The Fast Twitch

ONE

"Oh! Lipstick plants!"

A female voice laden with a foreign Russian accent.

2020, Corona Times and a level one national state of emergency in Mount Faber district in downtown Singapore. Yuliya does this thing when it comes to identifying plants, even an App on her iPhone, and not her basic botanical knowledge.

Two Caucasian foreigners are looking out of place this fresh Thursday morning as both stride into this Corner Café, with a stunning view of the surrounding Asian city. They are met with strict Covid-19 protocols and greeted by alcohol-swabbed, sterilized hospitality (How did they manage for so long being locked down?).

The empty café has many options for sitting down, although a young curious waitress does the tourist move and ushers the couple to an outdoor seating that suits the July weather. Rain may be on the way.

The Asian waitress has an excellent English dialect, we know about the blonde Russian, but he does not sound Eastern block his English sounds formal as if it's Commonwealth.

A great viewing option overlooking the business district and various waterways with a distant peep at the busy port, her back must be strong! This is all going on in the waitress's head and if masks were good at hiding most of the face, could eye contact be the new unprecedented form of communication?

He is well groomed and has some gentle tone to his pitch, possibly Scandinavian with his blue eyes, and fair skin, the waitress postulates in her mind, these two must be an item undoubtedly. She is quick to pounce, has time to break the ice, tips do not arrive without effort, and she is interested in their story. Their dance coffee.

"Good morning, my name is Alice, and I will be serving you today, might I also say your posture is so obvious, are you a dancer?"

"Looks like you have a live one...Yuliya," he said with the reflex that this compliment happens often.

Yuliya does this rehearsed speech of what it means to be an authentic dance performer. The professionalism of this partnership, the difference between making it or faking it. She does a great job explaining to a possible dance enthusiast the value of this dance coffee and how it relates to the sheer volume of floor time.

"I have been in such a flow this last week! My ebook is coming along nicely!"

"Covid-19 lockdown has allowed me to concentrate on my writing, so therapeutic!".

The scene of conversation about to begin between two dancers in a foreign city...

"What is the book all about? Give me the teaser!" taunted Yuliya.

Mikhail is dealing with his broken past, leaving his beloved country he has taken the opportunity that this social distancing mandate provides...go deep...go deep within.

He replies..."Disadvantaged female athlete is under suspicion for illegitimate gains, her participation at the Tokyo Games is under threat, even with the pandemic pushing the games to 2021, her time spent with a former legendary Coach is under scrutiny."

Dominating the Junior World Championships at longer events like the 800m, Kaley Kinin's (disadvantaged athlete) management team does what companies do and interfere with promising talent with the business side of professional sports. The consequence of seeking more return on investment by having a sprinter rather than a middle-distance athlete is hard to explain to the layperson.

This stuff happens all the time, the female athlete goes through complex physiological parameters in a peak performance window and now couples that with the social-economic challenges enforced by the management company. There is only one solution to prevent career suicide, and prevent this catastrophe from escalating, enter Legendary Coach Tom DeVere, the horse whisperer who ranches beyond the far hills in solitude.

It is designed to consider the outliers of society, and gems of wisdom that may be possibly lost during this great reset. Who knows the extent of the Covid-19 pandemic 'damage' what we know to this point, and take ancestral wisdom into the post-apocalyptic world?

"Tell me more Mikhail!" pleaded Yuliya

"Let's order celery juice!" affirmed Mikhail, everything with a purpose, even the start of the day requires this...

"Well, it's been like an introspective journey taking the reader to a place of my inner conflict whilst growing up, finding methods to deal with what was to become my destiny!"

"Tell me more Mikhail!"

"You are so mysterious, and you do keep in a lot..."

"First we need some celery juice!"

"Well, when it comes to my formulation of thoughts, my life has been a series of lessons learned from failing magnificently!"

"No jokes!"

"Well, tell me more, you have my attention!"

Alice the waitress knows that this conversation probably will run until her shift ends, and if this is her sole business for the day (who cares?),  an empty open-plan restaurant allows her to eavesdrop on this dance coffee.

She drops in with the anticipation that the breakfast order is still to come, and chimes in...

"Two celery juices and two house blends?"

"Absolutely! Add two glasses of water, lemon, no ice, don't bring sugar, and if there is almond milk...bring..."