Karl's life

I am aware of the noise in the street. The hum of the traffic is supported by the chirping birds. Then a horn blares out. Followed by a scream of a man. He’s a annoyed but not hurt, probably some cyclist trying to skip a light. Now I am definitely awake. My headache confirms that.

It is a tight one. It wraps all the way around, starting under my eyes, creeping up my nose to my forehead and drilling into my temples. I don’t feel well rested. I reach for my phone to see the time. I know it is going to be too early because of the low light and ache in my body. “6:45am”. One text, from my brother. “Mum says you are going to be back next weekend?”

I think about responding but decide not to. Each morning I expect to see something on my phone. Reaching for it is the first thing I do. It gives me a thrill that someone has thought of me while I sleep. If there is nothing there, I assume that no one has thought of me. Which is odd because I think of people all the time without messaging them. “I miss you”, “I don’t like your girlfriend”, “I love your girlfriend”, “I think I am better than you”, “I am jealous of you”, “I am scared of the day you will die”.

I know this headache will recede. It always does, I just need a coffee and a glass of water.