Reflections of a Weary Citizen Part I

The crow of a rooster! The Cleric’s voice as he leads the early morning Azaan! And with that ushers in the new day!

On a bed, a ‘Sleeper’ lays, engaged in the silent war to wake up or not to! But the buzz of a mosquito jostles him to reality.

Still on the bed, the ‘Sleeper’ stirs and wishes for more sleep. Of course this is a wish not born out of laziness but of helplessness and hopelessness! “Another day in this damned country,” says the frustrated voice in his head. If only he could sleep and wake up to a different reality; one which only dwells in the realm of his dreams because his imagination cannot afford him the liberty to fathom the kind of life his dreams afford him.

It is the dawn of a new day, but not one of hope because the stale air in the room is a rude reminder that nothing has changed overnight. He would have taken solace in the creaking sound of the old ceiling fan but that comfort was snatched the previous evening; the result of power outage.

The ‘Sleeper’ buries his face in his underarm; his poor attempt to escape the stubborn mosquito but the whiff of his underarm, is a reminder of the previous day’s failed job hunt.

Although awake, the ‘Sleeper’ remains very still; perhaps an attempt to turn away the unwanted thoughts stampeding their way to launch him into the new day. But of course the wheels are already turning in his head; the few seconds of wakefulness have already created a roadmap of the gloomy day ahead.

With a deep sigh the ‘Sleeper’ tries to push afar his worries. He reaches for his cellphone in the hope of finding solace in the words of his favourite radio preacher but is disappointed when the screen fails to flicker. Just then he recalls the previous night’s session with the radio motivational speaker left the battery drained.

With no choice, the ‘Sleeper’ digs within himself for the courage to lift himself up from the bed. “You are our only hope,” the words of his mother echoes in his head at that moment. And with that, we hear bones crackle as the ‘Sleeper’ rises.

With calculated steps he advances towards the door; making sure not to make any sound for fear of waking up the ‘forces’ that have become thorns to his progress. But as he reaches for the door, a familiar voice causes him to freeze. And then he remembers the deadline for the unpaid rent. And then he remembers the unpaid light bill.

Several thoughts run through is mind, but none with the answers he seeks.

Right then the ‘Sleeper’ realizes he is trapped! Trapped in a life he so much detests!

To be continued…