Up and down, light and dark. The agony and the ecstasy.
There were worse things to get stuck to your shoe, right?
Gum had been unceremoniously spat to the ground about five minutes ago. Sebastien had been his host for the short time between shop and tram and tram and curb.
Sebastien was a young man. A real go-getter. He wore too much aftershave and had a veritable slick of gel in his air.
He was confident but far too self-assured. He had not, how can we say, the sufficient ‘stature’ to support his claims. All mouth and no trousers.
So to speak.
How did gum know this? Well you try being shoved into the pockets of too tight trousers and not get an idea of your surroundings.
Keys, security pass, tangled headphone cable and a disappointing ‘bulge’.
Sebastien had been rude to the shop assistant. It was her fault he was late. By proxy.
He’d sworn at her, under his breath and made her feel small. He left a waft of sandlewood and neroli behind him.
Today’s air was fresh. There was some sunshine but a hint of darkness remained. Gum was stuffed into the pocket and Sebastien’s pace quickened. A stifled jog. A not nervous run. Controlled panic. Gum heard mechanical doors open and close. Murmured morning mutterings. A lurch and then gentle swaying.
Gum hoped that when Seb - as he liked to be called - chewed on him, that he may ‘accidentally on purpose’ choke. Or that he would be swallowed and spend seven years twisting through Seb’s agonising innards.
The package was ripped open. The thin strip slung to the ground. Gum was seized between thumb and index finger and hoisted into Seb’s halitosis ravaged maw.
You may think it would hurt, the mashing and the grinding. Incisors and molars working the minty fresh juices from the synthetic plastic. Frantic as it was, this was catharsis. Gum’s purpose. As saliva met artificial flavourings, Gum reduced but became fuller.
The announcement said, ‘Banking District’, he felt momentum slow. He felt inertia creep.
Seb jostled with commuters as they alighted. Man-boy and stowaway. Then with masseter, temporalis, medial pterygoid, and lateral pterygoid muscles working in tandem, buccal phase installed. Spit, spitting, spat.
Gum hit the floor hard. That hurt. But pride came AFTER the fall in this instance. Seb was trying to flash a smile at cute commuter girl #3 and was not paying attention to footfall. Where he had flobbed his once cherished flavour savour, he now stood.
Gum’s mass spread to the tread of the sole of Seb’s foot. Stuck fast. Gum grasped frantically to anything within reach and packed it tight to his body. This odious upstart needed bringing down a peg or two.
Candy bar wrapper...CHECK.
Newspaper edge...CHECK.
Cigarette butt? Plenty. Multiple CHECK.
Stick, sticky, stuck.
Seb’s foot was a treasure trove of detritus.
Gum felt proud. Seb had not but a clue.
