: - ]

E. sat in a maroon room which was lit by a single lamp. The walls’ texture was such that it looked like waves were travelling across the wall gracefully. When light passed past the window next to E. it looked like the waves were travelling over the wall. Inch by inch, no water left still, travelling over the wall before it crashed on the back of E.’s head.

He sat with his chin resting on top of his hands staring at the dirty laundry before him. His watch showed the time to be 12:03. A half-eaten plate of rice sitting next to him. His computer was open to a paused YouTube video. He was listening to some music on his earphones; every now and then he would go on his phone to skip to the next song.

After 30 more minutes when it was 12:33 he goes back to watching the video. He finishes it at 1:01 and goes to bed at 1:05 falling asleep almost immediately.

**

The next day he comes back to his room at around 4:08 in the afternoon. He opens his laptop and sits on the floor. With his back against the wall and his laptops in his lap, he works for an hour. At around 5:30, he goes and has some food. Just some leftover rice that he didn’t leave on his table and had to throw out. He fried it and ate it. At around 6:08 he finished eating and put the dishes in the sink.

He came back to his room and sat to do some work at 6:13. At 6:18 he was looking at his laptop glassy eyed. He blinked for a second while sighing and then closed his laptop. He laid on his bed listening to music. 7:38 he switched to a movie on Netflix. 9:18 to YouTube. At 10, he tried to work again. 10 minutes later he was glassy eyed again. He tries to focus his eyes but it did not work like it never did. Once again, his face went to rest on his hands.

At 11:14 a car’s alarm went off. The yellow light of the blinkers infiltrating E.’s room, lighting up the walls. The yellow acid waves began crashing on his head. Constantly, consistently and from each direction. The car’s alarm turns off. A car door opens and closes & the engine roars. The white light of the headlight makes the maroon shine, the waves standing still, simultaneously emerging from and dying into E.’s head. At 11:21 the car drove off. The room once again lit by the singular lamp.

E. fell asleep on the desk at around 11:30, 4 hrs earlier than yesterday and 3.5 hrs earlier than the day before yesterday.

**

The next day he woke up at 7:00, 1.5 hrs earlier than usual, 3 hrs before ideal.  An early rise only happened once per week for him. He sat on his bed listening to music for 20 minutes. His breathing slowing in rhythm every minute of it. At 7:20 he got up and stretched. He then brushed his teeth. After that he realised, he should have drunk his coffee first and then brushed because now it would taste horrible. He went downstairs and boiled some water. At 7:40, he poured a little water in his cup and mixed a spoonful of instant coffee in it. He then topped it off with cold water from the tap. At 7:43, he chugged the entire cup. He then made another cup the same way, but instead of cold water, used cold milk this time and took it back with him to his room.

At 7:50 he noticed the still dirty laundry. At 8, the laundry was in the washer. At 8:15 he was back and working on his laptop. At 9:30 he closed his laptop with a smile. He finished taking his shower and by 9:50 he was out the door. He came back at 4 and saw the empty laundry hamper in his room. He immediately ran to the laundrette where his wet laundry was still in the washer. He took it out and put it in the dryer. At 4:30 he came back tired and started watching YouTube on his laptop. At 7:30 he realised he’d forgotten about his clothes again. He ran to the laundrette again, this time to find his clothes on the floor. He picked up his clothes and went back. At 8 he entered his room and sat on his desk. At 8:01 his eyes became glassy again and he closed his laptop. At 8:02 he started folding the laundry and by 8:20 he had put all his clothes away in the cupboard. He then spent the next 46 minutes laying in his bed listening to music. At 9:06 he tried to work again, but at 9:07 failed again. He went to his kitchen at 9:10 and started making dinner. He had a nice meal ready by 9:30 which he enjoyed till 9:45.

**

He came back to his room after dinner and sat on his desk. He stared at his laptop for the next 1 hour, no waves crashing on his head.

At 11, he got a call. It was a friend. He closed his laptop and changed his clothes. He put his wallet, earphones and phone in his pocket. It took him 5 minutes to find his keys which he kept in his jacket pocket. He checked himself in the mirror. He didn’t like the jacket but his friend said he’ll be here by 11:20. At 11:15 he left his room and ran into his housemate.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Are you going out?”

“Yeah, just to the bar.”

“Dude

“Yeah.”

“Umm.”

“Is everything ok?”

“Yeah, it’s just that your dishes…”

“Yeah, I know I just ate.”

“2 hours ago.”

“Oh.”

His roommate sighs.

“Tomorrow morning?”

“Yeah of course.”

His roommate left after flashing a slight smile. He felt uncomfortable and all of a sudden foggy. His jacket became extra warm. He went back in his room and switched to a lighter jacket.

At 11:23 he left his flat. At 11:45, 20 minutes after meeting his friend, he realised he’d left his keys at home in the jacket he was wearing.

When he came back it was 2:00, he waited 47 minutes for someone to come open the door for him. He brushed his teeth and went to bed at 3:01.

When he woke up it was 11:00. He’d opened his eyes but didn’t move till 11:21. When he turned on his back, he stayed like that till 12:01. That’s when he went to his kitchen to make himself a coffee. He drank his coffee while staring at the dishes.

He did them the next day at 10 pm after buying his groceries which included milk, bread, pasta, rice, vegetables like potatoes, french beans, onions, peppers, carrots and cauliflower; olive oil, black pepper and cheese. He’d forgotten to buy oranges, oats and ice cream.