Meeting Penny

Raymond Sigimet

Keith Jackson & Friends: PNG Attitude, 18 August 2022

“I heard footsteps brushing against the grass and crackling the dry leaves. I looked up and was surprised to see a pretty young woman, all Afro and earrings”

FLASH FICTION – This is my story of Penny, someone I met unexpectedly. On a Wednesday.

Our meeting was extraordinary and it happened on this particularly insignificant Wednesday.

I got to know that Penny is a Capricorn, born in the month of January.

She’s of slim build, rather serious and insecure, something of a dreamer.

She’s let her hair grow into a Mela-Afro perfectly balanced on her head. When she smiles, her dimples smile too on a smooth, copper-brown face.

Her full name is Penelope, but she said she shortened it to Penny because Penelope was too popular a name.

Wow! Penelope a popular name! I didn’t know that.

But I should tell you, I have this boyish thing for the name Penelope.

Ever since I laid eyes on the Spanish Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz. The name conjures bliss and heaven.

It’s my secret embarrassment.

___________

Penny said she decided to change Penelope to just Penny out of love.

“Thou must love God …thou must love thyself and … thou must love thy neighbour …” she said.

“There were two other girls in my school with the name Penelope.

“So I went to the school administrators and politely requested a name change.

“They agreed and I became Penny. I did it out of love for me and them.”

I didn’t probe further but suspected it was something to do with her insecurity.

I imagined my boy crush Penelope Cruz being Penny Cruz. It didn’t sound right.

And I wouldn’t be who I am now.

___________

In the shade of a tall eucalyptus I sat on a concrete bench, puzzled.

The campus park was well populated. All the other benches were occupied with what looked like tutorial groups.

I observed them and chewed at the lid of my Bic biro. It tasted like plastic.

The crossword was indeed a puzzle.

___________

The previous day I’d got the page with comics, crossword and astrology from my roommate’s newspaper.

I told him I needed the puzzle and he obliged.

“Bro, I just need to get my head out of my arse,” I’d said.

“Been going around in circles these past few days working on a political science essay.”

“A sad predicament, bro. Hope you find your way,” he’d consoled, tearing out the page and passing it to me.

___________

I sucked on the Bic top and turned my attention to the comic strips.

This distracted me for a few minutes. The humour in the punchlines was dry. Not enough to raise my mood.

I glanced at Sagittarius in the star signs – my birth month reading was hopeful but incomplete and strange.

‘You need room to grow and blossom. You are going to meet someone in a meeting that will be brief and forever.’

I had no idea what this meant.

But at that very moment I heard footsteps brushing against the grass and crackling the dry leaves.

I looked up and was surprised to see a pretty young woman, all Afro and earrings.

“Hi, may I sit on this side. Hope I’m not disturbing or intruding. It’s the only bench with free space.”

My brain froze for a split second.

“Ah, of course, for sure, you….. Take a seat.”

“Thank you…” She extended a thin, warm hand.

“My name’s Penny.”