The Vacuum Cleaner
You won’t believe it but I was on my way to work one Friday when it happened. The city was full of people as usual. Nothing but people coming and people going. We used to watch them laughing: The nation is starving again because of the weekend. The tram stopped at the city centre and I got off. Suddenly a whirlwind coming from the tram started blowing just a few feet away from me sucking all those waiting into the tram. You could see through the windows people being vacuumed violently as if the tram had turned into a giant vacuum cleaner. Nobody among those who were standing aside except me could notice anything. I mean, I couldn’t believe my eyes because not all people could have been blind, deaf or lost their other senses. They could at least have heard some noise. I was paralyzed but wanted to do something. I opened my mouth to cry for help but I was petrified and my mouth was unable to speak. I was practically speechless.

I decided to wait for the next tram to make sure I was not dreaming. I stood at a safe distance watching people and hoping somebody would do something. I wanted to warn those waiting. I tried opening my mouth again but all my face muscles were now as hard as stone. The moment the next tram stopped and opened its doors people were picked up with the dirt. The tram door clicked and the tram stop was now squeaky clean. I saw how those who were thrown inside were pressed like waste into a large garbage sack. Thousands of questions piled up in my head. Why? What happened? Was it the end of the world? Could that ever be?

Now I was sure it was not a dream so I fled as fast as my feet could carry me, away from any tram stop until I came to a side street. A huge orange dustcart was parked next to a building site where a small crowd of people were talking. Two big dustmen dressed in special orange clothes got out with something in hand which looked like a huge garbage pipe, pointed it at the crowd and everybody slid inside. All this was happening in front of everybody’s eyes but without anybody noticing what was going on. Then the two men got on their car and it drove a few meters, stopped again and picked up one crowd after the other as if some road cleaning authorities had finally decided to do something about the cleanliness of the city.

Nothing was left for me now except to take a lonely road home as soon as possible because I thought it was the safest. You could imagine how relieved I was when I saw some people in the street where I lived. I was sure my house was safe for it was on the edge of the city and such huge trucks would hardly come our way. I was terribly exhausted but I couldn’t rest. I went up and downstairs many times before I saw my living room window panes break into thousands of pieces and disappear down a tube. The same garbage truck and the two big men were at it again vacuum cleaning our street. I rushed to the cellar and hid in a small dark room.

I didn’t dare to go out but I listened carefully. Silence reigned after some time and I thought it was time to risk a look. It seemed the monsters disappeared after killing every living creature. Our street was usually littered with all types of parked cars on both sides. A view I had to get used to but couldn’t accept. I remember how often I thought of finding a way to damage the parked cars. No, I couldn't bear any more the sight and the cling clung of the car doors every day. A terrible cold wind was blowing inside through the broken windows and I cautiously stepped outside.

Everything was quiet except of course for rain and the twittering of sparrows. Our street was almost clinically clean. However, I was still full of fear- Will they come back? How could I survive alone? It was just yesterday when I wondered how I could survive with so many people around me. I wanted now to find a better place than my house and I wanted to get something to eat. The other streets nearby were empty as well, the house doors open and the supermarket looked as if it was waiting for people to come in. The lights were still on but there was no one to be seen anywhere. I went inside, took what I wanted and left.

Yes, I went back home again to see whether I needed anything to take with me. But when I saw our vacuum cleaner lying in the hall, fear and anger sent my pulse racing. I grabbed it and threw it as far as I could out of the broken window. I shouted: I don’t need you anymore bastard. You could do nothing but clean my house. To hell with you. I was ready to leave when suddenly a strong wind sucked me and sent me down a pipe.

Dr. Jamshid Ibrahim
Bremen - Germany

Comments
Firstly, your writing has inspired me a lot, the form and the content bleed into one movement and drag the reader to a new and yet familiar dimension, a shared peculiarity!

Secondly, I guess it's worth an analysis,e.g. the play on analepses and diegetic distorsions: The last paragraph might be regarded as the overture of your oratio Breathes and talks have been replaced by whirls, vacua and speaking eyes.The throng yields to the formidable vacuum which begets a space of emptiness, of freedom -even if freedom may be dreadful-The recurrence of inside-ness and outside-ness I already noticed in your former writings. Your writing is pregnant with rich connotations.I simply hope you'll find readers who will appreciate the quality of your work.
Alain