A while before the alarm beep went off, I was roused from my sleep by a disturbing dream. I had lost my Laptop while on a bus and had lost everything: my credit card, my cheque books, driving licence, Pan Card - the whole lot. Even as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I was cheered by the sight of the faint outline of my Laptop sitting on the table. So, I hadn't lost any of it afterall! But the dream had set the tone for my gloom.
I sat in the dark, looking out at a dark sky, waiting for the grey glimmer of dawn to show up. Finally, I stirred myself to prepare the most delicious capuccino that I have gotten used to whipping up for myself since the last 2 months. The aroma of fresh arabica coffee wafts thru' the house getting Dojo' canine nose to twitch and Minoti to stir as if Dojo' olfactory response is somehow wired to her own. I sit and brood over my coffee and realize that somehow, in the blink of an eye, 11 years have gone by and Bryan is now giving his 10th Std prelims. I went over memories of standing in the queue to pay up his fees at kindergarten, while he went wandering around, squeezing himself past people' legs, looking out for strays - his favorite pastime then. And then I was humming Don Maclean' tune as if to give identity to my pensive reflection.
Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.
The coffee dregs drained to the last drop, I slapped my thighs and said, "Show time, Dan", as if to pep myself for the blitzkrieg of a tempo run I was scheduled to unleash by way of a catharsis for my solitude. My running shoes tied up, I stepped out on the road for a gradual warm up (something I'd recently learned in my course on fitness, is essential). I reached my favorite point for doing speedwork loops. There were two other walkers on a bench close by, that nodded greeting. I set my beeper on the watch and took off in the first light of dawn, the ground a blur as I felt my feet ploughing thru the asphalt, willing my heels to reach my butt, which in turn would get me to stride faster. Soon my exertions sent a buzz in my ears but I was not to be detered from cleansing my melancholy soul with a rush of endorphins. Thru' the wheezing and burning lungs, I sighted Mahesh in a haze and felt elation. I waved him to join me and motioned the loop. Delighted, he rushed and was soon alongside me but the pace was merely a canter for him.
Mahesh looked at my grim features and knew it was serious speedwork time. He asked, "Kya pace karna hai" and I could barely manage, "four - - fifty - - two" between breaths. We hit the first loop at 4:49 and as we coasted thru' 4 loops, I could see Mahesh focussed on ensuring that blood lactate was building up to give me the burn I needed to incinerate my fears. On the 5th loop, I was singing Speedy Gonzales, the exhilaration of hitting the pace was clearing showing;
La - la.....la - la - la....
Your doggy's gonna have a puppy
And we're runnin' outta coke
No enchiladas in the icebox
And the television's broke
I saw some lipstick on your sweatshirt
I smelled some perfume in your ear
Well if you're gonna keep on messin'
Don't bring your business back a-here
Mmm, Speedy Gonzales, why dontcha come home?
Speedy Gonzales, how come ya leave me all alone?
Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run.
