Day Ten

Arrivals, Departures, and the long-term travelers co-coordinating hellos and goodbyes.

Phrases repeated; never with the same enthusiasm. 

Sometimes more, sometimes less.

It's Rushmika's departure day so it's becoming uncomfortable to pretend we're all cool with that. I'm low on energy so I nap on the couches. I hear people coming in, chatting. I cuddle the pillow as the heater warms my back and I remain unconscious yet comfortable in the living room while I hear background conversations tickling my ears. 

Total family vibe.

Rushmika asks if she can use my phone and I pass it to her, half asleep, as I extend my arm and touch her cheek with my palm. 

She blinks with surrendering love.

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The evening unfolds with our 'last supper' with her and though our focus for goodbye celebrations was a night out, we realise that it's all the small things that are making this goodbye harder.

We dance and sing between the dining table and couches as others watch or chuckle to our belly dancing moves while we become crystalline.

Day Night

Full house!

I made all the beds.

Good nine

Day Six

First day at work!

Feeling excited, feeling ready, feeling confident, for my first day at work.

I go up to the reception floor and start looking for things to do; 20 minutes before my shift even starts (at 9). I try to switch on the computer and realise that the electricity is off. In a blink of an eye the breakfast has arrived, the guys have opened it, people are walking in and out, water is boiling on the stove, rain is pouring down the skies and an elephant is sitting on the couch.

I look at the clock and it's 10am, 5 people have checked out, 4 have gone for day trips, 3 have stayed, 2 arrived and it's been 1 hour since I started working.

'I QUIT! HALAS!

THAT'S IT!'

I jokingly exclaim on the terrace as I appreciate that the universe wanted me to experience it all in one single hour. 

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6pm, I collect my thoughts and come to compose this blog post.

The lights go out.

'My nerves!!'

Lights out.