Leave me alone!

“Are you coming tonight?“

A text message from Kelly: Are you coming tonight?

A text message from Dylan: Are you coming, tonight man?

A text message from Lisa: Are you coming over tonight?

Shut up

Are you coming tonight?

Shut up

Am I coming tonight?

No thanks.

I am sick of everyone making me feel bad for wanting to do NOTHING.

“But you have to come over”

No! I don't have to do anything!

When they ask "What are you doing over the weekend". 

If I say that I’m going to be at home watching Netflix, I always hear

"You don’t have any plans then? Great, we can…."

But I have plans! I plan to sit and watch tv!

Did you not listen?! 

After a long week at work, all I want is to have just one, ONE single day to myself?

It's not that I despise people. I used to like to go out, that was before when I had her... We used to go out, meet friends, and mingle. It was easy as she did most of the taking, and I wanted to brag about her to everyone.

As a single 30 years old man, I want to be left alone. 

Unfortunately, I can’t. If I sit alone at home, then I’m “depressed” and “sad”.  

I can’t stay at home and feel “bad” about myself. I have to go out and mingle. Blah Blah Blah.

But you know something Julia I DON'T FEEL BAD about myself. 

I am perfectly fine. I was never interested in going out so often anyway. 

I wish for merely one, just ONE day to myself. I don’t ask for much.  

So when asked if I want to meet my friends on a Saturday. I answered NO to the message. Saying that I’m not feeling too well and I want to stay at home. I've got some get-well texts, and come over if you feel better.

I laugh. 

They bought it. Now I feel stupid. Why didn’t I try this sooner? It worked so well. I will have to do it regularly.

July 24 Saturday

10.00 

I started my morning peacefully, with some black coffee and toast. I sat down on the balcony to read my newspaper over breakfast.

It was a perfectly peaceful morning, the birds chirping, neighbors were quiet. 

It couldn't get better.

But it could get worse.

As I was about to leave for my morning run, I heard the most awful sound.

Ding dong

Ding dong

I walked carefully down to see who it was. 

“Hello, are you there?" 

It's Kelly, what does that girl want. I'm sick she shouldn't be here.

Cough Cough “Yeeees?” I did my best to make my voice sound as unhealthy as possible.

“Ohh, you sound bad, I Have some chicken soup for your throat”

Great, what do I do now? 

I will have to let her in. It would be impolite if I didn't. After all, she brought me her stupid soup. 

I replied “thank you, that’s so sweet of you, but It looks like my cold is very contagious. I would feel terrible if it would infect you, and you couldn't go to the party with everyone else." 

“Okey I will leave it at your door get-well soon. Call me if you need anything” 

She said, with a disappointment in her voice.

Call me if you need anything, blah blah blah. I need you to, leave me alone!

But at least now I have some free lunch. 

Simply to be sure, I looked out the window to check that no one else was nearby. I grabbed a blanket and hid beneath it before I went out to get the soup. Realizing how risky it is for me to go outside when I’m supposed to be sick at home. I will have to stay at home.

That's why I shouldn’t have moved to the same neighborhood as my friends and family. But no, they insisted.

I went back in and put the soup in the fridge. 

12.00 

When I was browsing through Netflix, trying to choose what to watch. I've got a call.

It was Dylan, he wanted to know how I’m feeling and if I needed some company.

I manage to convince him that he didn’t need to come over, but he still wanted to keep me company. We ended up talking on the phone for over an hour.

13.30

Quiet 

God, how I love this sound.

All the quiet combining with the different background sounds refrigerator, Ac, and the birds chirping. I wish it could always be like that.

It was time for lunch. The soup saved me after all. I forgot to grocery shop yesterday, and now I’m stuck at home.

I started making pasta as I heard some noise outside of my window.

Terrified it was someone trying to see me again, I dunk fast to the floor. Only to realize that it was a cat.

A cute little thing was stuck in my tree.

I went out to try and call him down. He kept meowing.

Poor little thing looked so scared.  

As I looked at the tree and how to climb it. I remembered that I have a ladder in front of my house.

As I walked to the front side. I had to duck fast to the bushes because I saw one of my friends. 

Luck was on my side since she did not see me. But I don't want to jeopardize my luck. The ladder will have to wait. 

I went back and check on the cat. He is still there, frightened. 

