Morning After

The next morning, I woke up as usual to the sound of my annoying alarm. I grumbled and wished the ground to open and take it's life. 

But blast me, it kept shrilling non-stop.

“Can you shut the fuck up!” I screamed out my lungs at the still gadget. I rolled towards it and abruptly hit the stop button and exhaled in relief when it finally yielded. 

I waited for some time still drooling between sleep and reality when my head thumped. You know that feeling when you feel like you are about falling off an elevated space, only for you to realise it was just an illusion. That's it. 

I jerked up instantly with full force. In the process, the speed at which I jerked sent me rolling off the bed to the cold floor. I yelped and managed to wedge my hand between my torso and the ground before feeling my body hit the marbled white floor. 

I hissed in pain and muffed off the ground in gratitude that no one was there to see me make a clear fool of myself. I stood up this time, the sleep finally leaving my eyes. 

“Kimberly!” I rolled my eyes. Just in time. My mum and her flair for being my second riser. “I can't believe you would still be in bed at 10:00 in the morning” huh? My eyes flew to the alarm, widening in consternation. 

Memories immediately started trickling in. Last night I had had the nightmare and this time, it was as vivid as the rest, I had seen this man with the face of a god, and he had held me in his arms like I was delicate porcelain and he feared I could break. 

Unlike the other times when I would be scared, I found myself hypnotised by this creature and toppled with that, I had this pull to him as if I needed him for my dear life. I felt connected to him in ways I couldn't fathom. 

His eyes just as before held in-depth of mysteries unbethold. I wanted to go to him. I stood and watched as he smiled causing his orifice to glisten under the moonlight of a magnificent valley. 

I was like a lost damsel and he was like my knight. The only difference was that as much as I was drawn to him, and could see him, yet I couldn't touch him neither could he. I watched him dissipate in awe with his eyes filled with promises. I felt safe and secured even in a lost chasm. 

Then he opened his mouth, just as his face was about to join the rest of his body and said, 

‘See you soon’

I had woken up with my heartbeat accelerated as usual and sweating profusely but this time more confused than the other time. I had lain awake almost throughout the night wondering the meaning of his words.

It was almost morning when I finally felt any form of sleep and had to reset the damned alarm to 10, so I can catch a good sleep. 

Also, last night, Cassy had stayed with me till almost midnight catching up on good time as well as busting my ears on her dreadful paranormal fallacies. All these contributed to my decision to wake up late when though I knew mum was going to give me an earful.

“I'm in the bathroom mum, would be down soon” I dubbed, moving to my wall meridian mirror to check out my face like I do every other morning. I hated two things in the morning, my breath and my face. 

I cringed at my sore look and raced to the bathroom to quickly wash off my morning look to proceed to the kitchen to attend to whatever mum wanted me to. 

It was spring already making everything seem colder than they were. Normally at this time of the year, snow starts falling and making light patches along the pathways. 

Usually, at this time, I experience dryness and puffiness anytime I wake up from sleep or during the day. I would have to shop for my moisturiser as it appears my former, would soon finish.

After splashing some clean water to my face and attending to my sassy quarters, I wore my pink beanie to hide my brown tresses and with that, I ran downstairs to mum.

Cassy was seated on the kitchen stool typing away on her phone when I entered the kitchen. It looks like they were engaged in a conversation but from the look of things, her attention was divided.

“Hey” I hailed her and sat on one of the stools.

“Morning, Mum” My Mum turned from the oven to look at me. She had a humorous glimmer to her face which made me wonder. “Cassy mentioned about your boyfriend. You never told us you were dating honey, do you know how worried we've been about your sexual life”

I eyed Cassy who reddened in the face and stood instantly, in a bid to run off. I pinned her with my ‘don't you dare glare’ “Mum, don't you think that is a bit too gross to discuss that before breakfast?”

She huffed “It isn't baby. When are we meeting him?” 

I pushed the stool back making a gruesome sound “I don't think that would be necessary Mum. We are not even that involved” I said casually and pulled out the plates she would use to put the breakfast. My stomach churned reminding me I didn't take much Salmon last night for dinner. Not my favourite food.

“So I Mum, I would be leaving this morning. It appears something very important would need my attention” Cassy interrupted Mum before she would utter another comment concerning my not so fun relationship. 

Mum whirled about and gaped at her with her face mashed in a worrying stance. “I thought you would be spending the weekend with us” 

Cassy looked at me hesitantly hopefully I help her out. I shrugged and splayed my hand in a helpless gesture. I was standing behind Mum so she couldn't see me. “Uhm, I wanted to. But something very, very important came up.”

Mum won't buy that. “Cassandra, why do I smell something Fishy? or is it my old intuition telling me you want to run off on us?” 

Cassy’s eyes widened. She waved her hand raggedly at my mum to refute whatever Mum was thinking in her not so old skull “Mum, it's not what it is. I promise I would come by when I must have sorted out everything. I didn't plan to stay” she mumbled the last part.

I knew she was going through this roughly and decided to help out “Mum, Cassy would need to leave. She’s going through some issues with her boyfriend she would need to sort out. That was why she came to Chicago in the first place” I bobbed laughter when I saw the look on her face. 

“Awwn, poor child. I understand the early struggles. Don't worry. I won't hold you back. Hope it's something you can handle?”

Cassy nodded frantically with a half-smile and accepted Mum’s dramatic hands as she tried to console her. “I will try. He's not that hard to bend”

“Oh,” I winked at her from behind and proceeded to lay out the plates. 

~

An hour later, and we were standing on the porch including my brooding brother who had been disappointed at being told when he woke up, that Cassy was leaving. We waved at her when she reversed and was almost at the gate. 

Reverse back to after the breakfast when two of us had gone back to my room. She had given me details about the club that would be holding this weekend on Sunday. Apparently, I'm supposed to meet up with her somewhere for shopping and a little makeover for the party. 

Gross.

Now, as we strolled inside, and mum won't let me breathe with her sermon on how she feels men should grow up and be more understanding of the feelings of the female species, I couldn't help but wonder what are to be my expectations on everything Cassandra had said. What if it turns out she is right? 

I instinctively looked at my brother and wonder if I should confide in him in everything Cassy said. I feel some prickhead is trying to play with her so he could get a piece of her baby girl sweetness.

Lord have mercy.