DAY 76

Today I met a unicorn.
I’m only half kidding.
But I did meet a rare and mystical creature.

Up relatively early and down to Tony’s to buy some milk (oat!) and bread (sourdough!). I gave him a slice of the nutmeg cake because I literally have a ton of it and I don’t really know why but I cut up a few slices and brought them out with me. He gave me a free coffee in exchange so I headed to Twinkle Park up over the top of the high street, across the main road. It’s not really a park, it’s so small. More like the remnants of a grand square. But filled with bushes and trees making a dense barrier between out and in. It’s not so cold anymore; there’s even a bit of sun trying every now and then so I find the small bench in the corner and sit, the coffee cup giving me something to cling on to, and I watch the three kids with those tiny bikes kicking about by the big swing; they eye me as I come in then soon turn away, faces impassive - I feel so small today; maybe they can’t see me? I look at the coffee cup and it feels huge suddenly; too hot. I dropped it, my hands shaking so badly and the kids snort with laughter as I pat my coffee stained trousers with a napkin, making things worse. I wish I’d never gone out today. I wish I could fall through the smallest hole in the ground; that spot on the grass by my feet I’m staring at and how is it that the short walk between Tony’s shop and Twinkle Park can warp and curl from a relative OK, to holding my eyes so tightly shut to keep the screams from leaking out in only so many steps? I was alright when I shut the door, went down the stairs, onto the street. I was ok giving cake; my face feeling the closest thing to a smile forming on it. How many steps did it take to feel the weight on my neck again?

The distance between my tiny flat and a tiny park.
The distance between the pooling coffee between my feet.
Everything got so still, throbbing in my ears, hands quaking, I feel myself tipping into that tiny hole in the ground...head down, almost gone...but then-

-just at the edge of my eyes, top of the frame...two silver hooves (oh alright, two silver shoes), topped off by neon pink socks. I lift my eyes, my head slowly: and see this beautiful, extraordinary, unicorn stood there: six foot in those silver ankle boots, an ensemble in a variety of pink hues: ruffle-tiered skirt, waistcoat over a crop t-shirt, some kind of scarf/cape hybrid made out of a patchwork quilt, a small silver rucksack, many many layers of bangles and necklaces, and topped off with a platinum mermaid wig shot through with yet more pink. Oh and there’s the thick black framed glasses over which this beautiful fantastical creature peers at me with a look of entirely unconcealed disdain.

…

I gave them the rest of the cake. We’ve made a date to meet in a few days time.

FOUND was written by Abi Zakarian
Co-directed by Emily Carewe and Jessica Rose McVay
Sound design by Anna Short
Illustrations by Katie Gabriel Allen
Website by NIMA

Ziazan - Jessie Bedrossian
Mama - Nathalie Armin
Lou - Rose Wardlaw
Reena - Amy Trigg
Kai - Emily Steck
Bunny - Gabby Wong
Mateo - Mika Onyx Johnson
Alejandro - Pedro Leandro
Man on Foreshore - Josh Finnan
Stevie - Ché Francis
Lena - Lilly Driscoll
Mary Lacy - Natasha Magigi