Greasy Wallpaper

White walls are like the open space. They blossom.
Painting images of hope and hopelessness.
He is a young man. Early 20’s. A student.
A smiling face he will always display.
A hungry stomach he possesses.
He is not greedy. It’s forced fasting.
Last week a girl kindly offered chicken and the local delicacy (matooke). Boldly he refused it.
“I don’t eat chicken,” he says. All in the name of proving he wasn’t hungry. Impressing the girl.
Remember that quote “desperate times call for desperate situations?”
He armed himself with a table knife. With his friends they went to hunt.
The prey was in someone’s garden. A bunch of matooke.
Unsuccessfully his friends let him down. Scared they got. Mission abandoned.
Still hungry he remained. Plan B. Boil water and make black tea.
Day one. Day two. Day three. He had black tea. Breakfast, Break, Lunch and Supper.
Dry buns, bread and chapatti act as an interlude.
He spends his lunch break on the internet. He will read a book. “Unlocking the power of your purpose.”
This he says is to get inspiration. Locks himself in his room. Windows media player is turned on.
Loud music. He assumes he has shut down the world. Detached from it he feels.
He missed “Prom night.” He wanted to go. Dry he felt, looked and assumed.
“Where is he?” They all asked. He didn’t pay on time his friends reply.
Others assume since his choice of a date said “NO” then it broke his heart.
He holds the reason to himself.
He works hard. No pay. Gives up. Tries again. Waits for the sunrise. Watches the sunset.
For generations he hopes to live.
Dragged down by his lifestyle. He closes his heart. Denies he can’t love.
Reason: His life is too complicated. Wouldn’t want to involve a girl.
“The worst is yet to come,” he says to himself.
His lifestyle is unmatched. He is envied. Not for his persistence.
But for his addiction to hunger.
He is admired for what a great guy he is. Great he may be.
Little do they know how much suffering he is going through.
His phone has been waxed. Stripped of making phone calls. He tries. Only to be answered
“Yo’ account balance is too low to complete this call.”
He then asks himself “why they have to add “too low”
He wants to tell his father about the breaking news, about his growing problem. Stuck he looks.
Scared he gets. He rarely talks to the father about life issues. He chooses not to. He Shuts up and waits.
Patience, luck and hope. Thats his belief.

This is the tale of a broke chap.

Reading:
Clear and present danger by Tom Clancy