Death is Eternal #328
Monday. December 26, 2022. 1,447 words.
https://linktr.ee/giovanicesconetto
Death is Eternal doesn’t stop even during the Christmas break; won’t I deserve your support? I think I do, but granted, I may be a bit biased… Anyway, let’s move forward!
Contents
Introduction
Hidden
Last Week (December 19 to 25, 2022)
This Week (December 26, 2022, to January 1, 2023)
Substack
Death is Eternal Review #163: Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
Death is Eternal Review #164: The Crown
The End
Introduction
1. Introduction
Unlike last week’s short story (Never Was), that’s not the first draft—don’t get used to this. In fact, I wrote this story to send it to a prize… ‘prize.’ It was a collaboration between Tim Hortons and Wattpad, and the winner would win… I don’t recall, but since I wrote a story, the prize should be worth the effort. Anyhow, I didn’t win. Chiefly because, as you’ll notice, I merely briefly mentioned it instead of writing about the new product—the cold brew—so, you know, it wasn’t the greatest ad piece. Be as it may, I liked the story, and even though it is not a winner, I think it has something good to it. Enjoy!
2. Hidden
“It must be hard,” she says, pointing to the wall with her head.
He looks at her and then at the wall.
“Huh?”
“Creating slogans, it must be hard,” she tries to explain it better.
“You know I did this for a living, right? At least for a while,” he thinks she should know that; they have been married for a while now.
“You did it in Brazil; that means you only had to do it in Portuguese. In here,” she points to the wall again, “they have to think in a phrase that works in English and French.”
He finally sees what she’s pointing to the Tim Horton’s slogans: Always Fresh / Toujours Frais.
It was always like that; she sees everything and is a step ahead perpetually.
I don’t know how she can handle me and still keep smiling, he thinks.
“Oh, that,” he’s ashamed. “It must be a nightmare.”
“How can I help you?”
“Two cold brews, a traditional and a vanilla one,” she says.
“Anything else?”
“12 assorted Timbits, please,” he asks.
She looks at him, confused.
“That’s it?”
“Yes,” he answers.
“And how will you pay?”
“Give me your phone,” she says.
“Why?” He questions.
“Mine’s dead,” he gives it to her.
After paying, they go to the waiting line.
“Why do you always have to complicate things?” She asks.
“Huh?”
“I asked for your phone; why did you have to question why I wanted it?”
“I... I... I don’t know; it wasn’t on purpose. I just asked; I didn’t give it a thought,” he tries to defend himself.
He feels cornered, not by his wife but by himself. He knows it’s not the first time he has done something like that, and he also knows it’s far from the first time she complains. His fears and insecurities corner him.
“Don’t question me at every turn; trust me and do what I ask. Is it too much to ask? It doesn’t look like too much to me,” she’s angry; she’s almost crying.
“It wasn’t on purpose. You know--”
“You’re like that, inquisitive. I can’t stand this excuse anymore. Aren’t you a writer? Write a better one!”
“I’m s--”
“Don’t! Just don’t! That’s something else I can’t stand anymore,” she raises her voice just a bit; it’s enough to make him realize that things are spinning out of control. “Everyone gets curious! I want to know why you picked Timbits even though you said you wouldn’t, but did I question you in front of everybody? NO! Can you extend me the same courtesy?”
Before he says something, an employee gives them their order.
They take a sip of the Cold Brew.
“I’m sorry,” both say at the same time.
“It’s hot today,” she starts to explain.
“And we’re hungry,” he finishes.
They take one more sip and eat one Timbits each.
“We change when we’re hungry,” he states, and she agrees.
Or do we change when we aren’t? She sadly thinks.
3. Last Week (December 19 to 25, 2022)
It was a very, very chill week. The projects didn’t arise, so I had time to learn more about the client I’ll work on primarily. But that gave me the sensation that I wasn’t working, so I had to constantly keep reminding myself that work isn’t only doing stuff; learning is also working! And, in some cases, maybe, learning may even be more important than actually doing something. So, you know, a chill week that demanded much thinking to avoid feeling guilty.
That was work.
Personally, the week was even more chill. I don” t recall doing anything beyond going to the gym, reading and watching television. Obviously, there was Christmas too. But since Jessica and I don’t know anyone in Canada, we spent the 24 and the 25 at home. And since we’re Brazilians, the 24 is more important than the 25. It’s on the Eve that Brazilians get together, eat and exchange gifts—at midnight. The 25 is merely eating leftovers. And that’s what we did.
On the 24, we prepared lasagna and ate on the 24 and 25. We didn’t exchange gifts because Vancouver doesn’t know how to deal with the snow, so they didn’t arrive on time despite Jessica having bought the gifts in the first week of December. Because of that, I gave her what I bought her during the afternoon. She liked both socks—yeah, I gave my wife socks for Christmas; I never claimed to be the best husband out there—(one and two) very much!
And that was pretty much my week. At this point, you must know I prefer this kind of week to the ones I do a million things. I’m old, and I’m boring.
4. This Week (December 26, 2022, to January 1, 2023)
I don’t have to work this week, so aside from this Death is Eternal, all I want to do is read, read and read. And then binge, binge and binge. I’m in break mode, and I’ll be on it until next year... So, moving on...
5. Substack
As I explained in Death is Eternal #327, I’m moving from Revue to Substack. And that means a learning curve. In this case, it means sending the last Death is Eternal to everyone on the day I wrote, which isn’t the plan. The plan is: paying subscribers and Patreon patrons receive the complete newsletter the day I write it, while those reading for free receive part of the newsletter on Friday. So, you know, learning curve and whatnot. Hopefully, this week this mistake won’t happen again. Hopefully!
6. Death is Eternal Review #163
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews is a great book!
It has everything a great espionage book must have and a bit more because since Matthews worked for the C.I.A., everything he writes seems more real, more truthful.
But, and there’s always a but with me, eh? But since he worked at the C.I.A. and knows how operations really go, the book is a bit too long. The pace is genuine, which means: slow. Matthew is writing fiction, and he should embrace that and be less authentic to give the story a better rhythm.
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews is a great book that reads authentically. But it’s a book that would read better if it was less realistic.
7. Death is Eternal #164
The Crown is a fantastic show.
But not necessarily because of the quality but because of the consistency. What I loved and hated in the first season are still the same things I loved and hated in the sixth season.
I love the story, the characters, and how authentic everything appears. I believe that the actors are the real people, and the conversations happened where and how the series shows it. However, I hate the passage of time; it seems that everything happens in days, but in reality, years have passed.
The Crown’s consistency is fantastic. And that’s a compliment that I can make it to the series and the real Crown.
8. The End
It’s 5 p.m. PT as I write this, which means I spent almost two hours writing this newsletter. Two hours that I could’ve spent reading or watching something. Do I regret it? Absolutely not! I love to write Death is Eternal, and I’ll keep doing it, if not forever, close to it. See you next week, bye!