Pilot Dolls

Ironically, I am perturbed by her resemblance to one of the few

creatures that effortlessly terrify me. I for one, am ophidiophobic even
though I think it’s a ridiculous claim, as I assume that everyone should be
scared of those cold-blooded serpents. I remember once, a friend told
me she’s on the verge of hypochondria after hearing the saddening news
of the death of her pet monkey of three years. She was completely out
of sorts and languid for a while which was worrisome.I asked her if she
had other pets as well, a whimsical attempt to break the humdrum.She
informed me of her wallowing dog and a python. For a moment I
thought I had heard wrong and she then cemented the response with a
name and the color of the monster. All my life I hadn’t made
acquaintance with anyone who petted a snake and you can imagine the
shock waves jarring across my nerves. As the conversation went on
inch-meal, she found me to be out of touch with such reptilian creatures
and their beauty. She contrasted Hope, the brown constrictor, to an
albino python, wishing she was of a bright, gleam color too. Out of
curiosity, I looked them up and a breeze of repentance arose. I was
deeply saddened by not only the ignorance I had had towards such
beauty, but also the inhuman, idiosyncratic behavior people had
towards them, braving their extinction. Henceforth, I likened all things of
great beauty to that of albino pythons as an act of honor to counter my
shallowness. I was never a fanatic of yellow on anything, till I saw the
picturesque, slimy behemoth wrapped around some teen on the
internet. I imagined the skin to be as smooth as a butterfly’s wing in the
blue moonlight. The minute, orbital eyes intransigent to body movement
was marvelous. Intercepted scales that seemed to have a rapport with
the sun’s rays as it slithered about, gave off a cathartic sensation. I was
in love, instantly and unconditionally. The last time I experienced such a
juggernaut feeling was with a coeval acquaintance with whom I had the
pleasure of meeting during some anomalistic summer. Her beaut melted
all my problems away. She was a smart-witted, empathetic and well
mannered youth, saintly enough to win any hobbledehoy’s heart. Her
skin tone was so delicate, lightened in complexion but with a little
flecked flesh around the protruding eyes, as of a chlorophyll-sucked leaf.
I always felt electrified by her single touch, the tiny, genteel hands gave
a rejuvenating caress, like that of a mother grizzly bear in the freezing
winter. I remember kissing for the first time, the sweetest moment of
my past two decades easily. Not that I was a weasel for girls; quite the
contrary but rather it was long overdue. For the first time, I felt
challenged whilst pursuing a girl. The rejection instead of plunging me
into misery, it propelled more energy and desire for me to poke more. I
had to reinvent myself, go through a cleansing ceremony of some sort
and unlearn convulsive behavioral traits I had picked growing up. It wasn’
t an easy feat, liken it to a wild cat extirpated from the jungle only to be
showcased to zoo enthusiasts in the horrid of times, with exceeding
expectations of decency.Quite impossible and the malfeasance on my
case could only be bifurcated with time, which I didn’t have, as it was
self-imposed. It was summer and believe you, me, there was an
interesting catalogue of options. I can only contribute my success in
winning her over due to the ferocious tension I had garnered towards
her endlessly. It was too much to bear, the exhaustion from trying to
thwart my quest for love proved overwhelming and giving in, would
certainly ensure her a state of halcyon.

Inspired by Frank Ocean’s Pilot Jones.

My Indonesian Friend who owned a python.
Everything else is fictitious.

By Tafadzwa John Maingehama.

2017.