THE WINDOW

THE WINDOW:  REFLECTS GIGI'S INNER THOUGHTS
BY
BINA SHARIF

(A performance piece)

copyright::binasharif 2019

A LOVELY DOG NAMED , "GIGI" STANDING NEAR THE WINDOW LOOKING OUT ON A

WINTER NIGHT.
                           
GIGI:

LOOK AT ALL THE SLUSH OUTSIDE.

SO MUCH SNOW

SNOW IS TRYING TO MELT ITSELF BUT CAN'T DO IT ALONE.

SNOW CAN FALL ALL ALONE BY ITSELF BUT CAN'T CLEAN THE MESS.

SOME BUSINESSES HIRE PEOPLE TO DO IT BECAUSE THE OWNER--THE LANDLORD

CAN BE SUED IF SOME ONE FALLS AND BREAK THEIR BONES....BUT SOME

BUILDINGS DON'T CARE BECAUSE THEY ARE OWNED BY HORRIBLE LANDLORDS

LIKE THE BUILDING I LIVE IN WITH MY OWNER RACHAEL.


SHE IS ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT HIM AND RIGHTLY SO.

MOST OF THE TIME THERE IS NO HEAT IN THE APT.

I SHIVER...

BUT I CAN'T COMPLAIN BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT I DON'T HAVE A VOICE.

(Rachael walks in, see gigi standing near the window moving her tail, Rachael listens)

GIGI:

I WANT TO TELL THE LAMD LORD THAT HE SHOULD GIVE PROPER HEAT IN THIS

COLD-FREEZING WEATHER.

I KNOW I HAVE A BIT OF FURON ME BUT RACHAEL...

I FEEL BAD FOR HER.

SHE HAS TO WEAR LAYERS UPONN LAYERS OF CLOTHES, EVEN A THICK WOOL

SWEATER AT NIGHT AND IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA TO WEAR WOOL TO SLEEP IN...

IT ITCHES AND OVERHEATS AND THAT CAUSES SKIN PROBLEMS...

AND I TELL YOU THE CAUSE OF ALL DISEASES STARTS WITH SKIN PROBLEMS.

FIRST YOU ITCH,

THEN YOU SCRATCH

THEN YOU LOOK AT THAT SPOT WHERE YOU JUST SCRATCHED

NOW THAT BODY PART WHERE THE ITCH STARTED IS RED, BRIGHT RED LIKE A

TOMATO FROM THE FARMERS MARKET.


I LIKE FARMERS MARKET

BECAUSE THEY SELL FRESH FOOD

NO PRESERVATIVES, (At least thats what they say)

I DON'T BELIEVE PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY SAY

ESPECIALLY BUSINESS PEOPLE...

THEY THINK OF MONEY FIRST AND ABOUT PEOPLE'S HEALTH LATER OR NEVER

LIKE THE WHOLE FOOD STORE, THEY SHOULD BE CALLED WHOLE PAY CHECK

STORES...

THEY SAY, THEY ARE ORGANIC."

WHO KNOWS?

RACHAEL ALWAYS GO THERE

OF COURSE SHE TAKES ME WITH HER

I SNIFF AND SNIFF AND SMELL AND SMELL ALL THE FOOD AND I KNOW

MOST OF THE FOOD IS NOT ORGANIC BECAUSE SINCE THE WHOLE FOOD STORES

OPENED, THERE IS MORE CANCER IN THE AIR AND WHOLE FOOD STORES ARE SO

HUGE AND THERE IS SO MUCH FOOD IN THEM, HOW CAN IT BE STILL FRESH THE

NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT?

THEY ARE NOT GOING TO THROW OUT ALL THAT EXPENSIVE SO CALLED, "ORGANIC"

FOOD OUT.


ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

IT'S ALL IN THE FREEZERS

COLD AS ICE

LIKE THE ICE IN THE STREETS WHERE PEOPLE ARE SLIPPING AND FALLING

AND THE AMBULANCES ARE HOWLING AND TAKING THEM TO THE EMERGENCY

ROOMS WHERE THEY SIT  FOR HOURS AND HOURS SCREAMING WITH PAIN

AND NO ONE PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO THEM.

SOME EVEN DIE ON THE EMERGENCY ROOM'S FLOOR AND PEOPLE KEEP WALKING

AND STEPPING OVER THEM.

