Frankly Told: Take the Leap
The room was dark. The curtains drawn made the room feel like evening even when the clock affirmed the morning hours. He sat on the edge of his bed with his hands nestling his head.
Outside he could hear his neighbours bid their partners goodbye and march back to the hustle and bustle. He marvelled at their drive to consistently get up every morning. Dozens of times, he has felt the urge to sit down with them and ask them just how they did it every single day.
Today, his back felt broken. His legs felt numb and immovable. Strength escaped them but he saw no other choice but to force himself out of bed and into the washroom of his bedsitter apartment. The shower was cold and whispered seductively, calling him back into the warm blankets he had left. After a quick clean-up, he stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist feeling slightly more awake.
Walking to the kitchenette, he threw together his prep items for his small breakfast of coffee and toasted a couple of slices of bread. Leaving the kettle boiling, he got dressed. Dark pants, a white shirt and a sweater. He draped his tie over his shoulders and couldn’t help but shiver at the imagery of this noose he wrapped around his neck.
The kettle clicked off and the bread jumped up having gained a lovely shade of golden brown. Going on to pour out a cup to prepare his coffee and rapidly taking the bread, tossing them on a side plate and buttering them up, he began to feel a little better about his choices. Taking a moment to smell the coffee, he took a sip. It lightly burned the roof of his mouth but it was just like he liked it.
Birds outside his window called him to draw the curtain and he obliged. The rays of the morning sun warmed his face but were not enough to completely thaw the sense of fatigue that colonised his mind. He had contemplated resigning but his bills offered a non-negotiable counteroffer. He looked out into the yard where school children poured out before being ushered into their school buses. He smiled at the thought of someday doing the same.
From his bedside table, his phone buzzed him out of his fantasies. On the screen a name he never expected scrolled across with the receive icon bobbing up and down below it. Shakingly, he put his coffee to the side and the bread back on the plate before wiping his hands down on his pants and walking up to pick up the phone.
“Good morning boss,” he faked his best jolly voice.
“Haha, no. Of course, you didn’t wake me up,” he joked. “I wake the sun up.”
There was a short burst of corporate laughter and inside he felt his soul get sucked out a little bit more. He wondered if he had done anything worthy of being sacked.
“So, what can I do for you sir?” he edged the conversation out of the small talk.
“Oh, I am about to leave for the office just now,” he lied.
“Okay,” he punctuated his boss’s side of the conversation.
“Alright, I shall try to be there within the hour,” he affirmed. “Should traffic allow.”
With a quick chuckle, he cut the call and deeply sighed. Inside, he wanted to scream out this frustration within but it was the last day of the work week so he could at least look forward to the weekend. Besides, from the tone of the conversation, it didn’t seem like it was a meeting of a bad nature.
Before he could move back to his breakfast his phone rang again. He smacked his lips and picked up reluctantly.
“Hello,” he started.
“Ati? Wait. So you mean…” the conversation went on.
“I thought he was about to fire me,” relief settled fully in his heart.
“Is it the whole team?” he asked.
“Oh okay, so you are coming to the office today as well,” he couldn’t hide the slight excitement in his voice.
“Okay, yeah.” he agreed.
“Sawa, I guess… see you then.” he cut the call and put the phone down.
His bed felt his full weight as he dropped onto the frame with a deep exhale.
There was a knock on his door. It was his ride. He was halfway through his morning routine but that wasn’t even a thought. The knock came through a second time and he got up hurriedly to open the door. When the door swung open, it revealed her and like a sight for sore eyes, she stood there with her hands on her hips. The expression on her face softened.
He excitedly picked her up in his arms with a sweeping hug. He spun her around into the apartment before she could register what was going on.
“Wha- What’s going on?” she asked after regaining composure once he put her down.
“Just got good news,” he ran through his words. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“What are you thanking me for? What good news? Why aren’t you fully dressed?” she shot back.
“Thank you for pushing me to stick it through,” he explained. “Thank you for encouraging me to take on things, even when I complained I was tired or I felt like I was not good enough for the opportunity.”
He smiled and pulled her in closer.
“Thank you for linking me to this job,” he smiled and kissed her.
“You still haven’t told me what is going on,” she insisted.
He hurried across the room, spread his bed, and picked up his laptop and office bag. Downing the coffee that had since gone lukewarm, he slipped on his shoes and grabbed the slices of bread off the countertop.
“I’ll tell you on the way,” he ushered her out and locked the door.
“Take a leap,” he said to himself in wonder and smiled as they sat in her car.
She looked at him with bewilderment. Touched her lips softly where he had landed their first kiss. Smiling softly she started the car and pulled out.
“Take the leap huh,” she repeated softly.
