036 :: Free to laugh
Naomi and Peter walked back to M&S to collect their order. This time the door opened as they approached. She looked surprised. It is difficult getting used to a world that knows everything about you. Peter tapped a locker. Took out an M&S tub. Transferred the shopping to his bag. Returned the tub to the locker. Closed the locker and tapped it again.
When you shop you have to sign for your shopping. (Peter)
Naomi took out her Skroll She nodded.
They strolled back down the main street. At the side road Naomi took out her ehhlie-drive. She strapped on the tether. She pressed her own ehhlie. She wobbled. She held the fence. She stood. She started. Slowly. Peter did not take out his ehhlie-drive. He did not open his ehhlies. He kept up with Naomi while walking. He watched her from behind. She giggled. She laughed. She squealed. She stopped suddenly. She laughed. She started again. People smiled at her. People do not have fun outside. They never forget about who is watching. They are worried about playback. Anything silly will be turned into a meme. Naomi was turned into a meme. A minor meme that did not gain traction. Fun is always heavily staged. Create the memes before the AI creates it. Always worrying about being watched creates boring people. And angry people. They fear the watchers but they always behave. They always do exactly the right thing. Just like Peter. The watchers don’t care about him. It is the people who think they are free that have to be watched. People like Naomi.
In the house Peter was quiet. He set up a film for Naomi. He did not watch with her. He cleaned. In silence He tapped on his Skroll. Tap. Tap. Tap. He did not talk to Naomi about what he wrote. He wrote a story. An angry man fighting to get out a box. A small box that was black on the inside and broken on the outside. He stopped writing before he finished the story. He sat at the breakfast bar. He stared out the window.
Time to cook. (Peter)
Peter mixed the pasta dough. Rolled it through the machine. Folded. Rolled it again. Naomi came in from the cinema room. She sat at the breakfast bar. She caught the pasta sheet as it dropped out of the machine. Peter took it back. Folded it. Put it through the machine again.
You have to put it through a dozen times to make it smooth. (Peter)
They rolled the pasta into thin sheets. Hung them to dry. The only sound was Naomi’s laughter. Peter smiled. Nothing more. Even when Naomi dropped the pasta on the floor.
Making pasta took a long time.
When they finished Peter gave Naomi a pan and the pine nuts. She toasted them.
Where I lived when I was young we collected pine nuts. We went to the woods. My cousins and me. We collected a pile of cones. Then we prized the nuts out. In their shells. The shells are really hard. At home we hit the shells with a hammer. Just enough to crack the shell. Not too hard or that would squash the nut. (Peter)
Naomi read his words. She typed and spoke while Peter made the pesto.
We had vegetable garden. (Naomi)
My father. Every morning. (Naomi)
That is nice. (Peter)
No. Father shout all time. (Naomi)
Water this. Weed that. (Naomi)
Oh. (Peter)
They cleaned the kitchen. Naomi went to the bedroom. Peter stayed in the kitchen.
The Au Pair
