Toni kamau’s Blog

The lift lobby on 20^th floor is deserted except for a sweeper busy at work and a curiously attractive, young Anthony, who is waiting next to the two lifts. Anthony is wearing an I.D badge that says ‘BSN camera operator’. A camera bag and tripod bag lie at his feet. To while away the time he plays with a wooden sign twirling it on its base as he watches the sweeper work his way further away from the lobby and into the office corridor.

Angela, an attractive reporter in her mid twenties bursts into the lobby from the corridor. The sweeper stops working to admire her and goes back to his work. She is wearing an I.D badge that says ‘TMI camera operator’. Anthony draws his attention away from the sweeper and observes her animated actions with a bit of a wistful look in his eyes.

Anthony stops playing with the wooden sign and puts it in front of the lift on the left. We see that the sign reads “DUE TO RENOVATIONS, THIS LIFT ONLY GOES DOWN TO 13^TH FLOOR”.

 Angela is carrying two large bags and talking loudly on her cell phone. The person at the other end of the line is her producer, threatening her that she’d better arrive at the political demonstrations that are happening on the streets outside before the rival news agency BNN does. She assures her producer that they won’t. Angela scowls when she notices Anthony, who is staring at her with a bemused expression on his face.

Angela sighs after the producer hangs up on her. She quickly masks her feelings when she notices that Anthony is staring at her.

Anthony tires to break the ice, but Angela ignores him. The lift bell on the right rings. The two look up at the lift sign on the right and back at each other.

Everything happens quickly. The right lift opens. Angela moves first. Anthony hesitates momentarily then follows her. Their rush is in vain because the full lift closes almost as soon as it opens.

Angela composes her self and looks back at Anthony grimly as she presses the ‘down’ lift button.

The lift bell on the left rings almost immediately. Angela gives Anthony a smug grin and stands in front of the left lift. Anthony stops her and tells her to read the sign in front of the lift. Her face falls when she reads the sign “DUE TO RENOVATIONS, THIS LIFT ONLY GOES DOWN TO 13^TH FLOOR”.

The lift opens and closes shut, with Angela staring at the lift in despair as she fully comprehends the situation. The silence is violently interrupted by the sound of a man with a comical local accent shouting instructions. It’s Angela’s special cell phone ring tone for her producer. Angela panics. She advises Anthony that they should pick an order to avoid wasting time by fighting to get to the lift. Anthony is open to the suggestion. She suggests playing ‘paper rock scissors to pick an order and Anthony agrees.

They put down their mountains of equipment bags and pace towards each other in a sort of cowboy western style with their hands at their sides like loaded guns. They each stretch out their right hands in unison. Angela starts to count “ONE”- they start flipping the palm of their hands in a crazy frenzy “TWO”- It’s deathly quiet and all you can hear is the sound of the lift machinery working in the lift shaft. “THREE” they both draw their hands. Angela draws a rock, Anthony draws a rock.. It’s a tie.

Angela is not amused by the outcome. She clenches her teeth and starts the countdown for the second round. They both draw papers, tying again. The next two rounds have similar outcomes, ties.

It’s before the fifth round; by now Angela is losing her nerve. She scratches the back of her neck in frustration. Angela’s phone starts ringing again, and the sound of the special ring tone for her producer drowns out all other sounds as it increases in volume, the longer it rings. They play the 5^th round and both concentrate so hard on flipping their hands as well as trying to ignore the ring tone that has reached deafening volume levels that a lift comes and goes without them noticing. It’s the final flip and they both draw rocks again and tie.

The phone stops ringing. They go for the next round of the game. Both draw scissors and Angela’s eyes widen in a panic.

It’s the seventh round. Angela’s phone starts to ring again but gets cut off. Angela inhales sharply and exhales in relief. They start the round. Everything is happening in slow motion now. Angela’s eyes are narrow slits. They flip their hands. Angela is millisecond ahead of Anthony in drawing her hand. She draws a rock. Anthony goes next and draws a paper. He wins the round.

Angela steps back in shock when she sees that Anthony has won. She buries her head in her hands. Anthony revels in his victory and presses the lift button, but is slightly unnerved by Angela’s dismay. He moves towards her, but is interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing again. He stops in his tracks. Angela’s head is still buried in her hands. She stays that way for a couple of seconds. Anthony watches her lift up her head and looks at him, with a look of vulnerability in her eyes.

She starts to tell him about how she feels she will never measure up to him. He’s the only person who constantly surpasses her. She cries that she will probably get demoted to junior camera person for not getting the story first.

Anthony is touched by her. He tells her not to worry, that she is just like him and will always be able to pick herself up after a fall.

She moves closer to him, in response to his kind words. She looks up into his eyes and they share a moment of intense connection. Anthony moves closer, mesmerized by what he sees in her eyes. He sees himself. Angela closes her eyes and lifts her neck, breaking the eye contact. The lift bell rings. Anthony leans in closing his eyes and Angela stretches her neck drawing closer to him.

Anthony waits for the kiss that doesn’t happen. He opens his eyes and sees Angela entering the right lift with her luggage.

Anthony stretches out his hand, yelling “Don’t!”

Angela smiles smugly at him as the doors of the lift shut him out.

Anthony is left all alone in the lift lobby. His angry expression is replaced with a look of amusement, as he shakes his head. The sweeper walks into the lobby from the corridor carrying a broom and pail. He clicks his tongue in anger when he sees the sign. “Who moved this? I placed it here (points towards the right lift) just 10 minutes ago!” He bangs down his broom in the pail, making a cluttering sound.

Anthony claims not to know how it got moved. He offers to help the man return the sign where it belongs. Anthony rolls the sign on its base placing it in front of the right lift.

The left lift opens and both men enter with their respective equipment.

The sweeper makes some comments about Angela’s good looks. He asks Anthony where she has gone.

Anthony replies, “She’s gone down”. Anthony presses the close the lift button and the doors close on his sly face.

THE END