Metafiction - Bookppet

Bookppet

 

-Metafiction of Alice's short story "Bookshelf, The 100% Perfect Town"-         

 

          “Oh no.”

          These were the two first words that I blurted out as I entered the classroom. There comes my panicking partner, Elana.

           “Hey, Jean! Did you prepare for the puppet show?” she shouted.

           “Of course not!”

           It seems that she too did not prepare. If any one of us had remembered that today was the class puppet show day, we would have gathered together someday before. Sigh. Elana’s face went paler than before as she started to roll her eyes sideways in hopes of finding an unused puppet. Around us, the classmates were busy with their partners memorizing the script with puppets held in their hand. Every puppet was alive, saying out loud with its own voice, dancing inside the hands of its masters.

           “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by…,” a fierce looking puppet was moaning.

           They must be doing Macbeth. They even had mini swords and mini cauldrons bubbling with some mysterious liquid. This was not a time to stare at other prepared classmates. Elana was beside me biting her nails and not knowing what to do. Think Jean, think! I was trying my best to find a way to produce a play that would not reveal that Elana and I had totally forgotten about it.

           “Now class, shortly after about 10 minutes, we would start our delightful puppet show! I hope you all have prepared and capable of producing wonderful plays,” our English teacher announced, looking around the classroom.

           Is my mind playing tricks on me or is it real that I feel like the teacher knows that I have nothing? Hurriedly I looked about the classroom, when something just caught my eye. It was the list of books that we had studied in class for the past year.

Stumbling Into Happiness – Daniel Gilbert

Aging Well – George E. Valliant

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Walden – Henry David Thoreau

M. Butterfly – David Henry Hwang

Long Day’s Journey Into Night – Eugene O’ Neil

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

 

An idea suddenly flashed through my mind. That’s it! Grabbing hold of Elana’s hand, I asked permission of our teacher to go to the library and dashed out of the classroom. After we arrived at the library, we searched for these books, borrowed them and returned to the class. The Macbeth team was now doing their play. Whispering, I told Elana about my plans, and we started into action.

“Next will be Elana and Jean. Come forward.”

Our faces were confident. We can do this.

“We will have a short play about our book list and its diversity!” Elana briefly introduced.

As expected confusion arose on the faces of the audience, but I knew that I was able to astound them.

Knock Knock.

“Hi. I’m Aging Well, and I just moved into the place next door. May I come in?”

“Yeah... I’m Stumbling Into Happiness.”

“Do you go out a lot?”

“No. I stumbled into this town where I’m a misfit, but I’m thinking of stepping out. The people who live here are too problematic.”

“Have you ever talked to them? Why don’t I throw a party at my house tomorrow night, and we might be able to find out why, if there is a reason, they’re the way they appear to be.”

With the ‘puppet’ books in our hands, we changed the set background into a partying house.

“Hi, I’m Aging Well, and I moved in yesterday to help out the landlord with her Positive Psychology lecture. What about you?”

“I’m Pride and Prejudice. I see you’re single. People say ‘a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife’. Are you? My little one isn’t taken yet.”

“Nonsense. You’re obviously stuck in 1813. Simplicity, simplicity! Stay simple, my friend, and you will encounter the true values of the world. By the way, I’m Walden.”

“You do know you’re speaking from the 1830s perspective, right? But I have to admit, simplicity is needed just as much in the 1960s, too. The Orient, the exotic… They can fool you. I’m M. Butterfly.”

“But you must not let go of your dream because of money matters. Embracing yourself from the fear of dying poor is not worth losing your career and causing your wife to suffer from morphine addiction.”

“Frankly, though Long Day’s Journey Into Night has a point, but don’t forget that the era of the American Dream is gone. I’m Gatsby, in case you haven’t already heard of me.”

“What’s your story?”

I nudged the book that was just standing exceptionally quietly in the set with Aging Well.

“Heart of Darkness.”

“Umm… Do you have anything you want to share with us?”

“The world is a dark place. Imperialism ruined the world.”

With the final quote, we closed the small curtain in front of the set. Applause came from the audience. Elana and I exchanged mysterious glances with smiles hanging on our faces.

“That was well done! It was smart of you guys to apply the class material to the show so creatively!”

Almost impromptu, but our show was well-done despite the time spent.

           “Hey, want to go eat ice-cream after school? Let’s have a self-celebration.”

            Elana gave me a happy smile.

            "Sure."

            Impromptu show and an impromtu ice-cream. What a lucky day.