Wayne wriggled and turned over on his bed that night. After a whole while of struggling in a night mare, he woke up with a shout and begun panting.
He popped out his eyes in the night light and felt his face to wipe off the sweat that was leaving his body.
He shut his eyes and took in long deep breaths to calm down.
He was very depressed by the terrible dreams that he usually had. Even when he was boozed, it did not keep him from having difficult nights.
He stretched himself to a nightstand at the head of the bed and picked up the receiver beside a clock. He glanced at the time.
2:30am
He pressed some buttons and waited while the phone rang.
“Hallow?” a lady’s voice came.
“Excuse me for disturbing you this late ma’am but, you told me to call you if I had bad dreams again.”
“It’s okay, Astrophe.” The lady replied and sighed with exhaustion. “Tell me what did you dreamabout?” she asked, yawning.
Wayne exhaled. “I saw myself in Ohio. It was heavily raining and I came to see my mom. I held her in my hands and then, Chris came.” He paused, closing his eyes. “He pointed a gun at me and said that, he was getting back at me for everything. Suddenly I was a young boy and I could not defend myself.” He sighed. “I have never felt so terrified in my life.”
“I’m so sorry, Astrophe. Okay, have you been taking the sleeping pills like I told you?”
“Not today. But, they have never kept me from having these nightmares.”
“You know Astrophe, your dreams are the product… of your subconscious. Deep inside, you are scared and perhaps, really defenseless. Has anything happened to you recently?”
“Yes. My father called me and told me that, my mom is dying. She has a month to live.” He said and sighed.
“How did you take the news?” she asked when Wayne remained silent.
“I dismissed it from my mind. I rather not thought about it.”
“So then, you haven’t realized how much it affected you,” the lady reckoned.
“I guess, I am really scared that she is going to die. I don’t know how to react simply because I am helpless in solving the situation. I cannot save her life, I cannot keep her from dying.”
“Oh Astrophe. I can understand your grief but, try to use the time you have left to go home and make things right. Spend the time with her. Make her feel how much you love her. Tell her your fears and needs.”
Wayne rubbed his forehead drawing a deep sigh. “But, Chris is there. His presence just irritates me.”
“What if he acts kindly to you this time, for the sake of your mom?”
“That won’t change the fact of the way I feel about him.”
“Astrophe, be willing to make an exception. If you go home and face your fears, you might overcome the terrible nights you are having.”
Wayne was silent, undecided.
“I’ll give you a pass tomorrow, how’s that?” the lady asked.
“No ma’am but, I’ll come to you when I am finally ready.”
“Okay but, remember another thing, it’s okay to be weak.”
Wayne furrowed her eyebrows at that. “What?”
“Yes. Even a mascot leader, can have weak spots every now and then. Talk to people. Especially those who are ready and have the time to hear.”
“I’m lost Mrs. Earl.”
“You know, there’s this person who seems to be so composed. She has high self-esteem and she is very stable. Maybe you can talk to her.”
“Ma’am. I don think that I-” he begun but, the lady cut him short.
“I know it’s hard to trust a person who’s just too new to you. But, try to make friends with her. She is a very nice person.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“One of our new students. She is residing in the apartment that Annie likes to use.”
“Oh men, you are not talking about, that fat African girl?”
“So, you’ve met but, Astrophe? Do not make rude remarks about people’s appearances.”
“Ma’am. Thank you for the chat. Good night.”
“Astrophe?” she called but, he hang up.
This lady is so weird. He thought and turned around to replace the receiver on its place.
He pulled the sheet above his head and shut his eyes to sleep again. Thinking about Mrs. Earl’s silly idea was a better lullaby, to get him to sleep.
#
I have to fast. Annie thought when she woke up in the middle of her first night in New York City. If I am not standing, that guy and his friends will win the bet. I need spiritual strength to tackle this. God will help me.
She turned on the bed and stared at the darkness. It’s not the way that I had expected to spend my first day in America but, I’m writing my history. She told herself and begun murmuring. “If I also jog while I don’t take much, I will get into good shape soon. My mom always wanted me to lose weight.”
With that, she sat up on her bed and stretched her hand to a lampstand where was a lamp. After struggling to light it to no avail, she sighed and placed her hands on her lap, shutting her eyes.
“Oh God. Please help me?” She begun to pray. “I am supposed to be thanking you for making me realize my dreams and I do but, here I am, praying for the challenges that I just met on my arrival.” She sighed. “I would like to hold on to you. I don’t want to leave you Lord Jesus. I don’t ever want to trade your love and grace for all the money or luxury in the world. As you’ve said; what will it profit a man if he gains the world and in the end, forfeit his life?” she sighed again and opened her eyes. She was scared. “I am so far away from home. There is no one watching me. But, you are.” She shut her eyes again. “Please guide me as you’ve said; I’ll instruct you and teach you the way you should go, I’ll counsel you with my eye upon you. You are everything to me Lord. Even if I am far from my mother and father, you will be my parent here.”
She made a cross sign and continued in prayers until her bedroom door burst open and light from the corridor drew her concentration.
“Vicky!” Annie called.
Vicky made a cross sign and opened her eyes to glance at her friend.
Annie was already in her sportswear. “What are you doing?” she greeted Vicky. “It’s already 5:00am. Get your sports gear quickly and we can go for the jog.”
Vicky raised her eyebrows a little. “I didn’t realize that, time had gone that fast.” She drew the bed sheet off her body.
“So it has. Do you usually wake early back home?”
Vicky got her legs on the floor. “Only when I had early college classes.”
Annie released the door knob, furrowing her eyebrows. “You have once been to College before?”
“Yes.” Vicky replied and suddenly dismissed the topic. “So, the jogging…” She said and turned to her duffel bag below the bed. “I have a tracksuit.”
“That will be fine.”
Vicky opened her bag and took out a black jumpsuit with a knee-length pair of shorts and a matching vest. She took out its sweater and tied it around her waist.
She turned around to Annie. “How do I look?”
“You know, there are some outfits which make you look slimmer.”
“That’s funny. My mother tells me that too.”
“Okay. I’ll grab our bottles. Come, follow me quickly.”
“Okay.” Vicky agreed and bent down to fetch her pair of white sneakers.
#
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