The Garlic Shuttle

Being a Sunday morning today, my domestic wasn’t around. I had to ready the water for coffee on my own. Some noise had disturbed my sleep. What an unearthly hour to wake up at 8.30am!

Summer is already around. Mornings are still somewhat bearable. Musing about the luxury of sipping a hot beverage in cold weather, I had stepped inside the kitchen.

That weird noise was more pronounced in there. These 1^st floor guys are so restless. Ever since they have shifted here, they’ve hardly been quiet. Banging almost every door at odd hours seems to be their hobby. Muttering under my breath I went to floss. That noise was no more heard in sporadic interval. It had grown to become a constant buzz! It must be the breeze. It’s so darn bad in noon even now in early March; it feels as if it’s May already or maybe even April.. The same cool breeze turns itself like some desert storm.

I splashed my face with some more cold water. Soon it would become difficult to run the tap water because of the temperature.

Nevermind! It’s Coffee time.

What the heck! Why didn’t the maid put the garlic bulbs in the hanging basket? One forgetful, careless and deaf woman I have almost adopted- that she is. But these weren’t there when I had sat the water to boil.

“Quick! Get into the pod!”

How could a garlic pod refer to a pod peel as the pod?

Wait! Did I hear the pod talking?

That’s exactly what happens when you watch too many sci- fi movies, back to back with extra dose of Ben 10 thrown in!

While pouring the hot water over the coffee powder in the mug, I noticed some of the pods were zipping their peels on them.

I couldn’t believe that was happening again.

The pods lay scattered across the kitchen table. This was certainly not how it was when I had first stepped in there. Within a few seconds the pods were assembled as a bulb. I must have lost my mind; I saw the stick glowing too! The bulbs stood still on the roots which supported the garlic to stand erect.

“We are ready to leave!”

Crash, they break the kitchen window glass and fly away!

***RING***

My cellphone alarm woke me up. It was set for 9.30am so I would have half hour before getting ready to watch Ben 10.

I smiled recalling the dream sequence. I sit some water for my coffee. The garlic bulbs lay scattered on the kitchen table. It seemed that my domestic indeed had forgotten to hang those in the basket. Pigeons had already emptied the bird bath. I opened the veranda glass door to step out to refill their bucket.

Zzzzzaaaaaaap!

One of the garlic space-ship went past my head. I had begun to imagine things by then. Or maybe not! Almost at once, all the garlic bulbs started to spin over the kitchen table. The spinning seemed to raise the bulb making them ready to fly.

One by one, they all zoomed past me..

• Posted for Magpie Tales 56.

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