I was born on a dark, gloomy day. Ripped off from my mother's womb, I didn't even get the chance to see her properly.
I was rushed into the emergency lane, altogether with hundreds like me, not very talkative. Of course, I wouldn't remember all of this on my own; a dear friend has helped me with it.
I was punched around into unconsciousness, stretched out, checked for flaws (toes, as you would say), and then stuffed into a cold container, crammed up against another.
I don't recall how long we stood there. Around me, a rainbow of noises made everything hard to identify, not that I had standards to do that, but still.
My first memory is that of a sort of line-up, neon lights, shelves. A hand picking me up, a grip a bit too tight for my taste, but I was completely helpless, so I only blurted out a shy squeak and I was put into a carriage.
Bumpy road, horns, wheels sliding. Sunlight, amazing.
And then the dark room. cupboard, some called it. A glass mass hugging me:
- Hey there, little fella! You must be new!?
- I guess-ss-ss.
Big belly laughter, and then I noticed the others. Brothers, maybe?
- Soo cute, this one hasn't lost his squeak! I'm the sugar jar, you'll probably spend some time here, if you're good that is.
- Good at what-ss-ss?
- Meh, you'll see. Come on, don't be shy, tell the story!
- What ss-ss-story?
- Yours, of course. Or do you want me to tell it to you?
- Yes-ss-ss.
I found out lots of things then. Some shocking, some nice. I knew then I was Fritz. My brothers were also Fritz, but it's good to know you're not alone in the world. I met all the others in a matter of days, but there was no one I enjoyed talking to more than the sugar jar, and her.
She didn't live with us, in the cupboard, but on the window still, in the bright sun. Although she was a see-through, like me, the sun delicately colored her in green, purple or red, one at a time or even all together- she was just breathtaking. I saw her when the little door opened, sometimes briefly, just a glance and a smile, and sometimes I could watch her for hours...
I was a fast learner, and the sugar jar had quite some time on his lid (ha ha, get it?), so in no time I was becoming an authority in the kitchen. I was called to give advice, to judge important matters. I found out how I could see my dearest every day, just because I was so flexible and light.
And of course, I had to find out about the Gheena. I still shudder when it comes to mind. The terminus, the last resort, the final dot, the nil, the bye-bye. No one knew when you were going to be sent there, but no one ever came back either to tell...I was having restless nightmares about it, I would wake up yelling in the middle of the night, and I decided to live life to the fullest until my last second. At first, the nightmares went away, and I resumed my previous duties...until Fritz and Fritz were taken away. Fritz followed. All, one by one. And then they took Her away. Only had time to hear her whimper. I perhaps could have saved her...
So I started a life of debauchery, I was dancing about at night, was putting junk in me. No one called me Doctor Fritz anymore. No one asked for my opinion. The sugar jar tried to talk me into some sense, but I just couldn't look at me in the reflection.
My shine was gone. My squeak was gone. My love was gone. And I was about to be gone too.
One morning I was found passed out on the kitchen floor, in an indescribable mess. Instantly picked up, I knew that was it for me. I took one more look behind me, and saw the sad but ruthless faces that watched me go. Fritz, Fritz, a new Fritz who took my place, the jar, the spoons, everyone.
I was crumpled again in a tight space. Wheels sliding, horns. For a naive second I thought they were taking me back to my mother's bosom...
Dark hours running about, the scent of mildew, the terrified screams. I couldn’t talk sense into them; guess they didn't have a jar to explain the Thing to them.
And then my chance came again, my lucky star, or maybe Her watching from above. A bump in the road, a small opening in the wall, a dangerous slide in which I lost a part of my handle...and I was out! Free!? Sunlight all over, no walls, just green grass and blue sky!
I slid around and about, caressing the leaves of grass, free!
450 years to go for oblivion, 450 years to think of Her.
Good thing I had the time to write this.
Sincerely yours, forever in love,
Fritz the plastic bag.
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