A STORY OF REALITY

The Weight Of Tomorrow

Daniel woke up on a Friday morning, the following week began with a strange mixture of relief and unease.That morning he had his breakfast and for the first time in weeks it felt food wasn’t being eaten out of sadness. Daniel managed to pay the rent Thanks to Mrs. Mercy but that money that she gave him came with an invisible chain that ties him down anytime he looks at Mrs. Mercy even though she told him that he can return the money even if it took months. Knowing that he still had the zeal to work and pay her back her loan money to get rid of the weight holding him back.

Later that day, it was Daniel and the construction site. He kept on working there to get paid so he return back the money he owed to Mrs. Mercy. So he kept on working and working, with time, his body grew numb to the pain. All his back aches were gone and the pain in his hands didn’t hurt him anymore so he continued working. While Daniel did the usual by lifting blocks here and there then. Eventually he saw two workers having a serious argument nearby a noise cement mixing machine, the gestures they gave wasn’t giving a normal vibe. It had shoving of each others chest, arms swinging, fingers jabbing. Then Daniel noticed a wooded plank above them dangling around, then he rushed over immediately to them and pulled the man that was directly under plank away from that position and then everyone that witnessed that event was shocked and surprised by Daniel’s actions, the man that he pulled out of the was thanked Daniel for saving his life, then Daniel said it was nothing sir.

Then the construction instructor walked into the scene saying “what are you all doing?! -saying angrily- you all should get back to work now!!, faced Daniel and said you there come with me”. So Daniel took a huge breath and followed the construction instructor to his office. When they got there, the man closed and door, pointed at a chair and told Daniel to have a seat, Daniel did as he said. The man took a took a deep breath, put his hands on the table and looked at Daniel from head to toe and said “do you think you are a hero? -said sharply- you just arrived here a week ago and you acting this way? look, people your age have come to work in this construction site and didn’t last 3 days but you’re different than the others, you are …stubborn” he said. Daniel did not know whether to take it as an insult or a compliment, he stayed silent.

He told Daniel that this place is not a place for you so if you want to keep working here, you better stay well behaved and mind your own business, don’t go acting like a hero so the he listened to the man’s instructions and decided to stay relaxed and only do as he was said to, Daniel did as instructed.

The next morning, Daniel gathered a little courage to go back to the construction site. So he continued his work, getting the wheel barrow lifting bags of cement and blocks here and there, he felt the weight in the body again, feeling weak because of what the construction instructor said to him earlier. The accident had left a crack in his determination, and doubt began to seep through Daniel mind once more.

It was break time and then Daniel went to sit on some bags of cement, chewing gently and slowly on a loaf of bread and then the man he saved in the yesterday’s incident came over to him and said

“Daniel right? “

Daniel nodded lightly, my name is Mr. David and I wanted to properly thank you for saving my life yesterday. Daniel said it was nothing, I did not save your life, it was any normal person would do that situation. Mr. David looked at him and shakes his head in a declining manner. He told Daniel - I have a wife and two children- if you hadn’t pulled that act yesterday I would have, he then makes a kind of sign with his hands, Daniel understood. He also said I don’t know how I could repay you… Daniel said it was nothing sir.

Mr. David then put his left hand on Daniel’s shoulder and said you are a good boy with a pure heart, don’t let the toxicity of this place kill that goodness in you. Those words were stuck on Daniel’s mind after he left. For the first time, he realizes that the struggle wasn’t only about him alone. His actions, his actions, his words, touching the lives of people he didn’t even know about.

Later that day at night, back in his room, he sat by the window, feeling the cool night breeze once again as it passes thorough his hair. He looks at the lights in the city flickering in the city below in the distance. His body still aches him a little bit and he still remembers about the money he has to pay to Mrs. Mercy. Deep down, he still felt a little say but he knew that something small and steady had already begun to evolve and grow inside him. Not the confident, kind or loud type, not the kind that takes or erases fear. But the quite kind that whispers to him gently, keep going. You will soon be better that you think.

And then he took off his dirty clothes, had a bath and went to bed. The sound of voices of his parents started ringing in his head -he misses them- tears drop out of his eyes as he wipes them off with his two hands. He sits back on his squeaky bed and begins rethinking his life on the school campus, he then drank a cup of water and then he went back to sleep hoping everything will be fine.