It's late. I can tell because my phone is low on battery and my tea is getting cold. On top of that, I can't find my sweat pants.
     I jog at night just so you know. I do it all the time, thank you very much. For fun, fitness, gettin'-healthy and all that.
     My phone rings. Random number.
"Hallo." I answer in that Jamaican accent I learnt from some old TV show.
    Silence greets me.
      Weird.
"Halo?" Some soft female voice answers after a millennia of waiting. It's charming. Fairy-tale charming.
     She continues abruptly, "I'm Susan. Carol's friend." Pause. Then, in a whispery tone, "Is she fine?"
       "She's getting better actually. By tomorrow she'll be back."
There's silence for a full minute. This Susan girl must be a Buddha for all I know.
      "Well, I hope she's better. I honestly received the news late, I'm so sorry."
      "Oh. Don't be. Carol will totally understand." I laugh inwardly at my own joke. Carol is the type that takes small things like these as though they were a life or death kind of situation.
     I for one find this Susan girl interesting.
"I'm sorry to ask, uhm, Sus..."
"It's Susan." She corrects me abruptly, her voice suddenly edgy. Carol won't like this any single bit. Me liking her friend?
    Hell nah.
For Carol, that's a straight no no.
   "Okay, so I'm just asking. Are you and Carol like high school friends or?"
  "I'd say kindergarten but that'd so naive. I literally grew up with Carol. She's like a close friend. "
A pause, this time longer than before. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, no one has called this number ever in the context that they were Carol's friend. I'm sorry. It just felt strange."
      There's no response. Is the freaking phone dead? Fuck. My battery.
    Fuck.

I have to charge the thing alright but first, I'ma make me some breakfast. It's a beautiful day. It's raining outside. The plum tree is blooming with flowers. Pink flowers. Good morning.

***
There's no context in wearing a suit and a lousy pair of pants when visiting your fourteen year-old sister who happened to faint out of the blue and is in ICU, and she's literally dying...
Wait.. Uhm, is she dying?
      My phone is charging...goddamnit.
Mom will totally understand. Good brother Kevin went to visit his sweet little sister Carol, emphasis on 'sweet', and since cool Kevin wants to look dope while doing so, he needs to get a suit....
   Nah. Not me. No suit.
Way too cocky and businesslike.
   I need something more casual. The kind that reads, "Hey, I'm Kevin. My sister is sick and I'ma look after her, like the big man I am. Yeah, see my beards mf."
     Of course a stranger won't know what mf means. 
       Do you?
Very strange indeed.
   
***
Alrighty alrighty. Chitchat over. I've decided and this, oh God, is my final decision. I'ma take three slices of bacon, the red type that is juicy and shit, one bread toast, and a bottle of orange juice.
    Carol may like it. Nah, will she? I donno for sure. She's more like into sour stuff. Lemon juice and all that crap.
    I mean, like who in their right mind takes lemonade on their birthday?
     (ROLLS EYES)
After the apparently heavy irresistable breakfast, I'll be forgiven for all I know. Carol is a monster but monsters have hearts too.
    Oh yes, they do have. You just too lazy to observe. I've seen lions cry ñ, my darling.
  On that cartoon show. Lion and the king, or whatever.
       Oh, what's that? They're just cartoons? Oh, then tell me this. How comes....

***
   I think I'ma go as I am. Christ said something of the sort. 'Come as you are , for ye that see burdened and empty of hope...'
   Did he say empty of hope? Hmm.
Time to get dressed up. We have a patient to visit.