My Imaginary Life 06
Jo is sitting against the headboard of the bed, her arms wrapping around her knees which are pulled close to her chest. Shah is still sitting on the left edge of the bed facing her, one leg tucked in under him.
Jo: So you’re not some kind of professional killer?
Shah bursts out laughing.
Shah: No! Not at all. Sorry if I scared you or anything. I just couldn’t help myself.
Jo: There are no guns or stuff in those cases?
Shah: No no no. It was all an act. You know, I never thought that you’d actually faint.
Jo: An act? I don’t understand.
Shah: Hang on, I’ll show you.
Shah exits the room and returns with one of the metal cases. He places the case on the bed between himself and Jo. Shah releases the clasps and opens the case revealing a rather large video camera. Jo suddenly gets even more worried.
Jo: A… vid… video camera?
Shah: Yeah. Well, I make amateur films.
Jo’s expression falls even further into despair.
Jo: Amateur… films…?
Jo suddenly sighs, defeated. She begins talking to herself.
Jo: I knew it! I knew I should have listened to mom when she said I’m always too friendly with people I just met. I mean, what was I thinking, entering a man’s house almost the same minute I meet him. Okay so he’ s my neighbour.. but I don’t even know his last name.
Shah: Jo…
Jo: Well, when I was younger, I did want to be an actress some day, which is why I joined the drama club in school. I even managed to get the lead role in the school’s version of Romeo & Juliet. And my instructor did say I had the potential to make it big one day.
Shah: Jo…
Jo: I was actually voted by my class “Most likely to appear in a movie”. And look where it’s got me, trapped in a room with a bed and a video camera!
Shah: Josephine!
Jo breaks out of her rant and suddenly rolls off the bed away from Shah and gets on her feet.
Jo: Stay away from me, you hentai pervert!! I know kung pao!
Jo raises her hands and right knee in front of her. She tries to balance on her left foot awkwardly.
Shah: I think you mean kung fu. And you’re over-reacting.
Jo: Over-reacting?!? I’m serious, don’t come near me!! I know how to kick where it hurts!
Jo switches balancing on her left leg to her right and almost falls over.
Shah can’t help but smile. He tries to explain.
Shah: Listen, Jo. When I said I make amateur films, what I meant was that I’m an amateur filmmaker… NOT a pornographer. I make short slice-of-life films as a hobby. That was what I was trying to explain with the camera, what the act with the knife was about. I just have a flair for the dramatic. I usually get a lot of my story ideas from stuff that happens in my real life, and I usually try to spice things up but sometimes my imagination runs a bit too wild and I get carried away. So I guess I must apologize for that. I’m sorry.
Jo is still in her contrived martial arts stance but she calms down slightly. Shah is still sitting down calmly on the other side of the bed.
Jo: Okay, so you’re not a professional killer… or a pornographer, thank God. So what in the world do you do for a living then?!
Shah: I’m a chef.
Jo is stunned for a second. She drops her stance.
Jo: You’re a chef and a filmmaker with an overactive imagination?
Shah: That about sums it up I guess.
Jo: It does explain how you’re so good with a knife.
Shah: Yup.
Jo feels rather sheepish all of a sudden. She stares at her feet drawing a line on the floor in front of her.
Jo: Look, I think I should apologize too. For jumping to conclusions about you.
Shah is light-hearted.
Shah: Well, I can’t blame you for the professional killer.
Jo smiles a little, relieved that Shah is being so understanding. She is silent for a while. Shah just watches her, also not really knowing what to say. Jo looks out the window and notices that it’s dark outside.
Jo: What time is it?
Shah: It’s close to eleven.
Jo: That late? I must have been unconscious for a whlie.
Shah: Yeah. You should probably head home and get some more rest though.
Jo: Yeah, I guess I will.
Jo walks out of the bedroom and Shah follows her to his front door. Jo picks up her shoes from the floor. She turns to Shah, smiling brightly.
Jo: You know, it was actually.. quite exciting.. today. Maybe a little too exciting. But it was fun. One of those days you won’t forget.
Shah: Yeah. And talk about bad first impressions, professional killer slash pornographer is a first for me.
Jo giggles.
Shah: Hey Jo, would you like to have dinner here sometime? As a proper apology for today and also, a proper house warming. I’ll cook.
Jo makes a show of thinking about it and then answers with an impish smile and a sparkle in her eye.
Jo: Mmm. I’ll think about it. Ask me again tomorrow.
Jo turns away from Shah and walks barefoot the couple of steps to her door, unlocks it and enters.
This entry was posted on Sunday, October 30th, 2005 at 11:28:36 pm and is filed under Scribbles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
~Z~ October 31st, 2005 at 12:35:55 am
Shit.
I was hoping for Jo to pull aside the blanket and realise her legs were gone. Then she looks up and sees Shah licking his lips.