Back to normal

Before I traveled home on the 31st of December to celebrate the New Year with my family in the village, I made sure I settled every work stuff and attended to every client. This was so that, when I left, I wouldn’t be receiving calls that could pull me back to my base quickly. I needed a very long holiday away from my usual environment. The long holiday I budgeted for was a week, and that's a significant stretch for me. Even with this plan, I had a conviction that I would still be dragged back with calls, but I wasn’t ready to resume the workaholic life so quickly in 2025.

After the New Year's Day celebration, while we were still enjoying the fun of sleeping, waking, and eating without worry, my phone rang. It was a client I wasn't expecting to hear from. I wanted to ignore the call, but since he owed me money, I decided to pick it up, hoping he was calling to settle the debt. After all, some people believe in starting the New Year debt-free. When I answered, however, he didn’t mention the debt. Instead, he was calling about a new work request, and he needed it urgently.

“Haaaaa! Bro, I’m still in the village, and with the way things are, I’m not sure I’ll be coming back in the next three to four days,” I told him, being entirely truthful. He begged me repeatedly to return in three days. I faintly agreed to it, as his pleading made it seem like I wasn’t willing to provide my services simply because he owed me money.

After the call, I completely drifted away from the discussion and the promise I had made. It was holiday time, and I wanted to enjoy it to the fullest. I didn’t want to burden myself with anything work-related, even though I’m always on the lookout for money. After all, even the rich never tire of seeking more wealth.

The days went by so quickly that I lost track of time. I didn’t realize the three days I promised had already passed until I saw his call again. I exclaimed aloud, “Ooooooh God!” before picking up. Even though I felt like ignoring the call, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. I answered and promised to return in two days. At that moment, I began preparing my mind for the reality that it was time to return. I hadn’t even spent my intended one week. It had only been four days.

When the promised day arrived, I procrastinated, deciding to spend one more night at home so I could leave early the following morning. You know that lingering feeling of not wanting to leave home.

When morning came, I packed my bags and zoomed off to my base. Upon arrival, I resumed work immediately.

Later that afternoon, I called a friend, and she was surprised to hear that I had returned to my base and had already resumed work. She asked, “Don’t you like to rest?”

Well, that’s how I found myself back to the usual hustle-and-bustle life at the very beginning of this year, 2025.

Thanks for reading.

This is my entry to Hivenaija prompt of the week

Photos are mine

Posted Using INLEO