Two Stripes
December 15, 1998
The Iranian
It was raining and I had no umbrella.
I had to walk for ten minutes.
But I didn't mind.
I had to have it.
I wanted it.
I walked into the store.
The smell reminded me of hospitals.
A Barbie-looking girl in a white dress put on
a nice smile and asked what I was looking for.
I told her what I wanted.
She asked: "One or two stripes?"
I said: "Gimme the best you have."
The smile disappeared.
......... She looked at me impatiently.
"Okay, you'll get the best, but with one or two stripes?"
I said: "Eeeeh, well, no idea, what do you mean: one or two stripes?"
She opened a large drawer behind her and took a white box out.
She opened it, took a stick out, and said:
"Soooo, one of these or two of these?"
"AhA, one," I said shamefully.
I felt like a small boy in a big shopping center.
I had seen one of those before but I had never bought one.
I never needed one.
"You can't use it now," she said,
"Tomorrow morning is the best time."
Damn! Why do I have to wait so long?
I went back to my office.
I don't know how many times I looked at it.
Two small white windows with no stripes.
I just had to wait.
Wait until tomorrow.
This was all yesterday.
This morning I got up.
......... Did I sleep at all?
......... .........
I don't know.
The glass was ready.
I had read the instruction last night.
......... 10 times, 15 times?
......... .........
I knew it almost by heart.
My simple watch would have done, but I wanted to be precise.
I had the stopwatch ready, since last night.
I didn't want to make even the smallest mistake.
......... I went into the bathroom.
......... .........
The glass was there waiting for me.
I took the cap off, and sank it in the glass.
......... Six seconds.
......... .........
1 .. 2 .. 3 .....
Then I had to lay it down on it's red side and wait 5 minutes.
......... The longest minutes of my life.
One purple stripe would show that it functions.
And a second one would mean okay.
......... A second stripe.
......... .........
A second purple stripe.
A whole year passed.
I looked at the stopwatch, it wasn't even a minute.
I couldn't stand there.
......... I had to get out.
I went out and counted the seconds.
......... Five long long minutes.
I tried to take my eyes off the watch.
But I just couldn't.
I waited and waited, five looong looong minutes.
Then I rushed in and saw ...
Two purple stripes.
I'll be a father in eight months.
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