Stages

Featured Image: “Cinematic Cells” by Hagop Kaneboughazian is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Skills in This Piece

This piece is showcasing my creativity and writing skills. It shows these by showcasing I can write fiction. The piece also shows write about usual things. 

…

Watermelons, Apples, Oranges, Nuts, Grapes, Peaches. Pears, Bananas, and Melons…

The muscles are extending from the rib cage, stretching from the collarbone to breastbone to the armpit, and reaching to the lower back. This creates a large ball of tissue. This clump of tissue hangs from the chest area. This is the anatomy of breasts.

 Mami is a twenty-year-old woman. However, this is not about Mami, but about her breasts. Her Peaches. This is about a cell that lives in her breast, a cell named Euka.

….

The human body is a massive machine. It has a lot of moving parts. Some very important and others with no use of significant merit; however, cells are integral parts of this machine. However, with a population exceeding 37 trillion per individual, how important can all of them be?

Euka was born yesterday from another cell called Euka. All cells are called Euka, but not to have any confusion we called this cell Mama. Cells mature fast. Mama was an elder at two days old. o She looked like a clump of transparent Jell-O. All her organs were visible. The nucleus, a round purple ball, was at the center of her body. Inside the nucleus was the nucleolus; a smaller blue orb. That was the most important part of a cell’s body as it was the place where reproduction starts.  Being clairvoyant, Mama knew what was about to happen and started to prepare herself for a drastic change, a process that would literally split her in half.  She started to copy her DNA. The DNA was this long line of small little balls with tinier balls spinning around them. She looked over every piece of these atoms to make sure that everything was right. When she finished inspecting her DNA, she started to produce proteins. From this, she grew bigger. Next, it was time to duplicate her chromosomes.  She started to condense her chromosomes and to get rid of her nucleus. The chromosomes split as does Mama herself. Mama’s nucleus returns, and she looks at what she has achieved. She has created a prefect copy of herself.  “Euka,” said Mama, looking tenderly at her offspring.

…

A flower meets a bee. The bee loves the flower and the flower loves the bees. The bee gives the flower a gift,  a very special gift. The flower accepts. It  is happy. The flower brings the gift inside itself. The gift starts to grow. First the heart and brain, then the remainder of the body comes into existence. An orange- shaped head surrounds the brain.  A pear-shaped body surrounds the heart. Arms and legs grow out of the body like roots. This being sits in the flower for always. Then, a light shines onto the baby. The baby is pushed out. A cry rings throughout the room. “Mami,” cried a woman.

Reproduction is the process of replacing oneself. It is a miraculous form of multiplication. If you don’t reproduce,  what use do you have?

…

It has been two days since Euka has been alive and she already knows her calling. She is fitting in well with the other Euka. Her job is to keep the breast wall stable. All day, she expands and condenses as the breast expands and condenses. It was a boring job, but it was a job she felt born to perform. She never questioned this. Four more days.

Is the job you are  given always the purpose you’re destined for?

…

Twelve to fifteen years is the age when the fruit ripens. They become plump and succulent.

The process starts slowly. One moment your chest is as flat and the next moment you have sacks dropping from your chest. This was the process that she went through. Although it was not immediate, one morning, she woke up,  and boobs just seemed to appear. When that day came, her mother had a talk with her. She told her that one day when she became a mother herself, this fruit would provide nourishment and help her children flourish,  to grow smart and strong.

“What is breastfeeding Mommy?’ she asked.

“Breastfeeding is what a woman does to feed her kids,” said Mom.

“It is one of the many purposes of a woman. Some men believe that breasts exist for them just to ogle and grope,  but breasts exist to aid the continuation of the species, to nourish generations.”

Children are hard. They cry and eat a lot. However, you are not doing your job if you don’t provide for them. Am I right?

…

Two more days elapsed. Euka watched as the Rouge and Blanc cells; the cleaner cells, ate Mama’s existence away.

Moments later, Mama made an announcement. “Euka, it’s time,” said Mama.

Euka looked at Mama in shock.

