Evening

It was evening, 7 pm. It had showered and the concrete around him looked cooled down. The few trees grounded by the cement looked relieved.

Better, he thought. The cool air refreshed his body. But the headlights of bumper to bumper cars threw beams of stuffy smog ahead.

Grr... He covered his nose. What will I have for dinner? A car honked, he shifted to the footpath. Too many cars. His feet kept on a relaxed stroll. Perhaps I should order something. I should call someone. 

He munched on the chicken dim sums he had ordered from a nearby Chinese restaurant. The whiteboard before him had a bullet point list. His eyes stopped on a random point - Call a friend was one of it. A pain went in his mouth, he pulled out a sharp bone from his inside of the cheek. I am going to give a strong feedback. He gargled on a mouthful of Pepsi and drank it.

He looked around the board, trying to observe the corners. From the long list of varied colors, as he tried his best to stray his eyes, they stationed on that one line. Call a friend.

It wasn't a difficult thing - this calling a friend. Perhaps he can WhatsApp someone. His hands went to the plastic container to pick another dim sum, but there were none. He had many friends. Many of them still consider him, or so he thought. But it's just like a flicker. These relationships.

Ram, Sham, and Bindu, anyone of these? He looked sideways on the wall. 7 pm. Too early for them on the other side of the world. Damn this ocean. Perhaps I can just message them. He tilted his head back, slurped the last of the drink and then licked the rim. Perhaps I will message later when they would be up. There were many things to do. Cleaning the house, the attic, the closets. He looked around. All looked a good sweep.

He tied a bandana around his head. Lot of work. Thirty minutes later he was sweeping the floor, he looked at the phone. The battery was good. No notifications. He looked at the fan and the attic. So much to do...

PS: Is this real? Behind locked doors, there are many waiting for someone else to call him. I had seen this amazing video by Guy Winch on emotional strength. Here's his blog link for more food for thought.