The first step came with a sharp pain in my loins, at first I thought about sitting but asked my subconscious the simple question. “For how long”. With no answer I took the second step like a lone warrior coming out from the battle grounds greatly injured, I took the third, fourth and fifth step but stopped to groan a little before I continued my journey bearing in mind that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the decision to take what was rightfully caesars. Knowing my body wasn't going to follow my will I decided to push myself until I got to the main road. And like a coach making substitutions, I eventually gave in to the pain and stopped a cab. But at this point I felt the eyes of Caesar looking fiercely at me as I used the company's money to pay for the cab I entered. It felt cruel but I understand that sometimes we just have to eat our cake, and pray we still have it. Coming down from the cab, I had exhausted my trump card and would need to continue on foot.
Using the company's money to pay for my cab wasn't the issue, knowing I wasn't going to pay back was why my heart jumped as I came out of the cab. Sometimes even the best of us have to be cruel so I thought in my head walking like a snail in a race with a tortoise. Every single step was a hit to my loins, back to back I felt every bit of it. Every pain counted, but I knew all I needed to do was get home. The thought of peace kept me pushing but still it was taking ages, not until I felt someone tap me from behind, the touch felt soft, it must definitely be a lady I thought to myself hearing the tricycle riders call my destination the voice said; “follow me let's go, my car had issues that was why I decided to take a cab today. Although the stories were unnecessary, it was clear the universe was overlooking my greed to see my pain.
Come let's go, and that was how Christy grabbed my hands drawing me to the tricycle. At that point it was as though my loins were going to cut with the force I used in carrying my leg and keeping up with her. I wanted to beg her to slow down, but what was happening to me was too embarrassing to say to anyone, talkless of a married woman who was helping me out. We had never been really close, and I had only known her husband and she from church, but she always made it a priority to help me in any way she could. Sitting inside the tricycle, I was supposed to be happy, but all I could feel was the burning sensation that ran all over my legs. At that point, I would do anything to get home at that instant, but since it wasn't possible, I would just have to continue enduring the torture.
Image by wayhomestudio on Freepik
On getting to the junction of my house, as much as I could see my gate from where I was, reaching it felt like mission impossible. Maybe the universe helped me and punished me at the same time, as I walked to cross the road which felt like I was crawling with passers by thinking I was playing and one even said to me directly; Are you sure you love your life? At that point I wished I could switch bodies with him so he got a taste of what I was feeling, but letting go seemed like the best option. When I finally reached my house, I started taking off my clothes from when I opened the door, freeing myself of any atom of weight, I threw everything that was on my bed and went straight for the bathroom. Turning on the shower felt like it was just what the doctor ordered even though I had never visited the doctor. By the time I was out, the only thing I did was sleep away the pain and torture.
It wasn't hard to tell where I got infected from, because the only public toilet I used was at my workplace. But who on earth would have caught such a thing and now transferred it. I secretly wished my colleagues also shared from the infection. When I woke up, I helped myself up to get some fruits and meds before it would result in something worse. This is definitely a toilet infection the doctor said as he examined me after which he gave me some injections and meds. I was just happy it was the weekend, so I wouldn't bother going to work for two days. Thankfully, I was okay by Monday only to get to work that morning to see my office colleague with a lot of rash on his arm. According to him, he's been treating it for over a month with herbal medicine, and it was then I realized the origin of my problem.
THIS IS MY ENTRY INTO THE INKWELL CREATIVE NONFICTION PROMPT #127
