Hurricane Story

By -
(This is based on a real life story narrated by one of our acquaintances Lida)

A Highway in Tennessee, a red Honda Accord going towards the coast, four Czech researchers - three women and one man are driving to the seaside.

Pavel - An American Citizen and a Scientist.
Jana - Pavel’s wife and a scientist.
Magdalena - A student from Czech Republic pursuing research in America.
Lida - Czech Researcher who has visited America for a conference.

Pavel is driving the car and they are listening to a CD of old Czech folk songs.

Lida - Feeling so glad that I met you three Czechs in that conference. I had such a good time.

Jana - Yes... it was good that we could speak in Czech with you; you can see our Czech language has deteriorated, isn’t it?
Between, how are things going in Czech Republic?

Lida - Economic situation is surely getting better. But we Czechs still would have preferred our country to be next to a sea, don’t you think so? (Laughs out loud)

Jana - (Laughs) that’s true, we crave so much for sea and sun, isn’t it?  I should say this again, the smoked pork sauce and dumplings you had prepared yesterday were awesome; my sauce consistency never comes up to yours, you know? It was so thick and rich and it reminded my mother’s. Sigh!

Magdalena - well, I prefer vegetarian food. I am vegan you see. I don’t like it when people kills animals and eat them. When I was a young girl, I had witnessed a pig slaughter in my village in Czech Republic. It was terrible sight for me, really. From then, I decided not to eat any meat at all.

Lida - Děkuji (thank you in Czech) Jana. But I should say this; beer here is not that good at all, isn’t it?

Pavel - O Yes, me and Jana have long stopped expecting beer quality here to be as good as the Czech’s. Czechs are the Emperors of beer making anytime.

Madgalena - My Grandfather always says that I am not fit to be a Czech since I don’t eat meat especially pork meat nor I drink Beer…

(Everyone laughs out loud)

There was silence for sometime, Czech Folk songs playing in the background…
Then …

Jana - guys, I think this part of the highway looks strangely deserted and don’t you think so??

Pavel - Yes, it seems deserted, but so what? (Still in nostalgic mood)

Jana - but Pavel, if you see properly only this side of the highway is mostly deserted, look at the other side, it’s full.

Magdalena - Jana, you are right, the drivers on the other side seem to be in a rush too.

Lida - Hey look, people behind us are taking a turn towards the other side of the highway and there seems nobody in our front! Hey what’s happening? Something is surely wrong.

Pavel - come on ladies, it is good for us isn’t it? We can reach the beach sooner. Let’s stop complaining…

Jana - Pavel, forget about reaching beach sooner, there seems nobody in front or behind us anymore!! See it for yourself…

Pavel - Oh yeah?? and whose idea was it to go to the sea, was it mine?? You are the one who’s “fond” of seas, not me!! (To himself, but I am still a Czech).

Magdalena [(To herself) I will never travel with a married couple anymore, they don’t stop fighting in these situations too, damn it]

Jana - Pavel, can you please switch on the radio?

Pavel - Ok!! let me switch on the local radio.

On Radio “… the hurricane is expected to hit the south eastern coasts of America in next few hours... People near the sea side are evacuated …”

Jana - Hurricane???! and Mr. Pavel never thought of listening to the weather forecast before leaving to the sea is it??.
Pavel, if we get killed in that hurricane, I will kill you!!

Magdalena to herself (I am promising to myself that I will never and ever travel with a married couple again, oh god!! this is my promise to you too, if I am rescued from this horrid situation, I will stick to my promise. Please save us!!!)

Lida - Jana, please calm down... everything will be all right. (To herself- Am I telling this??, I getting so scared!!)

Pavel - Ok… All please stay calm… I am taking a turn to the other side of the highway.

All of them reached Memphis soon enough and then visited a nearby pub for some drink...

Magdalena - Ok, let me try some beer...
I am visiting Czech Republic in another two weeks. I will try and surprise my grandparents… I will give a try and eat our traditional food, our traditional pork meat… Oh what an incident this was!!

Jana - so Magdalena, this American hurricane has surely made a Czech out of you!!

Everyone laughs out loud…

Comments

  1. ಸೀತಾರಾಮ. ಕೆ. / SITARAM.K4 October 2010 at 12:13

    Excellent comedy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bhavana Rao6 October 2010 at 10:38

    Thanks Seetaram :))

    ReplyDelete
  3. S.R.Ayyangar6 October 2010 at 15:23

    Magdalena must thank the 'hurricane'!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Uma Anandane6 October 2010 at 18:03

    Very beautifully written..remainds me of that never wait to do what you wanted to do..:)

    If you like something about my blog,do VOTE ME!

    http://www.indiblogger.in/indipost.php?post=34845
    Your Vote counts for me!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Arpana7 October 2010 at 13:17

    enjoyable!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bhavana Rao8 October 2010 at 21:30

    thanks Aparna :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Purba11 October 2010 at 11:38

    LMAO...seriously you didn't make up this wonderful anecdote??

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bhavana Rao11 October 2010 at 19:44

    except for the hurricane part(All 4 observing that the highway on thier side is empty, radio message, and pavel(fictional character) saying- we can reach sea sooner) rest are my story.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Arvind Passey21 April 2013 at 13:47

    Some really crisp dialogues there... I think you would have a lot of such stories to share. So why call them just 'blog posts'? They have a genetic link-up with a short-story...

    You do have a racy writing style... loved the post... oops! story!

    Arvind Passey
    www.passey.info

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhavana Rao21 April 2013 at 16:04

      Thank you Arvind :-) I have labeled this under 'story/play'.

      Delete
  10. Bhavana Rao21 April 2013 at 16:05

    Dekuji Romana :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ritu9 October 2013 at 07:39

    Interesting, vibrant.

    ReplyDelete

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