
What animal have you started to see occasionally that you never saw before?
What new animal are you attracted to?
Are you dreaming of an animal lately?
Are you thinking about an animal lately?
In the past two weeks what animals have you seen or dreamt of several times?
If you have a Journey Animal Totem you will have answered at least three of the questions with the same animal. Blessings on your new path.
Message Animal Totems
What animal surprised or startled you today?
What animal that you don't usually see, have you seen a couple of times today?
What animal entranced you today?
If you answered the same animal to two question then this animal is your Message Totem with a very important message. Heed it's word quickly for the message is for now and today. If you only answered one question then this is a message you should still consider.
Shadow Animal Totems
What animal attacks have you been in?
What scary or traumatic animal situations have you been in?
Does seeing a certain animal bring up feelings of fear?
What animal do you run from?
What animals do you have reoccurring nightmares about?
Does just watching TV with that animal appearing scare you?
Answering two questions with the same animal means you have a Shadow Totem you must address. Remember that the Shadow Totem will continually test you and work against you for you are it's prey. You must embrace the lesson of the animal totem and conquer your fear, accept the power of the Shadow totem, and bring it into the light as your spiritual totem.
So a few hours ago, the big secret was revealed! The guys from the SoGoPro Crew have designed a really cool T-Shirt and are selling it to US$ 40, to raise money for their new company. They need everyone to buy one, or how many as you like, to start collecting funds for SoGoPro.
Ok, so here's my problem: 1- the shirts are way too expensive for me (US$ 40 = ARG $ 150- without shipping costs), 2- even if I had the money, which I would save anyway to get one, I don't live in the US! So I'm thinking it would be even more expensive if I found a way to get one, 3- and I really, really want one! They are signed by my Favourite actress!
So I had a moment of inspiration. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I thought... : A few days ago, I was actually planning on making a SoGoPro T-Shirt myself, just didn't know how to design it. And now, after having consulted it with the guys of the SoGoPro Street Team (I'm a proud member!), I came up with the idea of borrowing the design and making the T-Shirt anyway! This way, I'll be morally supporting SoGoPro, just not financially. Like I said before, I would be more than happy to help Hilarie, Nick and Kelly, so I will, first chance I get! I hope they approve of my idea... It would be so cool to be wearing the T-Shirt, and someone asking me : "hey, what's that on the T-Shirt?" And then I would reply: "It's SoGoPro, man! The best film producer in the world!"
So there you go. I'm making the T, and will wear it proudly! (If Hil, Nick, or Kelly should read this, I'm backing you up all the way down from Argentina! Hope you don't get too mad at me!)
(New story, kinda long, read it when you have time... Leave a comment, or not.)
Miss Maker worked day and night, the best manufacturer in the country. She made your product just like you wanted it, Black, white or yellow, Happy, sad or mellow. She’d put inteligence, taste in music, books, whatever you asked for it to have. She was the perfect maker.
Miss Maker lived alone, mainly because she was afraid that someone would steal her secret. So she let no-one in.
And for that same reason, she had a Hall of Visitors, located just across her home slash lab. In this Hall was where she took all of her orders herself, no secretary to help her, same reasons as before. The Hall was bright and big, with vases filled with fresh flowers on every surface, to help create a more tranquil environment for when the clients arrived. The walls were a light shade of green, the sofas were a light blue colour, and long windows were located on the west wall, letting the sun in on a spring day. People then would make an appointment with her, go to the Hall, and disscuss what their final product should have. Only then Miss Maker would start creating her client’s desire.
Everyone knew about MM –that’s how they all called her, for short- and her ‘company’. It was her whom they chose when wanting a new, perfect product. She was the best maker in the country. This was common knowledge.
And so, MM’s fortune grew larger by the month; only taking five orders at a time. She didn’t trust in the big multinational companies, nor in the CEOs, nor in anything big and corporate for that matter. She always said that her way of working was the best there was. And to a certain point, that was true.
Miss Maker was a strange maker. And so were her products. MM did not create fashions, nor art, nor furniture. What she made was so much more than that. MM created life.
She created an actual living being based on her clients’ preferences. She made them black, white or yellow, Happy, sad or mellow. But I believe I told you this already.
“Miss Maker’s Custom Made Children” was the name of her shop. Taking two, she made a small discount, But taking three, the third was for free. Always with the promise that you’d come back to her if your product needed a repair.
Such were the precautions she took when making the product, that no-one ever needed to come back for a repair. A secret formula she had, made by her grandmother, perfectioned by herself. She had sworn to take it to the grave, having no children of her own. She thought about this ocassionally, but immediantely cleared her mind from all of these, since it made her sad. So she tried not to think about it too much. But when she did, she contented herself with the knowledge that it was better for her this way. No messy, screaming child to take care of, she could focus on her work with no distractions.
The years passed, and her once small enterprise had grown to become the place to go whenever someone wanted a child.
But why these people didn’t ‘make’ the children themselves, in the old fashioned way, you may be asking yourself. The reason is my friends, that they preferred it this way. Many nights they cried, and luckily MM heard their sorrow. She would help them, then, to bring back the missing piece. Of course, the duplicate was never the same as the original, but MM did her best to make them as true to the original as possible. And her clients always left her shop with a smile on their faces, and a new member to their families.
