Title: Friends at my Fingertips
by Matthew from London | in writing, fiction
A buzzing noise in the background as the radio comes on air. An enthusiastic radio presenter braces himself, loosens his tie and falls back onto his scruffy armchair.
The room is quiet.
Lighting focuses on a large, neat radio set. Fast, snappy discussions follow.
Mark: Hello World! Yes that's right mates, today we're transmitting to pals globally.
Radio bristles into life and whirring, clanking noises can be heard from the old machinery, making a valiant effort to connect dozens of voices direct to one country.
Mark adjusts his head phones, and taps them vigorously for good measure.
More buzzing, Mark shakes the radio set in desperation, steadies himself, announces today's topic: 'youths coping in the UK', and begins.
Mark: Right. Any new idea's from friends abroad? (Sits up higher in his seat) ah yes, here's one caller...over to you Ando from China!
Mark's voice immediately cuts out to be replaced by an elderly voice, slightly muffled but excited.
Ando: (shouts) Hey England! My advice...
Radio cuts out; Mark turns dials to gain a better frequency.
End of Ando's sentence is heard:
Ando: ...lonely business! Don't forget your friends, (as an after thought) pretty simple really...
Mark swivels around in his seat, takes down a few notes and a swig of strong coffee. Rejuvinated, he focuses once more on the radio set.
Mark: Thanks Ando, oh (slight surprise) and another caller. Ethan, from...Alaska! Wow, the radio's changing its mind faster than our weather today!
Harsh winds on the other end of the radio, followed by a rough but friendly voice.
Ethan: Heya, my tip is... bad situations get tough. Making the right decision is even tougher. Don't steer wrong mates!
Voice fades into the surrounding silence.
Mark gets up to pull down the shutters on the windows, closing the world from view. He then looks at the time on his wrist and starts to conclude before the break.
Mark: (clears his throat) Well there you go. Lines are still open. Cya in a sec and don't go away! (Sits back, relief shows on his face and smiles manically).
A musical, gentle voice recites the radios fancy name and radios around the world are snuffed out until the next reunion, just after they hear the inspirational Beijing Olympics 2008 theme song:
'Forever Friends'.
Friends at my Fingertips Prologue: The scene is set in an old radio station in the heart of London, committed to finding interesting points of view from absolutely anywhere. Mark, a young and sociable, newly employed radio presenter is hoping to make a good impression on his first topic. Typically, he is thrown in at the deep end to test how good he really is. Radio is his life, and he finds talking to others on this magical machine deeply rewarding My script. Today the world is advancing dramatically in the computing industry and in some ways this is great, another way to connect to the diverse world in which we live; however, sometimes we forget the other means of communication we have. To name but one: The radio. A lot of people rely on the radio as a connection to others, a way of making friends by listening to new voices every day and understanding how the world is seen by others and also how people see the world just like you do. Youths in the world today often find it hard to express themselves, and be understood by others. The radio opens up to a wider world and can brighten the day of any person. The topic discussed in my script is something young people might want to listen to; for comfort and also out of interest. I have therefore based my script on the wonder of radio, and even with the briefest of dialect the globe expands our circle of friends to people of totally different cultures. This is why I use Alaska and China, countries at random who can offer different advice but still make perfect sense to one another. This shows that the world is closer than we really think it is and a device that shows this should be commended, in any country.
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