EGG

An egg can hold a surprise - and that's no yolk!

EGG

Sundays were for chilling after the stresses of the week. There were no demands, no worries - it was MY, correction - OUR, catch up time! At 7.30 the alarm didn’t ring, as it did Monday to Friday, but I woke anyway then promptly fell asleep. I woke again at 9 and I stretched and yawned.

‘Morning Tom, have you just woken?’ Mary gave me a peck on the cheek.

‘The usual - that bloody dog that didn’t bark in the night!’

‘What are you on about?’

‘You know - it was my alarm not ringing at 7.30 that woke me up.’

She gave me a strange look. ‘What dog?’

‘Forget it.’

 

Change of tack. ‘Did you sleep well - any interesting dreams?’ Mary knew that I dream prolifically and being a light sleeper remember many of them. Also, being something of a writer I jot them down for later literary use.

‘Yes, as a matter of fact I dreamt that I woke up and my wife asked me if I’d had any interesting dreams.’

‘Very witty - and what did you say?’

‘Funnily enough I dreamt that I woke up and asked you what you wanted for breakfast.’

Mary elbowed me.

‘Ouch! What do you wish for breakfast madam?’

At this point Mary kicked me and I fell out of the bed.

‘Only one egg for you this morning!’ I called from the floor.

I sat back on the bed and gave Mary an intense look.

‘What’s the matter Tom?’

‘I’ve just remembered that I really did have a long dream about an egg. I was actually inside the egg and it was dark but somehow I could see through the shell.’ 

‘And then what happened?’

‘You kicked the egg and the shell broke. I woke up.’

‘Is that meant to be a yolk?’ At least Mary had a sense of humour.

 

I was still laughing as I made my way down to the kitchen.

I opened the curtain and the sun flooded in. It was going to be a good day. I put the kettle on for my jug of ground coffee and took the bacon and mushrooms and the tray of free range eggs out of the fridge. I paused for a moment. Mmm - yes! 'Today is a six egg omelette day'. I took a bowl from the cupboard and a knife to crack the eggs. Sunday was a pleasurable tradition - breakfast in bed with the radio on and the papers to while away next few hours. Mary’s treat!

 

As I stood with knife poised to crack the first egg a strange feeling of déjà vu struck me and it wasn’t from last Sunday’s egg cracking - more like some lingering taunt clawing its way up from the cesspit of my unconscious. A feeling of being trapped,a feeling of darkness, but the moment passed. I gave the egg a sharp tap, midline, and the innards dribbled out into the pan. To say I was gobsmacked when I pulled the shell open would be an understatement - inside was another, slightly smaller egg. My mind seemed to congeal for a while and then I started to run through some options - a one in a million freak egg that I’d never heard of, a magicians stunt egg (maybe Mary’s idea of a joke!), or perhaps I’d actually nodded off and I was really cracking the second egg.

 

‘Well, I’ll never know,’ I said to myself, ‘I’ll just ‘crack’ on with brekker.’ Laughing at my own feeble joke I cracked the inner egg open. Unbelievably there was another whole egg inside. I nearly dropped the thing in fright and had to lean against the worktop until my legs stopped shaking. Any logical options were disappearing fast! I could have just have binned the lot at this point but some weird feeling of ‘purpose’ about the whole scenario seemed to infect me. I cracked this third egg and yet another appeared. I suddenly thought - where is this heading?

 

Just before I continued a strange hum seemed to come out of nowhere to permeate the room and my head. I felt calm, calmer than I’d ever felt. I lifted the egg, the knife and the bowl and sat down on the kitchen floor. This time there was no anxiety - I tapped the egg and somehow a whole swathe of worries seemed to slip away. Now I looked on the next egg with anticipation. As I cracked it the small amount of white that dribbled away stripped another layer of grime from my soul.

 

Now I could feel time slowing down for me. I cracked each egg in turn and I drew closer and closer to the creature that I should have been - no, the creature I would become! Then some preternatural impulse stopped me as I held a tiny egg. I knew, KNEW that the answer to the unanswered question lay within.

 

Just then the sublime moment was interrupted when Mary opened the kitchen door. Open mouthed, she stared at me sitting cross legged on the floor, humming some mindless chant. I was holding a small egg and surrounded by a mound of broken eggshell.

‘Excuse my French Tom but what the f*** are you up to?’

‘I’m … I …  I just cracked an egg and …. there was another one …. and this egg is the last one … inside I’ll find the meaning of life….

 

Slowly, like a sunrise, the light started to dawn on Mary’s face. 

‘Have you been taking your pills Tom?’

 

I made my way back upstairs feeling a bit confused by the whole episode but also having a strong sense that I had been within reach of the promised land.

 

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, the final tiny egg lay on the table. If you had put your ear to it you would have made out a strident tapping coming from inside and a faint voice calling.

‘Tom, Tom, let me out - it's me! We've got to talk!'

 

Reviews

[Neville]

Eggzactly... say it like it is why don'tcha.......... you just blew my mind and scrambled it too with this oh' so trippy little omlette.. sorry, vignette of a tale well told and writ.. I shell now go and make a pot o tea and contemplate further some of the recesses of my own mind... No point in beaking about the bush is there.....Thoroughly enjoyed, no yolk but true my dear friend.. Neville

[alanwgraham]

Thanks pal! I can see this ommmm - lette just begs punning. It just started when i stood with an egg thinking 'what if?' and ended up being uncomfortable close to the truth (I ended up in hospital in South Africa after neglecting to take my pills!) Stranger than fiction?
All the best,
Alan

[Neville]

Tis easy done my friend & true....write on, stay well, and the very best of British to ya....... Neville

[Melobldnfr]

Interesting write. At first I thought it may be about a double-yoker. I really did like this. Visual.

[lessa (kenzie)]

This is intriguing and kinda cute too. enjoyed this muchly

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Alex, Intriguing, yes. Even i'm not sure what it means!
Regards, Alan.
I'll be happy to tick the friends box and we can help each other out.

[lessa (kenzie)]

I think in my opinion the egg is a metaphor about life in example. Could be forming a sign of life itself or a comedian spark.

[alanwgraham]

Good Alex. You can take different meanings but after I'd written it I realised that not taking the pills was maybe the main personal factor for me! I added the final line as a little tease.
Cheers,
Alan

[barleygirl]

Your imagination is off the charts most of the time, but this one is taking us to other universes! I'm amazed at the way you tell this in a believable way & it conjures up so many possibilities in the reader's mind, too! Then the last bit, with Tom inside that last egg . . . too amazing how this ties back to the beginning dream thoughts. Good conversation in dialogue, showing a couple that's in sync with this guy's outlandish thoughts & sense of humor. I love the way your story shows the fun of finding a person who really "gets you"! *smile* Great storytelling, as always (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[alanwgraham]

Thanks once again. This story started just with framing the egg for b'fast and thinking 'what if'? As usual it ended up too close for comfort but what the heck. I don't think it matters if it's left open and I did have fun!
With blank paper you can go anywhere!
Regards, alan