Mutual Respect

We pulsed.

His reaction was more violent than I had anticipated.  I hid behind a small mound of white sand.

"Come out where I can see you!" he snarled.

"You can't see me, I'm hiding!"

"Come out here where I can see you, boy!"

"Pulse!" I cried.  "Pulse!  Pulse!"

The old man thrashed about with his hands.  "Aaargh! Stop it, boy, stop it!  I'm hurt!"

"Pulse!" I whispered hoarsely once more and he fell.

So the sky was dark, though in our hearts was an explosion of light.  I even saw some of my friends being carried into the air, their happiness acting like helium.  None of us ate pop-corn - maybe that had something to do with it?  I don't know, I'm just a boy. A sad and lonely, lonely boy.

"Of course," said Aaron, "you may want to continue down that road until you reach paradise, but I feel it would be right for me to warn you against it because paradise isn't down there."  He leaned over the table and poked my chest.  "No way, see paradise is right here."

"Enough of this, Aaron.  I'm tired and fed up of you teasing me.  Can we just get on with the story?"

"Ooooh!" he said, fiegning shock, then getting angry. "Look who's suddenly got all uppity.  We'll carry on with the tale when I feel like it, do you understand?"

"Fukit Aaron, I said I'm fed up.  I'll see you some other day, yeah?" and I got up and left the poor guy there, alone forever in that dusty desert diner.

Well, I was fed up.  The fellow may have a good yarn for me, but there is no need to treat me like a seal.  I want to say a bit of mutual respect does wonders..