by Dannielle Deans

I woke up this morning with a persistant thought–lightly echoing through my brain–and founda  new idea dawning slowly on my clouded eyes.

“Today I shall buy new lungs!” I exclaimed. Yes, I thought, a beautiful pair of battery’s to match my hardworking pace maker. A new pair of lungs is exactly what I need.

Scrambling through the ebb and flow of the crowds at the shore of the market, I found an attractive pair; fresh and young.

“You there! I wish to purchase your youthful lungs so as to refresh my pace maker of my own, old worn pair.”

“But sir!” The young man protested. “Your case is dark and smooth, reflecting your exotic background. The Sun under which you were born has turned your case to a shade unknown to my lungs, they have only encountered pale, white cases, unexperienced to your brand.” The young man ignorantly continued, “If you wish to purchase lungs, may I suggest you stick to ta pair that are familiar to your case? My friend is also dark cased, I hear your cases enjoy big, boastful lungs.” I was taken aback.

“Can you not enlighten your lungs with a new experience; I am sure my case and pacemaker would be eager to accomodate,” but the young man sighed. “I am sorry sir. I am too much of a pessimist for change to occur by my hand: my pale lungs and your dark case; we do not mix.”

I shook my head. We do not mix he had said, our colur made us incompatable. We do not mix.

I turned away, no, of cuorse we could mix. I decided to venture on and prove we could mix. I began to look once again. i would be happy with the lungs I buy, dark cased or not, even the different of colours could mix, isn’t it?

Submitted for the CLPN, CTDG, and NOISE Interculturalism Creative Writing Competition 2008