Saturday, September 4, 2010

Thwarted




… And that is what she did for the very last time in her earthy life… she bit an apple before choking to dead…
What a derisive way to die… so simple, so unexpected and so unbelievable. She didn’t even like apples at all, but had gotten this one to eat while trying to swallow the idea that her name wasn’t appearing anymore in the magazine… that it wasn’t a nightmare but the unbearable truth… someone else was the Editor of her magazine, someone else had taken her life away.
She looks down at her laying body, resting in a comical position, and then she pays attention to her blue face with wide open eyes, a pathetic portrait of someone gotten by surprise. What a depressing way to die… totally out of place for a sophisticated woman like her. She should have died surrounded by drama and glamor, with much more excitement and sense of risk… but there she was choked to death by a mere unattractive apple. "What will people say? That she couldn’t afford caviar and champagne for breakfast anymore; that she was finished and broke".
With relief she realizes that she isn’t alive anymore, that she will not have to face their mocks, humiliations and sniggers. She will not be there to hear them saying: “The Iron Queen was killed by an apple… a simple, unappealing apple…hahaha!”

All of a sudden she begins to laugh, so loud, so unreservedly, and so freely that she started to choke again… “But wait a minute! How can she be choking if she is already dead? Something isn’t making sense”. Suddenly her line of thoughts is being interrupted by a deep and sharp pain in her chest. She feels the need to breathe again, to fill her lungs with a big gulp of pure, rich and tasteful air, so she does…
The nausea and pain are overwhelming; she is breathing with difficulty and can hardly hear what people say around her. She takes a few minutes to compose herself, but as soon as she does, Ambrosia wants to drop dead once again... everybody is looking at her with sadness and concern, feeling sorry for her. The shame is too much to handle it with class, so she fakes to faint and then keeps her eyes tightly closed until the paramedics place her in the ambulance for further treatment.

How can she choke in the restaurant of one of the most exclusive hotels, exposed and threatened in front of the most important business people! She doesn’t want to even imagine how awkward she should have looked when “that somebody” was performing CPR on her while attempting to save her life… Gosh, she’d rather be dead than alive… the shame is too much indeed.


© Gabriela Abalo

Written for Magpie Tales – #30

18 comments:

Paul C said...

I think most of us have a vivid memory of someone choking. You captured the nightmarish part well. I just linked to your site for my Saturday Serendipities. All the best.

Amanda Moore said...

I have actually chocked and was saved by the Heimlich maneuver, it's not fun, but this story is great, I hope there is more coming?

Elizabeth said...

Really well written and you certainly bring you character alive, even though she is almost dead. She feels familiar.

Elizabeth

Brian Miller said...

i was as well...on a marble as a child..scared the day lights out of me...and just last week my son choked on a hard candy...scared once more...nice mag....

Wine and Words said...

Shame. Where does it come from. Seems a wasted emotion, harbored in self and harming self. Good write~

Claudia said...

i enjoyed reading this - you perfectly captured the thoughts of that "poor" woman who's so concerned what others think about her..
reminded me also of the fairy tale "Schneewittchen and the 7 dwarfs" - do you know it? there was also an apple involved - but a poisoned one..

ninotaziz said...

Ambrosia had better make up her mind quick what she wants!

Kathe W. said...

talk about vanity! Wow she had some! Nice Magpie!

Unknown said...

Gabi, This is hilarious. Seriously funny.

Mommy Emily said...

intriguing...

Tess Kincaid said...

Oh, gosh, I can relate here. I was saved from choking once. Scary experience I'll never forget!!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

elegant!

My Magpie

Stafford Ray said...

Vanity is not fair! ha ha... and in the light of your motto: "Embracing who we are". Clearly this is fiction.
Remeber Mum saying, 'Wear clean underwear, you might be hit by a bus and go to hospital!"

Tumblewords: said...

She might not have choked if she hadn't been so wrapped in vanity...ah, the shame! Excellent piece!

ds said...

"what a derisive way to die..." Ha! Great read about a truly scary experience.

Kirk said...

Much less embarrasing had she choked on a hot dog at a bowling alley.

Very amusing story.

Sue J said...

A very different take on this. Great read.

Lydia said...

This seemed so real...I took a sip of water! Fun(ny) in a sad way, this magpie.