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Entertaining a stranger. That's main cause for invitation of trouble, if you get my point, when it comes to the effects of the two. Here I am, spending my Saturday chilled & relaxed, sobriety being my company, that being a decision made when the sun came up & I woke up to an unplanned day. The day goes as normal as it can, with the three main & daily changes - morning, day & night. In this instance, night stood out pretty eventful. I wish I could say from my side. This is the story...
I am playing a game of pool with the buddies in our small neighbourhood pub. It was basically just us there. This neighbour of mine walks in drunk & nearing a blackout. He sits down, observes what is happening, stands up & heads to the bar to buy a beer. He then sits down again & intitiates a political chat with us . Very outspoken fellow. They were new in the vicinity. Him & his brother had just recently moved in & were renting a house. They were drunkards. To them, this seemed to be a hobby, an everyday thing, a survival outfit , if that fully describes the picture. While gulping his beer, increasing his already intoxicated gauge, with his saliva flying on us every time when he shouts (supposed to speak), he ends up hitting a blackout. His half drank beer stands on the floor like it's waiting for him to pick it up. No chance of that happening.
During his pass out, we're continuing with our pool game, exchanging cues, handshakes, laughs & trivial yet interesting conversations. This becomes a long session, us surrounding the room with noise pollution & him in deep comatose, busy hurting his neck, in the process of finding a good sleeping or passing out position. When our gathering is done & it's time for last handshakes & parting ways, we report to the owner of the pub, as it was only us left there. He approaches & we exit, leaving sleeping beauty to enjoy his dreams. "So guys, are you really going to leave this man here?" asks the owner of the pub. I tell him I'm coming, I'm just accompanying my friends, then I'll come pick him up. "Okay, thanks man" says the pub owner as in he grins.
We part ways with the guys, and I head back to the pub that is just next door my house. I guess it was inevitable that I become this drunk guy's saviour. I wake him, he stands up, bulges his eyes in a sense that tells he's not aware where he is. Dammit! I heavily pull him to the exit as we leave the pub & head to where he stays. Staggering him from obvious intoxication & me on the other hand sober as judge Mutati, when we get there, he's roommate is missing in action, his phone off & to make matters worse, left with the key that him & his brother together use. I shake my head & laugh. This guy has no phone on him , no keys - nothing! He might as well be a vagabond. In his state, he has now turned to be my responsibility for the night. Munchies were killing me. I took a chair that was just lying in the outskirts & sat him down while I quick ran to the garage to crab a quick snack. I run as fast as I can because it's late at night & I'm surrounded by paranoia of being mugged. Heading back with the same pace, I get to his house & beacon him. He stands up & stumbles to my approach as we walk to my house. Now I'm forced to help a drunkard lay his head for the night, at my expense.
We get to my house & I give him the couch to sleep on. I then sit down, open my laptop to finish off a movie I was watching earlier on. After 5 minutes of it playing, I paused it & decided to write all this, while listening to music & munching on potato chips. The time was 01:40. He is snoring on my couch while I'm writing about his auditions for a comedy movie - that he also made me play a part on. My writing stops & I retire to bed to revive functionality & the spiritual connection with my body...
I'm a very light sleeper, so anything that moves while I'm asleep, I sense & hear it. This time I did not have to live that, instead I was listening to him snore on my couch while trying very best to catch some sleep. Eventually that happened & I also enter my dreamland. It was 02:00 when I retired to bed & round about 04:30, my supposed-to-be peaceful sleep is now disturbed by a heavy snore combined with choking or someone sounding like they're blowing bubbles underwater. I prance out of my bed thinking this bumrusher is running out of breath. It would be worst for me if he now were to die in my unattended presence or even better, throw up & cause a stench. Switching on the lights, I find that he's peacefully sleeping, yet I'm his peaceful sleep, he's is disturbing other people's peace. I shake my head, switch the lights off & head back to bed. Tossing & turning, I now realise that I'm visited by insomnia. I can no longer sleep. It was too early & dark to get up & do something, so I just took my phone & browsed the Internet. By luck (when opportunity meets preparedness) I end up falling asleep again.
I rest one eye up to find him abruptly getting up from the couch, wiping his face with his hand, gesturing someone that is washing their face in a running tap. "What happened last night?" "How did I get here?" he asks (I don't know whether me or himself). I tell him straight "You blacked out". He then stands up, opens my door & walk out. Just like that. The time was 06:30. I just continued with my sleep, and at 08:00, got up to prepare for the day ahead. To my astonishment, I came across a sight of him holding a bottle of beer when I saw him. He was already drinking & tipsy as well (well, maybe even sleep because it was still too early for that). Good luck for the day. My kindness really got me into the deep because he didn't even say "thank you" for helping him out. Oh well, it's all good. He gave me something to write & feel good about, so I'm not that angry at him. However if this ever happens again with him, he's on his own. I've learned my lesson.
THE END
By Mr Biggs Jnr - The Young CEO/CFO
"Write all down as it happens, because eventually you become numb to it"