SO THE FOOD WHICH THEY CAN'T SELL GOES INTO THE GIANT FREEZERS THE NEXT

DAY AND BECOME ICY AS THE ICE ON THE STREETS AFTER THAT MAJESTIC SNOW

FALL THE THER DAY.

NO ONE CLEANS BECAUSE THE MAYOR SAYS, "DON'T BOTHER BECAUSE THE SNOW

IS COMING BACK TOMORROW."

THE MOST DISGUSTING THING IS THE SLUSH AFTER THE SNOW MELTS

SLUSH ON THE STREET CROSSINGS, PUDDLES OF DIRTY WATER WHERE RACHAEL

DRAGS ME WITH A LONG LEASH WHILE SHE IS ON HER iPHONE.

NO ATTENTION IS PAID TO ME OR TO ANY DOG WHOSE MASTER IS ON iPHONE...

WHILE MY PAWS BECOME SO COLD AND NUMB AND I NEVER FEEL THAT I HAVE

ANY PAWS AT ALL.

AT LEAST HUMAN BEINGS, THE RICH ONES ARE ALL WEARING LONG LEATHER

DESIGNER BOOTS BUT I AM BARE FOOT...ALWAYS BARE FOOT, IN THE WINTER, IN

THE SUMMER, MY PAWS HOT AS HELL IN 100% HEAT IN AUGUST...ME WALKING ON

 THE HOT CEMENT PAVEMENTS BURNING MY PAWS BUT RACHAEL, THOUGH I LOVE

HER TO DEATH KEEPS CONCENTRATING ON HER iPHONE RATHER THAN ON MY FEET

ON FIRE.


AND ON WINTER DAYS LIKE TODAY MY WHOLE BODY GETS SOAKED WITH DIRTY

SLUSH AND THEN I SLEEP WITH HER IN HER BED, WHICH I LOVE AND FEEL VERY

GUILTY BECAUSE I MAKE HER CLEAN LINEN BEDSHEETS FILTHY DIRTY AND THEN

POOR RACHAEL HAS TO TAKE THEM TO THE LAUDRY MAN WHO RIPS HER OFF

WITH A HUGE BILL AND THAT HAPPENS AGAIN AND AGAIN BECAUSE I KEEP

MAKING....

HER SHEETS DIRTY AGAIN AND AGAIN BECAUSE IT KEEPS SNOWING AND THE

SLUSH KEEP SOAKING ME TO MY CORE.

IT KEEPS SNOWING CONSTANTLY.

IT STARTS IN SEPTEMBER SOMETIME AND KEEPS GOING TILL APRIL.


I WISH RACHAEL DOESN'T HAVE TO WORK IN ALL THOSE EXTREME WEATHER

AL THOSE SNOWY MONTHS AND THEN THE BLISTERING HEAT OF JUNE, JULY AND

AUGUST.  AUGUST IS A HEAT STROKE WEATHER AND SHE HAS TO TAKE ME OUT

TWICE A DAY NO MATTER WAHT...

POOR RACHAEL...

I KNOW SHE IS HARD CORE DEMOCRAT, A LIBERAL, VERY LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

ISN'T IT SUPPOSED TO BETTER FOR LIBERAL DEMOCRAT WESTERN WOMEN TO

NOT WORK SO HARD, NOT STRUGGLE SO MUCH, NOT TO BE SO LONELY THAT THEY

HAVE TO HAVE DOGS AND CATS INSTEAD OF HUMAN BEINGS FOR COMPANY?

I AM NOT COMPLAINING.  I AM HAPPY THAT I HAVE A HOME.  A NICE HOME

WITHOUT HEAT IN THE WINTER AND WITHOUT COOL AIR IN THE SUMMER

BUT I FEEL FOR RACHAEL...SHE IS ALWAYS ALONE, SO ALONE...

WHERE ARE ALL THE MEN GONE OR THE WOMEN GONE?  WHY EVERY ONE IS SO

ALONE?

EVERY ONE IS SO ALONE AND EVERY ONE WORKS SO HARD AND THEY LIVE IN

A LBERAL COUNTRY WITH ECONOMY BOOMING...

HERE IS THE BOOMING ECONOMY GOING?

