Late Night Conversations

"Aren't fish bothered by being wet 24/7?"

"Are you serious right now?"

"Of course I am. This is a very important question."

"Just like your previous 10 very important questions?"

"Yes. I am dying from curiosity. Dying, I tell you."

" It is 4 in the morning and my flight leaves in four hours. Now is not the time to be talking about the inconveniences that fish might or might not face."

"Now is the perfect time to be talking about this, because you leave in four hours."

"I think they like it. You know, like some weird fascination."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm about 80% sure."

"Here's another important question—"

"Oh God have mercy."

"Can you stay a bit longer?"

"…"

"Just for a few more days. Not too long."

"I've been here for two entire months, kiddo. It's high time I got back or I might lose my place at uni."

"Oh. Yeah I guess that's true. It's just that, you know, it'd make Mom really happy."

"Mom? Only Mom would be happy?"

"Yeah, I mean no, Dad would be quite pleased too. He'd like to witness the start of the new Premier League season with you at his side."

"Oh, so I should just hang out with Dad if I stay a few extra days?"

"No, not just with Dad, you know how much Grandpa likes to discuss politics with you. And he's usually so lonely, and he says no one in the family has as sharp a mind as you do."

"Wow, that's nice of him. It's great to know that at least some of the family would be affected by my absence."

"Some?"

"Yeah, not all obviously. Not you, right?"

"Yes, I mean, no, I mean, um, it would be nice to have you around to answer my crazy questions, that's all."

"So you admit your questions are crazy?"

"No, I meant to say seemingly crazy questions."

"There's always the option of a phone. It's this machine that allows you to talk to people who live far, far away. Don't know if you've heard of it, but it's a pretty popular device."

"It's not the same. You wouldn't understand."

A short pause, and then, "I do, kiddo. I do."

"Stay a few more days, apu. Don't go back. Is education really that necessary?"

Another pause, longer, more melancholy and more uncertain.

Despite being a hopeless fangirl, Marisha Aziz lives under delusions of awesomeness. Contact her at marisha.aziz@gmail.com to give her another excuse to ignore her teetering pile of life problems.