FALSE Clairvoyance

Insecure Survivor

Koke drags his form to leave the foreroom as he praises the length of the journey to his mother. Fina looks to still hold some energy to take her some hours before she sleeps. Her saunters ain't lazy. “Well be back, son.” She responds to Koke's commendation of the journey. Aldo's son mutters thanks while he disappears from the room.

He enters straight to his bedroom and literally falls onto the fairly large white bed on his behind. He looks down and pulls out his gadget from one of his trouser pockets. He long presses the power button until the black and blank screen glimmers. He studies the room for about a minute before his attention gets to the device once more.

Marion: Hi Koke. I hope you had a safe journey.

A warm smile spreads on his features. It is 9:30 pm according to his phone and the psychic's inbox reports that she's last seen fifteen minutes back.

“I've also received mine. Heh. She's good at putting smiles on other people.” His mother comments and he quickly looks up to see her leaning against the wooden frame at the entrance to his room. She blinks frailly at him whilst he only looks at her with a smirk before posing his question.

“Are you going for Penny now?”

Fina slightly shakes her head at the same time her eyes seem to get laden. “She's most probably asleep. I'll pick her from school tomorrow. Have a goodnight, son. Don't forget your stuff in the living room.” She points at him before pushing herself off the frame.

*-*-*-*

Koke's mum doesn't press buttons on her son to tell her what's going on. He should be back to Cuba for work now that it is past one month and his leave is over. Unless otherwise. From the moment she and her firstborn return from Kampala, it is like the lad is automated back to his lonely character. He jogs more often though, an activity completely out of his schedule while in Cuba.

He takes some of his time in the park, the attention to his phone swaying not that often to the passersby. He likes occupying the green seat near the park's periphery, his white earphones at work for his ears. His drinking isn't much as well since he opts for a beer at the bar and one, two or three glasses of whiskey usually in the morning.

Fina barely invades but whenever Koke wakes up, the curtains of the larger window are always drawn. Good enough, the rays of nature come from the opposite end of the vast window. He otherwise can't be in bed much longer. Sometimes he spends hours on the laptop and on weekends, he and the rest of the available family carry out some cleaning. It is fun especially with the little Penny. It is during this time that Fina gets to see her son's grin. She probably wishes for weekends to come fast and last longer. She's a hard-working woman though and such hopes usually thin away without her notice due to work intensity. They don't go out and Koke might not need that since he doesn't even suggest for it. His energetic trots so far cover the distance from here to Joburg.

From the typically grey hoodie to the black one, he inter-changes daily. They should be smelly with sweat but washing is not a difficult task for the accountant and the regular sunshine in Cape Town is favourable for quick drying.

He's up for the usual drill. He introduces the exercises to his evenings as well. No coach, no competition. In the middle of an empty road, he runs. A few folks are trying to make ends meet with their small businesses at its sides. Fruit carts, grills and random citizens align the street.

He bends hands on knees, his breathing heavy and his face directed towards the tarmac. He deserves a medal for this. For weeks and weeks, he composes himself to this. Shouts emerge from some people on the pavements. There should be a fight or an argument.