I fumbled around in the kitchen, trying to put together an assorted platter from whatever was available. Suddenly X. came out of his room, finally. He looked a little strange, with his eyes narrowed down. He looked near about comical. He looked my way. The gaze was almost as if he had looked right through me. My first guess was that he must have been sleeping or something. I stood there with my plate in my hand. I was experiencing an unexplained pleasure in observing X. His antics were definitely not in line with his normal behavior.
On an impulse, that I yet can’t explain,
“You all right..?”
“I am as fine as I could ever be”, X. said with his trademark lopsided grin.
I was not to be denied,
“You seem funny, what’s the deal..? Why have you been locked up in your room all day long?”
“I was busy…”
“Your phone’s been ringing as always...”
“I know.”
“Have you been smoking weed again…?”
“Something better dude, something better, it’s ACID”
The sound of the 4 letter word spoken aloud was enough to send a shiver down my spine.
“Why…? What..? Where did you get it..?”
I knew these questions were inconsequential. And were hardly even expected to be answered. I shut up. There were no more silly questions.
My Amusement with X. grew. I decided to move in.
“What’s going on in your head now..?”
“It’s all peaceful and serene”
I could hear the ambient sounds, mildly hypnotic coming out of the room. I knew it was getting to him.
“So, you thirsty yet..?”
“No”
“Food..?”
“No”
Both of us sat down on the beanbags, facing each other. X. faced the BoB Marley wall and I faced the wall hanging. For near about ten minutes there was hushed silence. I had lost interest in the food on my plate. We sat there. X. stared right through me with a wry smile on his face. I did not look away, I stared back half amused half intrigued.
“Stop staring at me”
“Where do you think this will take you?”
“Life is a preparation…. For a transition….To another Dimension…”
“What are you thinking..?”
“Aldous Huxley once said, when the doors of perception are cleansed everything will appear as it is… INFINITE”
“Is it worth it?”
“Jim said: Do you believe in the long, prolonged derangement from the senses to achieve the unknown”
“Why are you laughing?”
“What do you think I am tripping on?”
I was amazed at the directness of the question. It was a rebuttal to my question. It was a revelation of sorts. I broke into a smile. I knew the answer.
“Me”
…Laughter….
“Can you type out your trip for me?”
“It’s too fast”
“Let’s play 10 questions!”
I was not sure what kind of response was expected. I was surprised by the answer.
“Ok”
“Can you hurt people?”
“I guess, but I never intend to”
“Can you be disconnected?”
“I prefer a passive state”
“Something important to you?”
“My space, my desires, my goals, my ambitions, my relationships, my conscience”
“Religion or Spirituality?”
“Spirituality”
“You fear…?”
“Stagnation, Aimless drifting through life, Failure…”
“One thing you hate?”
“Mobile Phones, too intrusive”
“What makes the world go around?”
“Oil”
“The Journey?”
“Life”
“The Destination?”
“Death”
The answer was so obvious, too blunt. I should have seen it coming. We exchanged a long stare.
“Ok, one last question. Are you tripping on ACID?”
…Laughter….
I guess I knew the answer; but there were no answers expected for this question. X. stood up and walked towards his room. He turned around just as he approached the door of his room, “William Blake once said, Nothing lasts, But Nothing is Lost…..” He laughed and I could see his trademark lopsided grin, one last time. And with that he shut the door behind him. The music was fading. I relaxed and stretched myself in the bean bag. I smiled; it had been a very interesting conversation. I put my head back, comfortably placed myself for a nice long sleep. Before I closed my eyes I saw;
I saw the HOLY TRINITY dancing to BoB Marley’s tune. One Last Time……………
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