Rude Awakening

A sound. A sort of insistent sound. Familiar and bringing it with a certain sense of dread. Ignore it. Nope, not one of those noises you’re supposed to ignore. Go for the combination move of opening eyes and flailing outward with hand in general direction of irritating sound. Contact with something hard. Sound stops. 

Decision time. Get up or give it a few more minutes. The latter option is a risk. The Irritating Noise Of Depressing Inevitability has been permanently silenced for the day. It will not go off again this morning. If Option 2 is selected, there is the risk of eye closure followed by instantaneous passing of up to forty five minutes without noticeable gap. It’s not preferred but the first choice is the only choice. Move legs and get out of bed.

Dark. Cold. No other movement in the house. Bathroom. Shower on. Warmer. Wash and then spend a few minutes sort of standing under the comforting wet warmth aimlessly staring into the middle distance and wondering if it possible to just stay in the shower all day. Eventually come to the conclusion that probably not a workable idea. Potential for excessive pruning.

Clothes on. Bag packed. Leave the house, cold again. Still dark. Shouldn't be outside. It’s nighttime. No one should get up and go out at nighttime. That’s for being in bed, not going around outside with clothes and shoes and stuff.

Train station. Find regular spot. Be irrationally pleased that no one else is standing there as that’s your spot where you can get on and go to your seat (yes, it is your seat, yes, it has got your name on it*). Get on train and remember that they’re new trains and you haven’t got used to the new layout yet so you don’t have a spot or a seat anymore. Which makes absolutely no difference anyway as the train's always empty at this time.

Fight the urge for the eyes to close. You will not fall asleep on the way in, you will not fall asleep on the way in, you will not fall asl… head nods and jerks back up again. Then it’s time to get off (you have reached your final destination, hope you have a pleasant onward journey) and shamble the rest of the way to…

...work! Yep, that’s your lot for Christmas, mate, back to the grind. Ah well, was nice while it lasted.


* No, it hasn’t.