Tales of Insomnia
Beaming morning greetings said – check
Laughter shared over coffee breaks – check
Small talks made with fellow humans – check
Emails sent – check
Drinks clinked – check
Calls made at home – check
Responses sent for pending WhatsApp – check
Scroll through Instagram and Facebook – check
Only 11:00 pm – maybe flip through Netflix?
Midnight – tucked into bed, eyes shut tight, praying that sleep will be kind today
1:15 am – the incessant crying of a kitten outside the window stirs the eyes open; staring at the ceiling; it’s funny how even in the dark eyes adjust to the objects around; what was that conversation during tea break today; ok, this is not helping, need to shut out the chatter; unlock the phone and scroll mindlessly through images of faraway lands on Instagram
2:25 am – the phone is flipped back near the pillow and the blanket is pulled over the head in hope that sleep might slip in; turning sides to find a comfortable position on the bed, in my skin and inside my head; I give up – get up and walk up to the refrigerator and bite into a piece of dark chocolate
3:05 am – a bike zooms by; a lizard makes noisy clicks on the wall outside the window; the smoke from the lit cigarette swirls around the book; I should try to photograph this with a shaft of morning sunlight maybe!
4:00 am – outside the milk truck backs up with beeps and comes to a halt, crates clank against the metal body as they are unloaded; standing in the balcony I watch the world start to arise when I haven’t even gone to bed yet; I crawl back into bed yet again and lie there with eyes wide open
4:30 am – the call of the muezzin begins; memories of the small room adjoining my parents’ room come flooding by; church bells from a distant past runs a shiver up the entire body; bloody fucking memories!
4:45 am – bury the face under the pillow to drown out the 25-year old muffled sounds that refuse to go away and haunt me each day
5:20 am – stare at the outline of the fan hanging on the ceiling; birds begin to chirp outside; rusty sounds of the brush of the sweepers cleaning the streets; street lamps are switched off; the calm deep blue sky with a hint of orange peeks from behind a canopy of trees
5:30 am – flip the phone up, look at the blinding screen light and squint my eyes; close the screen
Time to be a master of disguise once again!