Nothing and Everything

The day started out the same as any other. She rolled back and forth in bed trying to force herself to get out of bed. "It's 1:30 pm", she muttered to herself while checking her social media notifications. Every night she set multiple alarms with self promises to wake up early, but would end up snoozing each one. She sat up reluctantly and lifted her eyes to see him holding a cup of green tea. "Good morning, sleepyhead!", he said cheerfully well into the day. "Ugh...", she groaned. The morning had bid farewell as usual. She thanked him, gulped down the scalding tea as punishment and proceeded to the bathroom closing the door behind her. If only she could shut her demons out just as easily.

Trish was an intriguing woman. All of 26, she had lost her way in the world and had also made peace with it. Occasionally, she found the will to be productive, but it barely lasted and she found herself back into the pit she crawled out of so many times. Sasha, on the other hand, couldn't wait to seize the day even before it began. He loved finding things to do and wanted to be tired at the end of the day.

"Why hasn't the trash been put out?", said Trish angrily as soon as she entered the kitchen without even scanning it. The tirade had begun. She would find fault with everything she could lay her eyes on now. "This house is a mess!", she cried. "I haven't found the time to clean up yet because I've been busy with Zoom meetings all morning.", he explained. "You don't even have a job, Trish" is what she heard. She ignored him and poured herself a glass of wine. Grape juice for the soul. Was it too early to drink? Who cares! She certainly didn't.

"Is there anything I can do for you?", he asked earnestly. "Great. Now I look like the bitch", she thought to herself. "No thanks, I'm good.", the words scathed unintentionally. They moved to the couch in the living room and silence filled the air. Sasha was about to speak when he was interrupted by his ringing phone. "Excuse me, I have to take this", he said politely, taking a glance at the name on the screen. "Hey Paula..." his voiced trailed off as he made his way to the balcony, but that's all it took. Her blood began to boil. Even before the call ended, she had made up her mind. She was going to tell him exactly how she felt. They had been dating for almost two years, but she still hadn't learned to trust him. She had been cheated on twice before and those insecurities revealed themselves from time to time. "What did she want?", said Trish, masking her hurt with rage as Sasha stepped in. "She wanted to know if I was free for a video call on Wednesday." God, that woman makes me so angry. Why doesn't she call her own boyfriend? She hated herself for thinking it. Surely, she could be above petty jealously and mistrust. "Oh okay" is all she could say aloud. If only Sasha got hints. He didn't. Whistling to himself, he sat by her. Trish huffed. Ignorance is certainly bliss.

It had been 4 months of staying at home since the world was struck by the coronavirus pandemic and though Trish loved being cut off from the world, she found it difficult to cope, especially since being fired from her job as an English teacher. She now spent her time mostly watching mindless TV, waiting for time to pass by. On the opposite spectrum, Sasha complained about not having enough to do, but that had changed since he resumed work after his summer break. How was Trish going to fill the emptiness today? She decided to clean. Sweeping the house, she kept finding clumps of hair, her long strands, in every room, collecting it with dirt, in her little, green dust pan. Her eyes welled. Only months ago, she was on treatment for Alopecia and though her bald patches had since then grown in, the dead hair strands on the floor reminded her that it could get worse again. She pushed back the tears and tried to be mechanical about her task when she noticed a pair of feet near her broom and all hell broke loose.

Sasha couldn't have seen it coming. All he was trying to do was to go across to get a drink of water. "Can't you see that I'm cleaning?", she roared. "Couldn't you have waited till I finished?", she asked rhetorically. "But I..." he tried to protest, but it didn't matter. Trish was beyond reason and set off. "I clean and organise everything in this house and you mess it up. I have been domesticated and turned into a maid! That was not the case and she knew it. "I could have never imagined that my life would turn out like this." She waved the broom before she threw it on the floor and stormed out to the bedroom as Sasha watched her go, dumbfounded. She slammed the door and cried.

Trish was excellent at picking fights when she was befuddled. An hour went by alone. Sasha knew better than to immediately hound Trish when she was like this, so he waited for her to come to him. He wanted her to be happy. He loved her. What could he do to help her? His thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of the bedroom door. The battle was over. The red-eyed demon was out of her lair, whimpering and mouthing the word "sorry". He smiled slightly and opened his arms to welcome her. Trish let out a loud sigh and let herself melt in his embrace. Dusk hadn't even set in and it was already overwhelming. Almost every day was overwhelming, but as long as she made her way to him, they would live to fight another day.