I woke with a fright and one hell of a headache, the type of vicscous headache that had you willing to down 10 pain killers to ease ........Wait I had a headache.
Did I drink?
No impossible, then the sudden recollection of crying myself to bed was a better and more justified hypothesis.
Pulling myself off my bed I looked at my alarm clock, a minute before 6a.m.
Today i suprisingly felt lazy and all I wanted to do was crawl back into the blankets and sleep, but if i even attempted to miss work for a day Ricky would tell Bronze and Bronze would fire me then I'd have no money, then we'd get kicked out of the house, then I'd be a useless excuse of a son.
"Damn you Ricky", I muttered before going to the window to check the weather.
Although my neighbourhood was ranked on level one hundred on being abnormal and frenetic, the place sure did look nice when no one was walking around, staring across the street to the brick wall where all types of graffiti were displayed, the sun selfishly chose to shine at the corner of the wall which made it a perfect scenary, one you could just sit and watch stupidly all day. On the contrary i wouldn't mind being stupid today.
I slowly walked to my wardrobe and picked out a short sleeved plain black botton up shirt and with a pair of khakhi slacks and threw them on the bed before walking to the shower and turning on the water.
Given our financial situation a geyser was expensive so we had to do almost everything with cold water. Including my shower.
With another involuntary yawn I debated just going to work without showering. Many guys did it. I mean alot. Shall I mention Ricky.
I shivered at the mere thought of being in comparison to Ricky in terms of hygiene because he smelt like a sack of rotting onions every weekend, so I quickly ran into the cold water.
It was numbing and I swear I felt like screaming, the melancholic feeling coupled with what I thought was burning ice had me screw my eyes shut.
Soap always made it better atleast until you rinsed your body again.
I grabbed the green loofah and rubbed the soap all over it till bubbles were dripping everywhere and I endured the pain of cold water before wrapping a towel around my waist and walking back to my bedroom to change.
I was a whiner, I actually felt good after the shower, I could go back in, not literally but yeah. After changing I packed my bag and walked to the kitchen.
Two fried eggs and a small vienna sausage with two slices of whole wheat bread. I organised them in a plate and went and left them at my mothers dresser, she was still sleeping.
Good she needed the rest.
"Goodmorning mom", i whispered before leaving the room and making my self a small bowl of cereal.
I gulped the cereal down and walked out of the house and into my neighbourhood.
Passing several houses I greeted literally everyone I saw outside.
"Where you going boy?".
I turned around to the familiar thick crusty deep voice.
"I'm going to work", I chuckled waiting for him to catch up because he walked utterly slow because of that staff of his.
Beard gave me a smile which showed off one of his gold teeth and patted my shoulder as he got to my side "Go to school child".
"Child?", I questioned the darkskinned man"I am a grown man, you only nine years older than me".
He cocked his head backwards "Round that shit off to the nearest figure and thats a decade child, a huge ten years I was in this earth before you".
I huffed knowing fully well that this man infront of me was right and honestly no one ever questioned him.
Diamond Beard grinned at me "So when is your stupid ass going to realise that today is a holiday and if I am correct your fancy assed company does not open on holidays".
Huh?
Whattttt?
"What's today", I blurt.
He chuckled and simply told me to go and check my calendar, then the sudden recollection of Ricky moping around yesterday about his kids not being at school tomorrow made me stop abruptly and stare at Beard.
I showered for nothing!.
"And no one told me", I stomped my foot like a sixteen year old and glared at him.
"I did", he defended himself.
I puffed and rolled my eyes.
"Hey look at the bright side", Beard held my shoulder for the umpteenth time and used his hand to wave in front of me like the movies only this time sparkles did not errupt from his hand "We are near the park".
"Yea sure", I still wasn't buying this nonsense.
"So tell me, how is work?", he made a random topic change.
I almost blurted it was fine but honestly it was infuriating and I was running out of ideas, Diamond Beard had always been someone I've talked to about absolutely anything since.
I sniffed already feeling emotional without even saying a word to him.
"To be frank with you", I exhaled "It is driving me nuts". I didn't even give him time to ask why, or how and quickly began to explain "I'm out of ideas Diamond, sure the pay is enough but mom has been sick for two days now and once I get paid tomorrow all the medication required will finish it all and I've got to pay the rent bill and it's making me freaking stupid and I've got this useless excuse of a work mate and it's always irritating me and I can't.......", truly I did not know what I 'can't' but I just couldn't. "I just can't".
"Now that is your problem", Diamond gestured at me.
I gave him a look of bewilderment.
Couldn't he see I was the victim.
A sixteen year old boy doing all this and still wasn't rich.
"Tell me something Lindon".
I nodded and he went on.
"Are you going to get beaten down by work?".
"What?".
He shook his head "No answer me Landford, are you or are you not going to be beaten down by work are you going to let work beat you down to the ground?".
"I am not", I told him "but that's not the-", he cut me off short.
"I don't want to hear it, climb that ladder until it just you find any opportunity to get yourself to the top, have confidence, be a leader, catch an eye, everyone needs a leader or else the world would go astray but make sure in most cases that leader is you".
I was speechless and had no words for him but an arguement so I choose to keep quiet because many a time I had been smacked by him for talking back at him.
"Do you understand me?".
I nodded my head slowly.
"Ow you can't speak no more, It's alright".
"I understand you Beard and I'll do just that".
I didn't understand him now but I clung to the hope that in the remaining period of the day I would.
"Take this as some hood advice, I guarantee you that it will not blow over".
'I hope he's right', I thought as I walked with him to the benches and he changed the topic to his wife.
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💜AIO💜