My " Back ToThe Future" version

 

*My " Back ToThe Future" experience* (3/4/24) -Short Story In a bustling kitchen filled with the clatter of pots and pans and the enticing aromas of cooking, my wife, Jean and I were immersed in the joy of preparing a delicious meal together. Jean was expertly cutting carrots and cauliflower, while I tended to a pot of bubbling curry on the stove while thick oily smoke rising from the sizzling prawn paste chicken I was frying.

As the smoke thickened and swirled around us, a sense of disorientation set in, and before we knew it, the swirling smoke has transformed into a shimmering vortex, a portal to another time and place. With a sudden whoosh, we were swept through the vortex and found ourselves standing in the streets of Shanghai in the late 1930s. We were utterly astonished to find ourselves impeccably attired in the fashion of old Shanghai, with my hair meticulously gelled to match the era and my wife's locks flawlessly styled in the exquisite Shanghai fashion of that bygone time.

Thank goodness, my cell phone was with me all this while and we quickly took a selfie as I did not want to miss the opportunity.

Amidst the sights and sounds of this bygone era, Jean and I were filled with a tinge of fear yet in awe as we explored the streets of Shanghai, marveling at the historic buildings, bustling markets, and vibrant culture that surrounded us. It was a nostalgic journey thru a time we had only seen in movies particularly the "Shanghai Bund" TV series of the early 80s and we embraced each moment with wonder and excitement.

However, our reverie was abruptly interrupted by the deafening sound of an explosion. A bomb had dropped just about a hundred meters away from us, sending shockwaves through the air and shrouding the surroundings in smoke and dust. The Japs has just attack Shanghai and chaos of war had just descended upon us, casting a shadow over our nostalgic adventure. This is for real and not a documentary I used to see on YouTube.

As smoke and dust filled the air once again, the familiar twirling motion that had brought us to this tumultuous moment suddenly enveloped us, pulling us back through the vortex and depositing us back to our kitchen.

Suddenly, a voice pierced through the air, yelling in the distance.

"Oi! Your Har Cheong Kai (prawn paste chicken) Chao Tar liao! (burning) Stop writing your silly story and pooping at the same time in the toilet and come out and tend to your cooking!"

I was jolted back to reality by the urgent call, and my wife shot me a bewildered look, silently questioning the strange interruption.

After salvaging what was left of the charred chickens, we finally sat down to our meal...with a sense of guilt on my part of course....Despite the chaos, I couldn't help but chuckle at the sheer absurdity of the situation. That it is good to be Back To The Future.