Intolerable Incalescence

Brucey B Memoirs:

     Sand grains were getting into my eyes and sandy dunes were everywhere. The golden sand beneath my shoes glistened under the intense shining of the Sun. I knew that all the glaciers in Happy Valley would have melted within seconds in this heat.

     This was the Lost Desert indeed. I have always wondered how something supposedly lost could be so easily found. But a name is just a name.

     Arriving in this terrain of eternal Sun was hot indeed. Meals consisted of mainly burnt food and Grackle bugs. It was strange how this place did not seem to have any refrigerators to store the little un-burnt food that they had. I for one had much to complain about the heat. Imagine a land with an average temperature of 54 degrees Celsius, with absolutely no form of electrical cooling devices or ice cubes.

     This irritated me, as I was BOILING.

     “This must be how Hubert’s hotdogs feel, when they are being roasted on a spit,” I remarked rather loudly, which got some of the folks’ heads turning.

     But I did not worry much, as I knew that none of them knew who Hubert was. What really aggravated me was the little Scarabug that kept dancing above my head. (I was secretly convinced that my head was cooked and that he probably wanted some of it.)

     I walked around grumbling under my breath, complaining about the darned heat. The fan I had bought had chosen a very ‘suitable’ time to spoil. I searched the market desperately, but it did not seem to have anything but scrolls and strangely shaped urns.

     In the intense heat, I was sure I could fry a Keno egg on my head. So I started looking for the egg, as I really was curious to find out if it was possible. But I stopped searching as I came across an interesting sight by the river...

     "Ready, GO!" I heard someone shout.

     At once, a mangy little Gelert started tugging on a thick and dingy hawser rope. At the other end, there was this beautiful Kacheek pulling almost effortlessly.

     Within seconds, the struggling Gelert had plunged into the river before him. He came out, face pure scarlet. The Kacheek however, looked exactly as she had before the duel.

     He had obviously underestimated the Kacheek’s strength.

     I scrutinised her. She did look a little too delicate and demure for this sport and I was close to feeling sorry for the Gelert. I watched the poor chap saunter away, with a face full of humiliation.

     "This is what you get for judging a pet by her physical appearance," I thought to myself.

     I started to reflect on my own actions. About the times I thoughtlessly judged and criticized my colleagues and even the heat this place emanated. It was insensitive.

     "But insensitivity is an inborn characteristic of the male gender," some other part of my mind thought.

     So I dismissed the guilt that had crept up to me. Suddenly someone had grabbed my arm.

     "You! Next!" an entity shouted into my ear.

     I was confounded at first, but later after coming to my senses, I thought, “The opponent is just a girl and the Gelert was kind of scrawny.”

     So I headed towards the end of the rope and held it firmly into my hands. Boy, it was grimy, all right. The Kacheek at the other end smiled quietly, seemingly pleased at my distaste of the rope.

     Around this "battleground", people were betting on who was to win.

     "Ramset is sure to win!" an old wizened Aisha voiced.

     "The penguin may win, though. He is quite bulky..." a Tonu said with a wry grin.

     "BUT Ramset has never lost once, since the start of her career..." the old Aisha argued.

     “This may be her first time...” an old Lupe said.

     “Not possible!” the Aisha affirmed and that was the end of the conversation.

     This old fellow was so sure I was going to lose to his precious Ramset... It made me determined to defeat this athlete with virile strength.

     "Ready, GO!"

     I applied as much force as I could, closing my eyes to avoid the stares of the audience. I was not sure if I could take the stress their eyes put on me. It was pure silence. All that could be heard was the tension in the rope and probably the trickling of sweat down my back.

     I pulled with all my might, till I heard a splash.

     “HA! Ramset has fallen, take that, Mr Old Aisha!” I whispered confidently.

     I stopped tugging and opened my eyes.

     The next moment, the air I was breathing had somehow turned to liquid and my eyes were experiencing this painful stinging sensation.

     Then it came to me: I had fallen.

     The water was cool and it left me with nothing to say. I did not try to get up, but swam under the water. My clothes were weighing me down, but I just continued. When I felt cooled enough, I emerged out of the water. It was only then could I really empathise with the mangy Gelert who had challenged Ramset.

     The humiliation was overwhelming. I had lost to such a dainty thing like Ramset.

     I tried to console myself saying, “Someone else had distracted me with the splash.”

     But then I thought, “Could I really have defeated Ramset? When I had opened my eyes, I was not but two inches from the water.”

     My face turned crimson. I did not need a mirror to tell me so, as I felt my cheeks burn. I felt apologetic for my critical behaviour of before. The grave crime I had criticised the Gelert for, I had committed. Embarrassment had led me to a realisation.

     The Neopians here did not need refrigerators or other electrical cooling devices. They had the river. I was blinded by the heat and had not seen it before.

     There were little Aishas wading in the shallow part of the river. A family nearby was actually sunbathing by the river (not before carefully applying SPF 90 sunscreen). They were not bothered by the heat.

     The Neopians of the desert appreciated what they had, like the river and even things difficult to embrace, (like scorching temperatures and burnt food items etc.). I on the other hand was occupying myself with identifying the shortcomings I believed this place had.

     My pride had caused me to lose the ability to “walk in other Neopians’ shoes” (Although I would have like to, seeing that there are the new Sinister Neovian shoes in stores).

     I had not taken the feelings of the Lost Desert folk into consideration. I was one egotistical and insensitive Bruce. The fame and recognition for discovering this land was finally getting to me.

     “Hello?” Someone broke my train of thought.

     It was Ramset.

     “Are you okay?” she asked, evidently concerned.

     “Better than I have been before,” I replied gingerly

     That was undeniably true, as I had finally gained enlightenment. I had released my critical thinking and was, strangely, no longer bothered by the heat.

     Soon, I found out that Ramset was a nice girl. She invited me to her home and even agreed to teach me some Tug ‘O’ War tricks. Ramset even let me in on her secret to her strength and introduced me to other Tug ‘O’ Warriors.

     Now I stay permanently in the Lost Desert.

     Many may find Tug ‘O’ War a tedious sport, needing nothing more than brute force, muscle and brawn. They believe that no tactics are required in this unrefined game.

     But Tug ‘O’ War is beyond that. It requires quick thinking and identifying the foe’s weakness. It has taught me four valuable lessons.

     One, brain has more value than brawn. Two, eating humble pie before others force it down your throat makes the pie slightly tastier. Three, being appreciative of what I have is a must. Lastly, *drum-roll* heat is tolerable (as long as there are cool rivers nearby).

     So what are you waiting for? Join me and the rest of the gang in a game of Tug ‘O’ War! (Maybe it could teach you something too.)

The End