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

"BOOMING ECONOM?"

"WHO IS IT BOOMING FOR?"

NOT FOR RACHAEL I AM SURE...NO HELP OF ANY KIND.

SHE HAS TO DO EVERYTHING BY HERSELF.

BUY HER FOOD FROM WHOLE FOOD

CARRY IT HOME

CLIMB UP SIX FLIGHTS

THEN COOK

THEN CLEAN

THEN TAKE ME OUT

I APPRECIATE THAT.

NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF WEATHER ENCOUNTERS HER...

HOT ORCOLD

SUMMER OR WINTER

RAIN AND HURRICANES...

SHE HAS TO TAKE ME OUT...

TWICE...

FEED ME, THE SAME ORGANIC FOOD SHE EATS...

THATS WHY I KNOW THAT THE FOOD SHE BUYS FROM THE ORGANIC STORES MIGHT

NT BE ORGANIC BECAUSE BOTH OF US GET SICK AT THE SAME MOMENT AFTER

DINNER.

WHEN SHE KEEPS TAKING US TO THOSE STORES, WHOLE FOOD

COMMODITY

TRADER JOE

FARMERS MARKET

I KEEP MOVING MY TAIL...

THATS MY WAY OF TALKING, OF SAYING SOMETHING IMPORTANT

BUT NO ONE GETS IT...

THEY DON'T EVER BELIEVE THAT I AM EXPRESSING MY INNER THOUGHTS BY

MOVING MY TAIL...

THEY JUST BELIEVE THAT I HAVE A BAD HABBIT OF ALWAYS MOVING MY TAIL...

MANNERISM, THEY CALL IT.

LIKE BAD ACTORS ALWAYS MIVING THEIR HANDS AND FEET ...THEY JUST CAN'T

STAY STILL.  THATS CALLED "MANNERISM" IN THE THEATER.

MAYBE THEY ARE ALSO TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.

"ATTENTION MUST BE PAID."

BUT THATS THE ONLY THING NO ONE PAYS ANYMORE IN THIS FAST MOVING

LIBERAL WORLD.

EVERY ONE IS LITERALLY MOVING FAST,BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER

RUSHING, RUSHING, STEPPING ON MY PAWS...I HOWL WITH PAIN AND THEY KEEP

RUSHING.  WHERE ARE THEY GOING?

RUSHING TO THE SUBWAY?

RUSHING FOR AN INTERVIEW?

RUSHING FOR A DATE?

NO ONE HAS A DATE.

MY RACHAEL HAS NO DATE

NO ONE HAS A DATE.

EVERY ONE IS LONELY

THEY DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE IT BUT THEY ARE LONELY...

AT LEAST THATS MY OBSERVATION...

BUT WHO CARES ABOUT MY OBSERVATION

I AM JUST A DOG...

I JUST MOVE MY TAIL VIOLENTLY SOME TIME TO ALERT RACHAEL NOT

TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON FAKE ORGANIC FOOD BUT NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME.

I AM JUST A DOG

A DOG WHO CAN'T TALK

GOD GAVE ME NO TONGUE

I AM NOT HAPPY WITH GOD

I WISH I COULD TALK

AND TELL RACHAEL NOT TO WASTE HER HARD EARNED DOLLARS ON

"ORGANIC FOOD"  RIP OFF OF THE CENTURY.

I LOVE RACHAEL

I FEEL FOR HER

I WANT HER TO ENJOY

TO NT SPEND SO MUCH ON USELESS THINGS

JUST REST

READ, TRAVEL, ENJOY MUSIC, NOT WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT ILLNESSES,

EAT ORDINARY FOOD, AS GOOD AS THE FAKE ORGANIC, SAVE HER MONEY,

FIND A BOY FRIEND OR A GIRL FRIEND, WHATEVER SHE LIKES, BE HAPPY,

IT'S THE SAME BANANA WHICH YOU PAY 25 CENTS FOR AND IT'S THE SAME BANANA

WHICH SHE PAYS TWO DOLLARS FOR.  OH! THE FAKE ORGANIC BUSINESS IS RIPPING

 MY RACHAEL OFF. SHE DOEN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SLUSH AND SNOW TO

WHOLE FOOD STORE WHICH IS SO FAR AWAY DRAGGING ME BEHIND HER, SHE CAN

JUST GO TO THE BODEGA ON THE STREET CORNER...

