Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The night before
It was almost 4 AM in the morning. He was thinking "2 hours more of this restless night". His watch, albeit old and crack, is a new gift from his father. He had checked the time for a millionth time. The soft ticking sound of the second hand was getting louder. He thought. He put his hand under the bed cover and tried to muffle the irritating noise. "Damn" he still could hear it.
He could see the restful face of his brothers through the crack of the window where the moon light seeps through. One's foot literarily shoved into the other nose. One's butt squashing the other face. Elbows stuck, hands twisted. He envied them. All 5 of them. He reached for the bed cover and covered his youngest brother who was no match to his older brothers blanket tug war.
He closed his eyes and wished he would wade off to sleep. "Just an hour" he wished. He dreaded the long journey that awaits him. All three days long.
"At the crack of down ...
right before you hear the cock crow..." His father's words echoed in his ear. He tried to ignore it and pleaded with his own mind to let him sleep.
"Remember to leave the mule at your uncles. You should be able to walk the rest of the way"
He curled his body up until his chin touches his knees and cupped both ears with his hands. It felt better. He heard one of his brothers murmuring something followed by his usual lips smacking. He knew what was coming next. His brother's foot came crashing down and gave him a blow on his nose. Such assault was not unusual.
"Take good care of your brothers. They need you" His mother's word echoed in his head.
"It's inevitable that your father will get himself another wife. Whether she will be taking care of you guys as her own is doubtful." She was right on the money - he thought. The new wife is anything but a mother.
"Now get your self a shut eye. You have a long way ahead of you" He thought he heard his mother say.
"I can't mama." he muttered.
"Yes you can, my boy. Here... rest your weary head on my lap... That's it. Just like you used to. Now close your eyes..."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "Oh mama! How I missed you!" was the last thing he remembered himself saying out loud.
He could see the restful face of his brothers through the crack of the window where the moon light seeps through. One's foot literarily shoved into the other nose. One's butt squashing the other face. Elbows stuck, hands twisted. He envied them. All 5 of them. He reached for the bed cover and covered his youngest brother who was no match to his older brothers blanket tug war.
He closed his eyes and wished he would wade off to sleep. "Just an hour" he wished. He dreaded the long journey that awaits him. All three days long.
"At the crack of down ...
right before you hear the cock crow..." His father's words echoed in his ear. He tried to ignore it and pleaded with his own mind to let him sleep.
"Remember to leave the mule at your uncles. You should be able to walk the rest of the way"
He curled his body up until his chin touches his knees and cupped both ears with his hands. It felt better. He heard one of his brothers murmuring something followed by his usual lips smacking. He knew what was coming next. His brother's foot came crashing down and gave him a blow on his nose. Such assault was not unusual.
"Take good care of your brothers. They need you" His mother's word echoed in his head.
"It's inevitable that your father will get himself another wife. Whether she will be taking care of you guys as her own is doubtful." She was right on the money - he thought. The new wife is anything but a mother.
"Now get your self a shut eye. You have a long way ahead of you" He thought he heard his mother say.
"I can't mama." he muttered.
"Yes you can, my boy. Here... rest your weary head on my lap... That's it. Just like you used to. Now close your eyes..."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "Oh mama! How I missed you!" was the last thing he remembered himself saying out loud.
# posted by hakuna matata (ችግር የለም) @ 6:40 PM 
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