But MM did not make a duplicate for just anyone, not even if they offered her millions. That’s why her Hall was so important to her. In there she got to know the potential customers’ personality, their way of life, and anything else that she considered relevant when deciding whether to make them a child or not. If she found them to be pushy people, who only wanted a child to boss around, she would refuse to the deal. If she found them suffocating, and thought that the child would grow to become mentally unbalanced, she would nicely say no.
She rarely turned down people, everyone who went to her had a hole in their hearts, which MM was happy to fix.
Her so-called normal life continued, working around the clock to be on time for her deadlines. She didn’t like to be late, not for her job, not for anything else.
In regards to MM’s love life, well let’s just say that her relationships record was not a happy one. That was one of the main reasons about why she’d decided to continue with her grandmother’s legacy. Everyone remembered Mother Maker to be the pioneer in this field. But MM was better than her grandmother ever was.
So MM had come to the decision to forget about love. It didn’t seem to work out very well with her. Not everyone finds their other half, she said. We don’t all live in a fairy tale, that’s for dreamers. No, MM lived in the real, miserable world.
Luckily for her, she seemed to have found a way to shut herself down from the outside. Leaving it all behind her, finding a calm place inside of her soul. This worked, most of the time.
One seemingly normal day, MM received a phone call. A call that would change the perfection in her small and closed world.
The caller did not identify itself, and all MM could hear through the speaker were screams, really high pitched yelling. She took back the speaker, massaging her ear as she did so, and tried to listen to what the caller what saying.
But she must have heard wrong, she thought, she must have misunderstood the person’s yells. Clearly it had to be a mistake. Because there was no possible way that one of MM’s products could be failing.
The caller, who sounded like a man, was telling MM how badly his product had turned out to be. He had specifically asked for a football player, And had gotten a boy who loved prayers. He had asked MM for a boy who sang, Not for someone prone to being stung. He had wanted a boy who would listen to what he was told, Instead, he’d gotten one with freedon engraved on his soul.
Extremely nervous, MM said she was sorry. She told the caller that she had no idea how this could have happened. Embarrassed to the fullest, MM kindly asked the man to take the boy to her, and collect the new product in a week.
The man agreed to this, and said that he’d be taking the child to the Hall in an hour. MM apologized for a fifth time, and then, heard the tone of the phone indicating that the caller had hung up.
Could this be happening?, she asked herself. Never in twenty-five years in this bussiness had she made a flawed product. This really disturbed her. What was she going to do with a broken child?
The time came for the man to arrive with the boy. She knew what had to be done. There was no other way.
The procedure was quick, only lasted four minutes. But the smell that remained was nauseating.
She went for a walk then, leaving all of the windows opened to let the smell leave the place for when she came back. And it was certainly gone.
Not a week had passed, when MM received a new phone call. It was another unsatisfied client. The same arrangement she’d made with the first Caller, the exact same smell lingered in her home.
Now every day Miss Maker would go for a walk. She would visit her friends, whom she hadn’t seen in a while. She would go to the Park, and have lunch with her brother Mark. Each day something different, each day away from the smell.
Everyone knew about MM and her ‘U-Chi Remover’. It was her whom they chose when wanting to get rid of the broken product. She was the best remover in the country. This was common knowledge.
Of course, not every broken product had been made by her. When a client took a flawed child to the U-Chi-R, MM would make them a discount in the making of a new one. This way everyone won.
Well, almost everyone. That’s what she thought.
A certain winter day, the U-Chi-R stopped functioning. MM had no idea what could have gone wrong, so she called a Technician. The Technician told MM that it was going to take a couple of days to fix the machine. It seemed that the gas pipes were frozen, and one of them, broken.
MM said that there was no problem, that she could wait. She had no appointment scheduled for that week. Or so she thought.
The following day, MM received yet another phone call from an angry client. MM kindly asked the New Caller to wait until the next week, for the U-Chi-R was not working at the moment. The New Caller, surprised and furious for the answer he was getting, said that he could not wait another minute to take the broken child to MM. He abruptly hung up the phone, leaving MM with a tight knot in the pit of her stomach.
What was she going to do when the Broken Product? The Technician had told her that the U-Chi-R would be mended by next Friday, five days away. She couldn’t think of what to do to the useless Product. She certainly could not wait until Friday to dispose of the thing. So she set up to find a new way to get rid of it.
Two hours later, the New Caller arrived to the Hall, bringing the Broken Child with him. It was a little girl, MM remembered her well. MM couldn’t imagine what could possibly be wrong with her, the Girl seemed to be working just fine. She was polite to MM when the New Caller told her that she’d be staying with Miss Maker for a while. She even kissed the Caller goddbye, telling him she looked forward to when they met again. The New Caller didn’t say a word to the Child, but handed over an envelope to MM, a cold look in his eyes, telling her he’d be back to pick “her” (he winked at MM when saying this) up next week. He just mouthed a weak “Bye” in the direction of the child, turned and was out the door.