WE, BOTH ARE GOINGB TO GET SICK ANY WAY RIGHT AFTER WE EAT SO WHAT'S THE

DIFFERENCE?

BUT NO ONE LISTEN TO ME

BECAUSE I AM JUST A DOG

YES, I AM A DOG

MY NAME IS ,"GIGI"

BECAUSE I AM A FRENCH DOG

THE FRENCH PART OF MY STORY I WILL COME TO LATER ON...

WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY WITH MY MOVING TAIL IS, THAT RACHAEL AND EVERY

ONE ELSE SHOULD NOT BELIEVE WHATEVER THE ADVERTISERS TELL YOU.

IAM A DOG AND EVEN I KNOW THAT THEY ARE LIERS LIKE EVRY ONE ELSE

ND THEY ARE ALL MAKING RACHAEL WORK SO HARD WITHOUT ANY POSITIVE

RESULTS.

SHE IS SICK A LOT.  COLD AND COUGH AND THEN COLD AND COUGH ALL YEAR

LONG...THEN VISITS TO THE DOCTORS, ALL THOSE CO-PAYS, LUCKILY SHE HAS

HEALTH INSURANCE BUT MAYBE IT'S NOT SO LUCKY BECAUSE BEFORE SHE HAD

HEALTH INSURANCE, SHE WAS HARDLY SICK NOW ALL HER MONEY IS GOING FOR

CO-PAY...CO-PAY AND ANOTHER CO-PAY...

I THROW UP OFTEN

SHE TAKES ME TO THE THE VET...DOG DOCTOR...SPENDS A LOT OF MONEY

BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY HEALTH INSURANCE

I AM JUST A DOG

ONLY HUMAN BEINGS HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE

BUT ALL HUMAN BEINGS HERE IN THIS LIBERAL CIVILIZATION DON'T HAVE

HEALTH INSURANCE...

MAYBE THAY ARE NOT HUMAN AT ALL

MAYBE THAY ARE ALSO DOGS LIKE ME.

ONLY DOGS DON'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE

I DON'T UNDERSTAND MUCH

I DIDN'T GO TO COLLEGE

BUT I KNOW A THING OR TWO

RACHAEL READ SHORT STORIES TO ME AT NIGHT

AND I LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM THOSE SHORT STORIES.

SHE WAS READING SOMETHING FROM A RUSSIAN WRITER

WHO WAS ALSO A DOCTOR

AND HE SAID IN HIS SHORT STORY

THAT ALL ILLNESSES COME FORM THE FOOD AND FROM THE WEATHER.

AND ALL I WANT TO SAY TO RACHAEL WHOM I ADORE IS NOT TO GO OUT

DURING THHE SNOW AND SLUSH AND DON'T SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON ORGANIC

FOOD BECAUSE BOTH THESE THINGS ARE TAKING US TO DOCTORS WHERE SHE HAS

TO SPEND HER WHOLE PAY CHECK AND THATS WHY SHE IS ALWAYS WORKING SO

HARD AND GETTING SICK SO MUCH...


BT NO ONE LISTENS TO ME

I AM JUST A DOG

GOD GAVE ME NO VOCE

OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE REVOLTED AGAINST EVERYTHING

AND CREATED A REVOLUTION LIKE IN RUSSIA AND FRANCE

I KNOW ABOUT FRANCE...

BECAUSE I AM A RENCH DOG

MY NAME IS GIGI

AND A FRENCH MAN MAN, MY OWNER ABANDONED ME . ON THE STREET...

AND I HAVEN'T YET RECOVERED FROM THAT ABANDONMENT .

I WILL TELL ABOUT IT LATER ON

BECAUSE RACHAEL MUST BE COMING HOME SOON

AND I HAVE TO GO OUT WITH HER IN THIS SLUSHY DAY

WHAT A LIFE WE BOTH HAVE

ME AND RACHAEL

RACHAEL, A HUMAN BEING

ME, A DOG

BUT OUR LIFE SEEMS IDENTICAL...

WE ARE TWINS...

FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE PROGRESS?

IF WE BOTH ARE STILL FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM?

I THROW UP A