A Compliment From An Old Mad Man

 

A Compliment From An Old Mad Man

 

It’s 3:00PM, I feel hot, still- in thought, and somewhat eager to go on this walk again,

In 79 hours and 30 minutes, I will step back into the hustle of early mornings, social interactions, and assignments among many other scuffles,

I love this hustle, but today- today may just be my last chance to walk… earphones plugged in, listening to Horcrux I (my Harry Potter themed playlist), shutting out the surrounding ugly sounds; the vroom of the cars, the gossiping of the market ladies, the whistles of men (cause I’m hot), but mostly- the amounting realities of my world, the bad stuff- it makes all a little less rough, easier maybe?

So here we go! 6 kilometers to the Temple and back, and as I tie my laces I can picture myself… sitted amongst the trees, reading as I also tackle shoving the ants away. The picture draws out a good appeal.

Now forgive me- but I must head on out; the Temple gates close at 5:00PM

 

{{{Horcrux I starts playing}}}

 

Everything’s as I pictured it to be; hot, my playlists’ a bop, and I feel productive-

Everything but the people, destructive is their stares,

So I resort to, dancing, well- more of bopping my head,

Winking back a little here and there, something to keep my mind off the stares,

And show- prove to me that I never had their attention in the first place;

My hypothesis;

Nobody really cares.

 

{{{Horcrux I stops playing}}}

 

It’s 4:00PM, the guards are nice- they let me in smiling,

But sure enough I’m reminded to bring a mask next time.

It’s not too hot now and the canopy sure does help, allowing just enough light to seep through,

The silence, breeze, the trees, the Temple far at the top of the hill, the grass-

It’s going to be a while, till I can do this again,

I lay my sweater down and sit, opening up “Ugly Love” by Colleen Hoover.

 

{{{Horcrux I starts playing}}}

 

I’m not sure what time it is, but I can’t have been walking for less than thirty so let’s say it’s 5:00PM

I left the temple earlier than planned, but you must understand

I’m tired

Third after the music and my suspicions of certain strangers being thievesss,

Comes- juice. Passion fruit, mixed with Krest mom brought home last night,

Crafted by MOI… so yes,

 

An old mad man. Interesting look he has going on…

He has on cargo shorts, a clean red shirt and sandals,

If it wasn’t for the way he is impatiently arguing and trying (hard) to reason with well, no one, in sight,

He wouldn’t appear to be mentally spiked?

I stare, and as we near, my chest slightly tightens- it doesn’t

I stare

I stare

Then as we cross paths, he looks AT ME and says TO ME

“Smart.”

And he walks on,

“Smart.”

I peer down at my sweatpants, black t-shirt and now very muddy shoes, my eyes depart from the road ahead and I stretch my neck to look at the bag I have on,

“Smart.”

My mind seems to have forgotten the reason as to why this compliment is at the forefront of my thoughts,

I refuse to deliberate on whether this compliment is false or not,

But to close off my walk, the cherry on top, is a compliment from an old. mad. Man.

~ Muhawe Ayana

Saturday 7th May,