Triumph Of Successful Solitude

https://mastershandsltk.blogspot.co.ke/2017/04/triumph-of-successful-solitude.html

Wearing a short and T-shirt, eating popcorn in front of the TV, allowing your tears to mingle freely. This is the pleasure of living alone. Later, in bed, waking to a sound you're not sure you've heard, lying rigid in the dark listening for it to occur again, imagining the chip-chip of villainous hands chiselling the putty from your window frames so that a gang of nefarious thieves can gain entry to your bedroom...This is the disadvantage of being home alone.The solitary life contains equal parts freedom and fear. Not everyone is prepared for solo living. It takes courage, but its worthwhile since it gives you inner strength.

Few months ago, I moved to a new city and a new University. The first few weeks were lonely, but that loneliness was tempered by a sense of victory. I found somewhere to live, found the hotels I needed, found short cuts to places and found a sense of confidence in my ability to survive.

Eventually, I made friends and stopped feeling like an alien. I remember walking into a super market one day and almost collapsing with gratitude when the cashier greeted me by name.

I recently became acquainted with the Swahili lingo- I can now speak like a native. On a Sunday evening, I stopped at a hotel on the outskirts of Mombasa. It was virtually deserted this early in the evening. I ordered an enormous dinner -pea soup, roast beef, coffee -and ate silently.I picked erratically at my beef and hard a hard time keeping my eyes off an Asian lady seating besides me. I felt as though I was seating with a solitary traveler, some kindly stranger, who was still content to eat her dinner next to me, exuding an air of calm acceptance as if she’d known me big time. After I’d finished eating, I took a sip of my coffee and started gazing around the hotel. I had many questions about Mombasa and it was useless to try to sort them into any coherent order. ‘How is Mombasa?’ I said at last. She shrugged, ‘its nice, I like it here’ she said. She went on explain to me about the beauty of Mombasa and all the interesting places to visit. Realizing time was not on my side, I exchanged phone numbers and bidded her kwaheri (goodbye).I snorted and motioned for the check. ‘Keep in touch,’ I said and checked out. I boarded a Tuk tuk on my way to home. I kept myself busy by playing a solitaire game on my phone. It was all I could do to keep from deluging the tuk tuk driver with questions.

My apartment   is a moderate building. It is roomier and more private that the old tile-floored house I used to live in on campus.I have simple tastes, my apartment has cheap, modern fixtures which I’d chosen carelessly and it is an atrocious mix of styles, upholstery, light and dark woods.While entering my apartment, I switched the lights  ; I was relieved to discover that the furniture hadn’t rearranged itself,  Twas as busy day for me so I went straight ahead to my bedroom tucked myself in the bed. I  slept all evening, face down on the pillow, a comfortable sleep.     

   Night ran into day and still I slept until finally I was awakened ny my phone ringing. I got up, took a hot bath and walked downstairs in my bare feet to watch the 11 a.m news.