The Girl then asked MM what were they going to do that afternoon, because it was very cold to play outside. MM told her that she was right, that instead of playing outside, they would go to visit an old friend of hers. She promised the Girl they would have a good time. They both left the Hall with very strong feelings inside of them. Opposite feelings, that is.
MM led the Girl to her car, jumped in herself, and drove away. The Girl then asked MM if her Friend’s house was far, to which question MM replied that it was, that they would have to travel for an hour to get there. The Girl seemed to be nine years old, but was in fact, one an a half. MM started wondering then why would the New Caller want a replacement now, why not a year ago if the Girl was broken beyond repair. The Girl asked MM if she could turn on the radio, and finished her request with a “Please”. MM obliged, and found in the radio a song she thought the Girl would like. Almost immediately, the Girl started singing along. MM couldn’t help but to grin a little, but stopped herself before she started singing too.
More than an hour had passed, when the Little Girl started suspecting MM was not taking her where she had promised her. But still, she said nothing. Instead she asked MM if she had children of her own. MM, shocked by this unexpected question, told her no. She told the Little Girl that when growing up, she would imagine herself in a big house full of her children, and her loving husband with his arm aroung her waist. This image filled MM’s thoughts, and for a second she forgot all about the Little Girl. But then, the Girl brought her back from her reverie, by asking her why she hadn’t found the life she’d wanted. To this question, MM had not an honest answer. She changed the subject quickly, telling the Girl that they were getting to where they were going, and that the Girl would love that place.
“But of course I won’t!”, said the Girl, giggling. “I know just where we’re going.”
MM was sure the Girl was lying –this had to be her flaw- and continued driving.
“We’re going to the Woods, aren’t we?”, the Girl asked MM, a big smile on her lips.
MM decided to play along. She told the Girl that it was a surprise, and admitted to have planned a picnic for the two of them.
“I don’t think so,” said the the Little Girl, “I know what you’re planning to do to me. And I understand.”
MM was completely puzzled, and decided to pull the car over, to have a little chat with the Little Girl, something she’d never done before with a Broken Child.
She kindly asked the Little Girl to elaborate her response.
The Girl giggled, and placed herself better in her seat, excited to have MM so intrigued. She began talking.
“This is not the first time I’ve been here,” she told MM, whose eyes were big as plates, “I remember this forest like I was here the day before last. Oh, yes. I didn’t come here alone, you know. No,” she paused, appearing to be reminiscing, “it was my father who brought me here the first time. Yes, I remember it very clearly. I remember how furious he was when he ended my life. He looked like he was going to burst. But when he took me here, the day was a sunny one. I like sunny days, when you can play outside. When I died, you were already famous. ‘Miss Maker and her wonderful U-Chi-R can take all your problems away!’, my mother repeated again and again. Of course, I didn’t pay much attention to what she said back then.” She said, looking out the window. “With my last breath, I saw my father’s eyes, and the regret in them. I forgave for everything he had made my mother and I go through. When you made me,” she continued, bringing her eyes back to MM’s glare, “all of my memories returned. We, the Duplicates, do not forget, you see. All that we used to know, returns to us when we put one foot out of your shop, and into the world one more time. We are a new person, to call us something, but with our previous experience in life already engraved in our minds. That’s why my father brought me to you. He had no idea that his daughter was in here somewhere. He didn’t want to remember her. Simply wanted to forget. Many nights he struggled with the idea of killing his daughter yet again; many fights with my mother, who wanted me to stay. But he set his foot down, and my mother couldn’t handle it. She couldn’t bare to lose me once more. So she lost herself, rather than losing me again. I think she knew exactly what she was doing, but carried in with her plan nevertheless. That was what did it, what drove my father to bring me to you. I knew what was happening from the beginning, but decided to play dumb. We know what you do to our kind, and sometimes we accept it, knowing it was for the best; but most of the times, the Owners of the Broken Children take them to you based on a whim. Nothing more than wanting a new and improved version of the last Child. Like I said, we don’t forget.”
MM couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Could the Little Girl be telling the truth?
“You are right in not believing in me right away. I knew you wouldn’t. That’s why you’ll be having a little party visiting you tomorrow. They will go to collect my body, and talk to you about what I’ve been telling you. Then you’ll know that I wasn’t lying. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
And with that, the Little Girl got out of the car, and ran into the woods, MM following her.
“It’s all right,” was the last thing she said. Her smile remained frozen on her lips.
The next day, MM received a visit. The Duplicates had come as the Girl had promised. They all introduced themselves to Miss Maker, to explain that they too wanted to live, like the Original Ones had.
MM understood immediately. She and the Duplicates came up with a plan. MM would continue with the façade of the U-Chi-R, but the Broken Children would have a better destination.
She then brought the dead and cold body of the Little Girl, for the Duplicates to take her. She was very fond of her now, of her spirit at least. She couldn’t bare the idea that her father would dispose of her the way he had done. The Girl deserved so much more.
MM asked them to forgive her. She had been blind, she said, until this Girl had taken off what kept her eyes closed. For that, she would be forever grateful to her.
(that's my dad's shadow!)
