Guest Post: Until the Nows Come Home

Until the Nows Come Home by PETER RUNFOLA

(400 words)

“Honestly, I really just don’t feel like doing that – or anything, truly – right at the moment. But … later? Yeah, sure – I’ll do it later.” So says This Moment. “Yeah, right – that’s my name – lovingly coined by my dear mother, Here, & equally dear dad, Now.” “And, they’re both quite proud of their little brainstorm … in name anyway. Now {oops, sorry, Dad} if only I could live up to the immediacy imbued into my very being.“

“Hey, little bro. Chill. This moment / That moment … whichever. They’re all pretty much the same if you think about it. Just depends on exactly when you’re saying it. They’re rather interchangeable, amorphous, er, liquid, if you like.” So says big brother, Whenever. “It’s all a matter of Perspective – if I may interject our dear cousin into the conversation.”

“Ok. Whenever – whatever you say,” says This Moment. “But there’s just too much wiggle room in your approach. There are too many cracks and crevices for all kinds of variables to hide themselves in. Allowing excuses and built-in-rationalizations to walk on stage and take the play in a total different direction. Make it this amorphous wishy-washy pie-in-the-sky thing to do, Later, if I’m allowed to bring him into the conversation.”

“Hey – lay off ‘Later.’ He does the best he can. And besides … just because something – this thing isn’t happening NOW – who says that it’s not going to happen when ‘Later’ gets his hands on it?” He’s helped me out of countless little scheduling conflicts over the years,” offers Whenever. “You ought to give him a call. He’s a good man. And as good a cousin to have as either of us could hope for.”

“Hmm. Ok. I see your point. But, why are you bringing our dear cousin into the conversation? Because you miss him? Or as a convenient way to cover your back? Tell me true – because the truth will come out eventually. It always does.” Offers up This Moment.

“Look, bro. You and I will never see things the same. My ‘now’ is your ‘later.’ My ‘this’ is your ‘that.’ Our relationship is nothing but a carny’s shell game gone awry. We can obfuscate until the Nows come home and about as far as we’ll get is to agree to disagree.” Regardless. ‘Love Ya, Bro’. Talk with you again Later … or Now as the case may be.” Said Whenever.

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This is the first ever guest post on my blog! It’s written by a fellow-writer in the fortnightly story group I run. He’s an artist, writer, craftsman, and all-round clever guy. I highly recommend visiting his blog at https://aspoonfulofmiracle.wordpress.com/ for more of his idiosyncratic writings!

The above is one of my favourites, witty and funny, originally published in December 2017. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Also, I just discovered that there’s a Part II,  previouslly unbeknown to me!

Until the Nows come home

Until the Nows Come Home .. Part II