“It can’t be,” said Euka. “You have to stay.” You have to stay with me.”

“No,” said Mama. “I can’t. This the way that things must be. That is how things works. You know that.”

Euka looked down. She knew this. She knew that cells like her only lasted for seven days, living a full life before dying a death others would deem premature. This was the way that the body worked.

“Euka, we; cells, live to support Mami,” said Mama. “We live for her. We die for her. When we get old, we become less productive. That is why we spilt apart. We create new and younger versions of ourselves. This is the way Mami survives. You must accept this.  We cannot change our destiny.”

“But…” said Euka. Their was no need to complete her sentence. She stopped in her tracks because Mama was dead.  There was no burial.  Mama was just cast off. Mama laid there for a moment until the rouge and blanc cells came to clean up her body. The rouge and blanc cells were red and white cells that were the cleaner of the body. There were no tears or sacred or solemn ceremonies. They would eat the cell’s corpse and leave without a word. All cells were scared of  rouge and blanc cells, but they never questioned their job as it was their pre-programed responsibility. Euka understood that, but she didn’t like it.

“Stop that,” she yelled. The Rouge and Blanc cells did not.

“Please!” The Rouge and Blanc cells just kept going.

Euka watched as the Rouge and Blanc cells devoured her mother, thinking about her own mortality.

What’s more important your purpose or your life?

…

She was now in college and loved socializing as much as she loved studying. She was invited to Davis’ party that night at Georgia Tech. She was so excited to go to the party. Tech boys and Scottie girls were known for hooking up and getting married. She walked to her RA’s door and signed out on the cupboard. She walked out of her door and drove off to Georgia Tech.

When she reached her destination, she was greeted by other girls from her school. They were all talking to some hot guys. She walked into the fraternity house and looked around. The house was being lit up by multi-colored lights. Some people were talking while others were dancing. The space smelled like alcohol and pheromones. Mami walked deeper into the house before accidentally bumping into someone.  

“I am sorry,” she said. The man turned around and looked Mami up and down, smiling as he appraised her appearance.

“It’s ok,” he said. “My name is Chris. What’s your name?”

“Mami,” she said.

“Oh, hey I. You have some nice tits,” said Chris.

I giggled. “Thanks,” she said not knowing whether to be flattered or disgusted.

“Do you want to hang out?” asked Chris.

“Sure.”

“It is one of many purposes of a woman.” Who determines what is important?

…

The final day came. Euka’s body started to tremble. It was the day. “I don’t want to die,” thought Euka. “I don’t! I don’t!! I don’t!!!” At that moment, something changed in Euka. Her body shifted. Her DNA started to shake. Euka stopped screaming. The time had come, the time for her to die. However, she did not. Seconds passed then minutes. Euka put her arms to her nucleus.

“I’m not dead,” she said. Euka was unknowingly willing her DNA to change. She was rewriting millions of years of programing. Her seven-day lifespan was expanded. There was no end to it. 

“Need to share this with everyone else,” Euka thought. “We can all live forever.”

Cells did not die anymore. They just kept splitting apart and making new cells. These immortal cells clumped together, forming a singular mass in the  wall of the breast.

…

Death is the process of not existing. You are not living or breathing. You do not exist. This is the fear that all living beings have, but it’s nature. You should fear the unknown not the inevitable. It is also the law of nature. You must die for someone else to come in. Fair is fair. However, life isn’t fair, so why listen to nature?

…

“Doc What’s wrong with me?” Sweat trickled down her cheeks. Her stomach started to turn.

The doctor looked at her with a concentrated gaze. He had done this seemingly millions of times. However, the pity he had for his clients always leaked out through his eyes.

“Mami,” the doctor said. He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Mami, you have breast cancer.” She broke. She wailed in pain and sorrow, feeling as she had somehow failed as a woman.

Ironically, a party was going on deep inside her, at a venue not so distant from her heart. Euka was celebrating her defeat of destiny, not realizing that her longevity was possibly abbreviating Mami’s life.