Of all the contents in the envelope, it was the post-it note that intrigued me most…
When I was seven, I was hospitalized with scarlet fever. My temperature hovered between 104 and 105 degrees, so I was asleep most of the time, although always in a haze. The nurses left on a TV to keep me company. Combined with my fever, I imagined a series of breaking news stories.
At the time, the hallucination seemed very real. I was listening to the Showcase Showdown on the “The Price is Right” when I heard the breaking news.
I opened my eyes to find a befuddled Walter Cronkite starring back at me through the TV. He paused for moment, looked up at the camera and then back down at the paper in his hands, before eventually announcing –
“I am being told by producers that what I am about to tell you has been verified by multiple sources, although I should disclose, I am not quite sure what it is I am telling you…
“Across the country penguins appear to be escaping from zoos and aquariums in droves. In San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City, packs of underground penguins have emerged from the sewers and are terrorizing locals residents as I speak. But this exodus is not exclusive to the cities. Secret clusters of penguins are popping up across the country in barns and caves. What is even more baffling is that the penguins appear to be in route, destined for Washington D.C…”
Before giving into my fever and falling back asleep, I smiled at the footage of the penguins waddling along the interstate, sliding down baggage carrousels, and pacing impatiently on a subway platform. Although I was only seven, I remember thinking to myself – Give them hell, stand tall… penguin unite
Cellar Doors 