Stories of Awareness — Rest in Me. Arresting Me. Stressing Flee. Freeing Me. — Part 4

I clean for another hour and take a break. The weight of the Afrobloggers, WinterABC2022 challenge is on my shoulders. So far, I’ve been able to have stories planned a few days ahead, and I get to enjoy the luxury of hitting publish on the drafts.

Now the pressure of the Monday article is upon me. I guess I’ll wake up at 5 AM, Monday morning, and get it all done. My house needs all the cleaning it can get.

Sleep takes over the air in my room. I breathe it in, only to breathe it out and breathe it in again. I change into the most comfortable shorts I have, and I sleep. Usually I set an alarm when I’m taking a nap, but this time I don’t. I will wake up when I wake up.

Sadly, that wasn’t to be, my phone rings an hour later. Zedd is calling.

Hey man, I say.

Yo, are you around? he says.

I am.

Can I come over?

I think about my fatigue. Something I’ve never done. I’m tempted to have him come over, because he’s my geek buddy. The only one I’ve met, who finds good pleasure in discussing the Reimman Hypothesis, and related topics from January to December, and has interfaced with the concepts prior to meeting me.

I don’t choose him. I choose me.

Another day bro. I need some time alone. Never did I think I’d ever tell a mind buddy, that I need sometime alone from him.

Cool, he says and hangs up.

I lie there on my back. All the sleep is gone. I proceed to wash my mops only to find there’s no space on the lines outside, when I go to hang them.

But that’s not the most pressing need, my stomach is rumbling. I don’t have anything in the house other than rice. I know what I’ll do. A huge load of whole meal bread, and peanut butter, and some tea ought to do the trick.

There’s another line on the other side of the rentals, but I don’t trust my clothes will be safe there, so I take them back inside, and leave them in the bathroom.

I get ready to leave the house, only to hear a boom from the thunder above. I should have allowed Zedd to come over with some food stuffs.

The clouds gather together above me, like excited party goers. I speed to the supermarket, and get my bread. I checkout only to be greeted by a heavy down pour. The sky cracks like I never heard it crack before, and my back shudders.

Monday:

It’s 4 PM and I receive a message from my friend Alex.

Hey man are you free? He says.

I haven’t seen Alex in ten years.

I’m good, I say.

I’m flying out of the country tonight. Do you think we can meet at Taste Budz Ntinda?

Yes, I say, What time?

6 PM, he texts.

I leave office at 5:45 PM. I work right in the center of Ntinda. I stroll towards Taste Budz, only to be hit by another wave of fatigue. I’ll text him when I get home. After getting out of the taxi I’m in, and navigating the moving maze of traffic, I see my habitat in sight, then I get a call.

Hey Sam, he sounds very excited, I’ve arrived.

I’m sorry man, I’m not feeling too good, I say.

Sawa, it’s fine. Another time.

Definitely another time, I reply.