Caro and Terry sat outside their house for some girlish chat. The long holiday season had just kicked in and almost everyone was back at home. Beyond the fence, on the road, the noisy evening traffic flowed with its noise saturating the air with all manner of sounds that threatened to drown the ballads from the woofer. The two girls enjoyed each other’s company and hoped that, during their separation, they learnt something worth sharing. Then, just before the sun slipped past the horizon, a leafy tree beside the house erupted.
For the past six months, a battalion of tiny-noisy-birds had turned the tree into their home. Flying in at dusk, taking about half an hour settling in, spending the night there, and flying away at sunrise was their routine. The settling part had always been chaotic. What, with too much jostling for space and everyone screaming to either, summon a good neighbour or to warn toxic company. That evening, the energy in the little greyish bodies plus the hail of falling leaves was too high.
Caro looked up the canopy.
“What is up?” Terry wondered.
“Nothing; I’m just wondering! Like...like, where did these fellows come from? And again, when would they....” Caro answered, with her eyes still on the birds, but she couldn’t finish.
“Can you silence them, even if it is for a second or two?” Terry interjected.
Caro stared at her, amused by the request made.
“Well…” Caro started saying then paused. Was Terry trying to crack some wild joke? It was either that, or she hoped that Caro must have come back as a magician or a witch. Without a suitable answer, she opted for some vague query. “Can you end the war in Hamas, or soften the cyclones bashing the coastal strip?”
At first, a mischievous smile beamed off Terry’s face. Caro brushed the issue aside and a few minutes fleeted by filled with more of their previous conversation. Then, without warning…
CLAP-CLAP! Terry struck her palms together.
Dead silence! All the birds stopped quarrelling at once.
“WOOOW!” I wish you saw the smirk on Caro’s face.
Terry smiled but said nothing. A ball with a million ideas started rolling in Caro’s head.
Gradually, the birds’ chirrup resumed after a minute or two of serenity up the branches. Caro tried her luck...
CLAP-CLAP!
A hush fell over the compound, once again. Terry’s magic worked!
“How or where did you learn about this trick?”
Terry shrugged. “I don’t know! Maybe I stumbled upon it somewhere.”
“For real, this is new knowledge.” Caro’s eyes sparkled. “At least, for me, I have never known about it. Would you write a paper about it?”
“Write a paper about it? Why now? Don’t you know about the AI?” Terry fired back.
“Of course I know about the AI writer; a valuable tool for...” Caro suddenly seemed confused. Terry, again, curtailed her response.
“That AI thing can write better, anything, anytime.”
For the past six months, a battalion of tiny-noisy-birds had turned the tree into their home. Flying in at dusk, taking about half an hour settling in, spending the night there, and flying away at sunrise was their routine. The settling part had always been chaotic. What, with too much jostling for space and everyone screaming to either, summon a good neighbour or to warn toxic company. That evening, the energy in the little greyish bodies plus the hail of falling leaves was too high.
Caro looked up the canopy.
“What is up?” Terry wondered.
“Nothing; I’m just wondering! Like...like, where did these fellows come from? And again, when would they....” Caro answered, with her eyes still on the birds, but she couldn’t finish.
“Can you silence them, even if it is for a second or two?” Terry interjected.
Caro stared at her, amused by the request made.
“Well…” Caro started saying then paused. Was Terry trying to crack some wild joke? It was either that, or she hoped that Caro must have come back as a magician or a witch. Without a suitable answer, she opted for some vague query. “Can you end the war in Hamas, or soften the cyclones bashing the coastal strip?”
At first, a mischievous smile beamed off Terry’s face. Caro brushed the issue aside and a few minutes fleeted by filled with more of their previous conversation. Then, without warning…
CLAP-CLAP! Terry struck her palms together.
Dead silence! All the birds stopped quarrelling at once.
“WOOOW!” I wish you saw the smirk on Caro’s face.
Terry smiled but said nothing. A ball with a million ideas started rolling in Caro’s head.
Gradually, the birds’ chirrup resumed after a minute or two of serenity up the branches. Caro tried her luck...
CLAP-CLAP!
A hush fell over the compound, once again. Terry’s magic worked!
“How or where did you learn about this trick?”
Terry shrugged. “I don’t know! Maybe I stumbled upon it somewhere.”
“For real, this is new knowledge.” Caro’s eyes sparkled. “At least, for me, I have never known about it. Would you write a paper about it?”
“Write a paper about it? Why now? Don’t you know about the AI?” Terry fired back.
“Of course I know about the AI writer; a valuable tool for...” Caro suddenly seemed confused. Terry, again, curtailed her response.
“That AI thing can write better, anything, anytime.”
