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AMANI OSMAN
FRIDAY, AUGUST 10
8:50 AM
HOME

Beep.... Beep.... Beep...

"No no no please not yet," Amani groans in protest, her plea resonating in the quiet room as she defiantly hits the snooze button on her phone.

Fully aware of the precious moments slipping away, she couldn't resist the temptation of an extra few minutes. The urgency of time clashed with the comfort of lingering in the warmth of her bed.

Had she not stayed up late completing her summer course work, she would have risen with the morning sun. The academic load surpassed her expectations, yet she persevered, wrapping up the task around three in the morning.

Although she finished at three, she didn't fall asleep till four. It was a familiar ritual, a nightly dance with wakefulness that her body insisted upon. Throughout the day, her mind would toy with her, but come nightfall, that's when it was the loudest.

Relentlessly taunting her.

Beep.... Beep.... Beep....

Another groan escaped her as the morning sunlight invaded her room and annoying alarm screamed in her ear, a reminder of the impending day. Today her sister, Fatima, was moving out and there was no room for procrastination—boxes awaited, memories packed, and the alarm mocked any lingering drowsiness.

Amani rises from her bed before doing a little stretch.

"Damn my back," she murmurs, coaxing a satisfying pop from her spine.

She didn't bother to check her phone knowing her only notifications were probably emails or texts from her job and college, so instead she asks Alexa to play one of her playlists.

'Climax' by Usher plays and she starts her day.

"I'm on my knees, but it seems we're going.." Amani harmonized with Usher as she got into the shower. She could never get over that song even though she didn't relate to it at all.

She has never fallen in love before, but oh did she want to experience it. From what she read in the books, it seemed beautiful. It felt unjust how people her age or younger were able to find love so easily, but even talking to a guy was something that scared her.

She can only dream.

Amani sighed, her mind heavy with contemplations. The cascade of water in the shower cleansed her body, and as she stepped out, she confronted her reflection in the foggy mirror. Wiping it clear, she gazed at herself, exhaling out loud. She looked exhausted, the bags under her eyes a strong statement to the tiredness that clung to her.

She knew that this exhaustion wasn't physical though. No matter how much sleep she had gotten, she still felt tired. But it wasn't something that Amani wasn't used to. Ever since she could remember, this unrelenting tiredness had maintained its grip on her.

Maybe it was the overwhelming amount of work her parents forced upon her since she was a child. Or maybe it was the fact that nothing was enough for them so she had to "try harder." But how hard does she have to try before she completely shuts down?

She shook her head, attempting to rid of these intrusive thoughts. Each time, her parents voices' echoed in the depths of her mind, telling her how ungrateful she was. How her sister never complained and is now a successful nurse. Demeaning and discouraging comments parents wouldn't usually say to their child.