July 18

Laughs and Bonds

Yesterday's night, I went out with my friends, and man, I can't quite remember the details. All I know is that we had a lot of fun, drank a lot of booze, and danced a lot of moves. It was one of those wild nights that you don't forget easily, even if you want to.

But today is a different day. Today is the day I have to perform on stage. Yes, you heard me right. I'm a standup comedian. And not just any standup comedian. I'm one of the best in the city. At least, that's what my fans tell me.

I have been doing this for over five years now, and I love it. There's nothing like making people laugh and forget their worries for a while. There's nothing like seeing their faces light up with joy and appreciation. There's nothing like hearing their applause and cheers at the end of my show.

I have a regular gig at a club called The Laughing Lounge. It's a cozy place with a small stage, a bar, and a few tables and chairs. The walls are painted with bright colors and funny cartoons. The ceiling is decorated with disco balls and fairy lights. The music is upbeat and catchy. The atmosphere is lively and friendly.

The ticket price is reasonable, only 10 bucks per person. The audience is usually young and hip, mostly college students and office workers looking for some entertainment.

I earn a decent living from this. Not enough to buy a mansion or a Ferrari, but enough to pay the bills and have some savings. I also get some extra income from selling merchandise like T-shirts, mugs, and DVDs of my shows. And sometimes I get invited to perform at corporate events or private parties.

My script is mostly based on my own life experiences and observations. I talk about my family, my friends, my love life (or lack thereof), my struggles, my dreams, and anything else that comes to my mind. I try to be honest and relatable, but also funny and witty. I don't shy away from controversial topics like politics, religion, or sex. But I don't offend anyone either. I make fun of myself more than anyone else.

I arrived at The Laughing Lounge. Even after performing for years, i still feel nervous everyday. I just don't want to make them feel disappointed about their ticket purchase.

I reviewed the script again just in case i mess up something. I took a sip of water and motivated myself.

"Hendry! You have been doing this for years now! Just go and do everything according to the script and it would be alright. People are there waiting for you!"

I went on the stage, took a deep breath and started off with my script and hoped for the best.

- "Hello everyone! My name is Hendry, and I'm a standup comedian. Well, actually I'm more of a sit-down comedian. Because I'm too lazy to stand up."

- "And because I have a bad case of hemorrhoids."

- "I'm single and ready to mingle. But no one seems to be interested in me. Maybe it's because of my looks. Or maybe it's because of my personality. Or maybe it's because of my jokes."

- "Or maybe it's because of my smell. Yeah, that's right. I smell bad. Like really bad. Like worse than a skunk on fire bad."

- "But hey, don't judge me. It's not my fault. It's genetic. My parents smell bad too. And so do my grandparents. And so do my cousins. And so do my pets."

- "In fact, the only thing that doesn't smell bad in my house is the air freshener. And that's because it ran out of batteries."