The only way up now was to climb the tree. It shouldn't be that hard, right? At least from here, no one can see me.

I started climbing up, and as I did, I managed to startle the kitten. He began to climb higher and higher. 

Crap, hanging barley on the tree branch, I try to find someplace for my feet. I lift myself, thinking that I've got at least my morning workout. 

To let my legs find the branch, I had to pull myself up. Barely making it. Now I'm standing! That gave me a feeling of accomplishment. Frightened that the tree branch can't take my weight, I hurry up and try to reach the cat. As he sees my hand, he rubs his head against it. But when I try to catch him he backs away, crying repeatedly. Now we have a cat and a man too old for this stuck on a tree. 

I desperately try to make the kitten come to me, but I give up.

In the end, he got down by himself. Leaving me alone on a tree.

Now I manage to sit down on the branch wishing for it not to break. When I jumped down I manage to fall wrong and putting the weight on my right foot.

Crap!

Now I'm hurt and not lying. I stayed on the grass for a while. Later I manage to stand up and go slowly home. Luckily it wasn't broken.

The pasta!

I realize that I forgot all about it as I walked into the kitchen to see the pasta and overcooked water over the counter.

After cleaning up everything, I sat down and gave up on having a pleasant alone weekend.

It was time to take a look at my foot and put on some bandages. Just to make sure that I don't make it worst.

I cleaned up and cooked some new pasta to finally see one 20min long episode while eating.

15.00

I'm getting back to bed because even if not sick, I'm feeling sick after today.

As I laid on my bed, I got a facetime call…. From my mother. I'm not answering.

I'm just too tired, and she will not only talk for hours, but also she will want to come over.

I hung up on her.

Five seconds after that I've got a text message from her, saying that she knows that I'm sick and because I'm not answering, she will come over.

Not once in my life have I dialed a phone number so fast.

After some convincing I mange to pursued her that I'm fine. She will still come and make me dinner. 

Well, at least now I solved the dinner problem.

16.00 I took a nap. Finally, I got some peace.

18.00 I woke up to the terrible sound of my doorbell.

Ding dong

Ding dong

Who is it now? I specifically told my mom to leave the food outside. Using the same excuses as with Kelly, that I'm contagious. 

It was my mom.

She didn't see me yet. Knowing she won't leave if she knows I'm awake, I went quietly back to the bed and hid under a blanket. 

I heard the door opening and started to regret that I gave her a key.

She was coming in. I was just hoping that she will leave when she sees that I'm asleep.

She comes in and sits on the side of my bed. Puts her warm hand on my forehead to check the temperature.

I'm holding my breath, hoping that she believes I'm sick, that she won't see that I'm faking it.

This is going a little overboard. It was not meant to lie to my family.

She went to the kitchen and left the food, maybe cleaned a little, and then she left.

Finally, I could breathe.

Just to be sure that she's gone, I waited for another couple of minutes.

After that, I got up and went to the kitchen. When I opened the refrigerator, I could see some lasagna and raspberry pie for dessert.

There was a small post it on the food.

“Hope you get well soon. Call me later, love mum”

I will have to call her again, but first things first,

Before the food could get cold, I took it out from the fridge. I knew that she made it especially for me.

Finally, I got a chance to sit down and eat the food as I watched another episode. It's going better than ever, two episodes in one free day. That is crazy. 

I don't have any place left for the pie, so that's for later.

I call my mom and tell her that the lasagne was delicious. I thank her for the food and apologies that I was sleeping when she was over. 

I meant it.

I finally manage to sit down on the sofa to start some series. 

21.00

The party started now.

And I manage to see some of my series. I feel accomplished.

What now?

22.00

Knock knock

The door opens

“Hiiiiii. You made it" Kelly opens the door. "Wasn't it contagious? She says, teasing me. Knowing that I probably overacted this morning.

“I may have overreacted a little,” ´I say, laughing

 I go in and give her some pie.

“Thank you for the pie. Did you bake it being sick and all? She says sarcastically. 

"No, my mom made it. Someone told her that I had, a cold" I say, knowing that it was her who told my mom about me being sick.

She laughs, pretending not to know what I talk about as she goes inside.

I'm glad that I came. Those short alone moments were absolutely wonderful. This is to

Sometimes.