I purchased myself a time machine

and it's a single seater.

So, as crazy as it may sound, I finally purchased myself a time machine.

Don’t ask me where I found it because I probably won’t reveal much about it anyway. It’s all a mystery.

But I’ll be generous enough to drop a roadmap to it. And no, you won’t find it “ON SALE” anywhere near you.

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So, last night, as usual, I was on my back home after attending a few interviews for job roles I barely liked. This has almost become a routine by now where I go attend interviews and hear back— “We regret to inform you that you haven’t been selected but we’ll keep you in mind”. It’s funny how they say, “we’ll keep you in mind” which almost feels like a ‘Salt & Pepper’ seasoning to one’s misery.

Anyhow, I generally take the New Life Express local train because it’s a more economic option to travel especially when you’re jobless. At around midnight, tired of all the advocation throughout the day, I took the last train heading back home. It was surprisingly less crowded than usual and much easier to feel numb.

As the train started departing, I noticed this guy dressed in brown khakis entering the train with a baguette in his hand. He seemed fairly old, with snow-like hair. I prayed for him to not sit across my seat but guess what? he did.

I couldn’t help it but to close my eyes and feel the breeze of air hit my face as the train gushed through the city routes. But again, this guy couldn’t stop staring and smiling at me. I had to confront him somehow and at this point, I wanted some real talk, some based conversation with a human.

The passengers slowly started leaving as their stops arrived, until it was only the ‘baguette’ guy and me in the whole train.

We stared at each other for a whole minute. But before the sense of awkwardness hit the ceiling, one of us had to break the ice. So, I started the conversation—

Me: So why are you carrying a baguette this late at night?

Him: Oh, it’s for my daughter, “Sagesse”. She loves baguettes.

Me: Oh cool, anyway, I’m Rhithik, Nice to meet you.

Him: Likewise! It’s going to rain tonight, don’t you think?

Me: Uh yeah, it probably will, haha.

Him: Hmm… anyway, so what’s bothering you?

Me: What? Probably you. No, I’m just kidding. It’s the job hunt, you know?

Him: OH haha, it’s difficult out there, isn’t it? Do they say, “We’ll get back to you soon!”??

Me: Yeah, and well we all know what that means, right?

Him: True. It’ll only keep getting easier as you grow older but there’s some joy to it, I reckon.

Me: Well, I don’t get it, isn’t it supposed to be difficult?

Him: Nope, as you grow older, you see through bullshit and make the worthy stand out. You need to get hold of your single-seated time machine.

Me: I still don’t get it. What do you mean?

Him: Nothing. You’re yet to see, live and breathe more of these breezes of cold air.

After the abrupt and weird ending to the shortest conversation, the train soon approached a railroad crossing before making it to the last stop. Now, despite the gates being lowered, a car was headed straight towards the train. It almost hurled towards the train at great speed and started honking.

I thought we were going to die as the car was headed straight towards us, but this old guy sitting across me, started smiling and finally introduced himself at the oddest of moments, “Before we depart, I’m X. Pierre Anse, nice meeting you.”

In those final moments, when the high beams hit our faces, we shook hands, almost as if we had accepted our fates. The honking only grew louder and harsher…

Until I finally woke up, with the sunlight hitting directly in my eyes, through the windows of my rented apartment. I had to knock down my alarm clock screaming “Wake-the fuck-up”. I realized it was all a dream.

Nevertheless, I got ready for another day, another set of interviews…but I couldn’t get his name out of my mind — “X. Pierre Anse”.

Why does he even have an initial preceding his name?

I couldn’t care much and like the usual routine, I travelled and went in for my first interview of the day. I realized my interviewer was a french guy as he almost pronounced the word “experience” as “X-Pierre-Anse”.

It finally struck me.

I finally understood what it all meant.

My mind is my time machine and yes, it’s only a single seater as long as I own it.

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Dear reader, we often rush through and stress out our single-seated minds for yet another wasted day in our life. Perhaps if we didn’t ignore the most trivial yet significant lessons of life in the stupidest possible ways, we would realize that we are in charge of what we drive.

So, when are you getting hold of your time machine?

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Somehow, my direct or indirect interactions with writers and their posts/ notes on here, keep me inspired and going. I’d like to mention a few -

1. Maggie Jon
   and I had a wonderful chat yesterday, which lead me to rethink and rearrange my thoughts.

2. Anna Schott
   and I had randomly started this challenge to write an Ode to carrots and peas. Y’all should check her Ode to a Grill, it’s funnily creative! It also made me realize that my best work is only done spontaneously.

3. The boredom of living a life of "shoulds" by

   Giselle La Pompe-Moore
   , has inspired me yet again with her outlook on life and creativity. She discusses about the need to take a step back and question the beauty in the smallest of things in life.

4. Don Boivin
   ‘s writing, his take on life and interests, has always made me think. In his recent post, this particular line — “It’s so refreshing to find words to accompany an impulse you’ve not yet elucidated.” was just enough to keep me thinking.