#AtoZChallenge : Jouska
It had been a long day and I knew that I had to leave.
The ringing of my phone shattered the silence of the place. I stared it wasn’t a number that I recognized. When I answered the call, a calm voice greeted me.
“Good evening Ma’am. You have a cab waiting for you at the gate. Could you please get into it?”
“But I never requested one.”, I protested.
“We’ve got clear orders to pick you up from your workplace “
“But why me?”, a question which I asked myself more rather than to the voice on the phone.
“We are not supposed to let you know about this right now. But you’ll know soon”
I was skeptical. But a tiny voice within me told me that I should go.
A black car was waiting for me at the gate. It was no ordinary car for it was a flying car.
“Hello Ma’am. Could you please get into the car?”
It was the voice on my phone. How did this person know that I was outside! I was scared though I was excited as I got into the car. I couldn’t see the driver and I was wondering how to tell him to drop me to my place. The voice on my phone boomed again – “Where do you want to go?”
It was as if the person on the other side could read my mind.
“I’m hungry. Can we just go to some place to get some food? I’ll go home after that.”
The car took off and the surrounding began to blur. The car stopped in a few minutes and when I looked out it was day. Wasn’t it night when I just left? When I walked into the place that seemed to be a restaurant, I was taken aback. There were platters of food of every kind and I couldn’t stop drooling. But I knew I couldn’t pay for it. I decided to find the lowest priced item on the menu, when a waiter guided to a table. And there, sitting on the table waiting for me was my one, true love!
“Surprised, my love?”, he asked. I was shocked, surprised and I didn’t know what to say or do.
I didn’t say much because the very next moment, food was served and I gobbled like I hadn’t eaten in ages (which I think I hadn’t considering that I had my lunch long time ago). I didn’t speak much throughout the dinner for food was the only thing on my mind.
Once done with dinner, he said, “Let me take you somewhere”
“Where are we going?”, was all I mustered to ask.
“Somewhere” was all that I got in answer.
And we got into the flying car that was waiting for us. I was blindfolded and guided inside. All the while I couldn’t help but wonder what was happening. When the blindfold was removed, I realized that I was in a library! A huge library, one that had a million books maybe. It was just beautiful!
“Did you like it?”, he asked.
I loved it.
“Yes, yes, yes!”, I responded.
“You can stay here as long as you want”, he said.
I was overjoyed. This was perfect! I could stay here forever reading all the books that I wanted to. I was still lost thinking about all the books I’d read, when he got down on his knee.
“I love you! Will you marry me?”, he asked holding the most beautiful ring that I’d ever seen in my life.
Words failed me and I couldn’t speak.
The ringing of my phone brought me back to reality.
“Where are you?”, asked mom.
“Office”.
“Still working?”,
“Yes!”
“When will you leave?”
“I don’t know was all I mustered to say for yet another mail dropped in my inbox asking for the status of my work.
That previous conversation was all in my head. I’d indulged in some Jouska for reality was sad.
My stomach growled in hunger. I hadn’t eaten since lunch. I didn’t have any snacks and I knew I wouldn’t be getting any dinner. For everything would be closed now.
It was 11 pm when I left.
Jouska : A hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head.
Origin : Finnish
I’m participating in the A to Z Challenge again this year. This is my third time participating in the challenge. I’m going with the theme of “Rare, unusual and beautiful words from various languages” .
Damn. In that one word, you just described my entire social life!
I am hooked to your series Reema. I literally keep waiting for your posts. This story is straight out of a fantasy novel. I have been a day-dreamer all my life and I have this habit to talk to myself and I frequently carry out hypothetical conversations with people aloud. I imagine that the person is in front of me and keep talking, I reply on their behalf. I never knew that this whole ‘eccentricity’ of mine had a name. I am such a Jouska person. Thanks for letting me know this name.
Amazing write up. The story was so engaging and interesting. Wanted to read more and more of it.
Mannat,
https://mommysaysthis.wordpress.com
Hahaha, if there is one thing a plenty in my time, that is this jouska 😀
Jouska…. Something that i do everyday everytime…. 🙂
This is interesting.
But I have a few questions :
1. How could someone get into a strangers car without knowing where?
2. Some of the restaurants are open after midnight as well, just in case you didn’t know ( Check the food delivery apps, for more information.
This is a cute post Reema, thank you for the Jouska..will I do it so often wasn’t aware of the word 🙂 🙂
Nooooo. I want her to marry her true love, fly in a car, eat great food, and most importantly, live in a library!
Living in a library? Wow! It infact was a beautiful Jouska. I have a Jouska often when I think of things I want to tell my kids when they grow up.