002 – A place to rest
It was my first hours in this new world, in this new life and already I saw death, the death of my father, I suppose that was the price for that one moment of rest I received upon my death.
Karma was harder to escape than I could fathom…
I have lived a long life, but I will make the case that it was shorter than one might think, but I saw a first on that day, a woman who had just given birth jumped to her feet and ran, I didn't think that it was possible.
She collapsed a few moments later when the doctors confirmed my father's death, I didn't get to see or hear anymore, as the nurse took me away and put me in a room with five other babies.
"Uwaaaaa uwaaaaa uwaaaa,"
I had forgotten that babies are supposed to cry, I almost did that for a second back there, not for my dad he was just a stranger to me at the time, but when I realised that I was a baby.
It wasn't the fact that I was a baby though, actually, I found being a baby to be a pretty good deal, the things that insane people call humiliation I call perfection.
Just think about it, I never have to make my own food or feed myself, I save my hands so much movement by having someone else feed me.
And just think about how repetitive and boring the visits to the can is, you have to get up, walk to the door, raise your hand, pull a handle down, don't even get me started on those door knobs you twist, and push the door open, repeat the same action to close the door, then you have to pull down your pants do your business, and finally clean yourself up.
When all of that is done you repeat the process to return from where you came.
Honestly, it's far too much work and effort, for such a boring and unpleasant task, but as a baby, all those things are done for you, and you get the privilege to see the faces the people make when you leave them a dynamic parcel.
Some even call it cute, ah how I envy babies.
Being a baby is the best, the thing that made me want to cry was the fact that I was still plagued by my memories of the past.
When the reality of my situation kicked in I quickly found a solution, I died once, I could die again, if I come back again with all these memories intact, then I have something to worry about.
I sighed as I thought about how I would do it, I really wanted to climb out of this little cage they put me in and tumble over the edge, but I was kidding myself, other than flailing my hands about I was incapable of any other motion.
So, I decided the next time one of those nurses picked me up, I would squirm in their hands until they made a mistake, I would take advantage of that moment to hit the ground headfirst, I doubted if I would survive.
But then I got carted away by some nurse, I was relieved to be out of the nursery, I couldn't take another second of baby number 5's crying, I swear five more minutes and I was going to name him my mortal enemy.
I wondered where I was being taken when a door opened up and I saw my mother in bed, if you think giving birth finishes a woman, try seeing a woman who gave birth and lost her husband moments apart, she was a freaking mess.
I could guess why the nurse brought me there, nothing can make a woman stop worrying about their own problems like their maternal instincts.
I didn't even get a chance to try and squirm out of the nurse's hands with how quickly she passed me over.
I blinked and my mother's tears were already soaking my face, she was saying things, muttering a lot of things as she cradled me in her arms.
I obviously still couldn't understand her, but then I'd be lying if said I didn't understand.
You can understand a lot from how a person holds you, the expressions on their face, the tone of their voice and the look in their eyes, hers in particular were red, puffy, and teary.
Hers all shouted one thing and one thing only, that I was the only thing keeping her together.
I sighed softly, I was known for my cold logic, and, damn, cold logic is the best way to live, but that didn't make me completely heartless, if I end up reincarnating all over again, my death in this life would be pointless, hack it might even cause the death of my new mother.
Even the old me wasn't that cruel, I like to think...
'Dammit woman I'll live, but the day you disappear is the day I do,' I swore resolutely, as she cradled me closely.
Her warmth was intoxicating, I don't think I had felt anything like it before and I suddenly felt that drowsiness that comes with comfortable warmth.
All my instincts started to explode as a new panic set in, 'I can't let it happen… I can't fall asleep,' I started to struggle but it was practically meaningless in this weak useless form.
"Uwaaaa uwaaaa uwaaaa," and there it came, my first cry, and it was a desperate one indeed anxiety, fear, dread, call it what you will I couldn't allow it to happen.
But my cries only encouraged my mother to continue coaxing me, and this weak useless body started to fail me, I tried to employ one of my old techniques to stave away the exhaustion, but it was too slow and my tired body already stopped moving.
My eyes closed shut, and for the first time in… I forget how long, I fell asleep.
---
Sloth cannot sleep, sloth is not allowed to sleep, when sloth goes to sleep, the world goes to hell.
That is the price of sloths' sin.
It's a phrase I said so many time's that my heart beats to its rhythm, when my blood falls its spells out that phrase, it is etched into my very soul, that fear of sleep, it was my punishment.
On that night I slept and slept… and till dawn did come I slept.
I opened my eyes to find myself still wrapped in her protective embrace, the night had come and gone, and I had tasted sleep again.
A restful sleep like no sleep I could remember before, sloth went to sleep, yet hell failed to follow.
It was on that day that I learnt the truth, my prayer, my dream, my hope was finally answered.
In this world I could sleep, in this world, I could finally get some REST!
---
The morning is full of so many sounds, the chirping birds, the running water, the insects and the animals getting ready for their new day in the world.
But on this one morning, a new sound was heard, a new-born sinner giggling in the arms of his mother.
- It was the year 2042 when Sloth got some rest.