Tuesdays come by so fast these days. One minute it’s Friday and the next, it’s Monday and the idea I thought would be ready for publishing is still in its rudimentary stages, characters half baked. And there’s nothing as dissatisfying as publishing a piece that is underdeveloped. Development of a story or characters requires time and patience, two things I seem not to have these days.

There’s school work to catch up with, relationships to build, work to go to and a tea plantation that needs more attention than my soon-to-be seven years old niece. I cannot seem to catch a break, but giving up is not a concept I am familiar with. We wanted to grow up fast, look at us now; always complaining about how tired we are.

There’s a photo album I stumbled upon yesterday. I found a photo that was taken in Kaplong Girls during my sister’s visiting day. There’s four of us in that photo, three of my sisters and me. A very interesting thing I noted is the fact that I was the only one in that photo who was smiling from ear to ear. And God, my incisors were too big for a then petite eight year old me.

Three photos in totality piqued my interest. The second one was of me when I was say ten or thereabout. It must have been taken during a birthday or something since I had gum the size of a jawbreaker in my mouth, and biscuits in my hand. The smile was still there, wide and radiant, revealing a magnificent dental formula.

The third one was still of me in a wedding ceremony. I was thirteen, and the smile was gone. Washed away by the constant worries of the world. Teenage life had slowly began sapping joy from my days.

Here I am now, learning to focus on each moment as it comes without letting worry or anxiety thwart that focus. It’s amazing how even in the desperations of life, I am able to find pockets of unbridled laughter.

As I write this piece, I sit slouched on a chair that I found at the office balcony. There’s a workshop right across the road. Three men in dark goggles are bended over metal, cutting, lifting, drilling and melding stuff together. Sweat is dripping from their faces because it’s noon and the sun is scorching. It’s a lighthouse of masculinity.

My lunch break begins at 1300hrs and I suppose that’s one thing I should be happy about. In case you are wondering who my employers are and whether I should be blogging at work, then you clearly do not know the importance of work-life balance.

PS; We had to do a little maintenance last week, which is why you heard nothing from us. However, I hope you find comfort in the fact that we used the time we had to ourselves to recollect our thoughts for something better. That said, I have something sweltering for you next week. Come with a friend, if you have any.

Ta-ta!