Fatigue

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” ~William James

Once got home from a night’s stay at Mum’s place, I persuaded my kids to change into their pyjamas and get ready for bed. The process lasted a full hour along with my naggings (yes, I did it again), threats and nudges.

Mervin and Angel started to chase each other around in the living room once more with their high-pitched sirens sounding in the air. I rolled my eyes before barking an order for them to keep their volume down.

I started to unpack the stuffs I brought back from Mum’s place.

Rachel, my precious little helper, stayed in the kitchen to help me unpack some of the things when she accidentally pried open the lid of a container and candied balls spilled into the plastic bag (LUCKILY!). I rolled my eyes but was too tired to chide her and calmed myself down by repeating to myself umpteen times that she was trying to help afterall.

I proceeded to load my washing machine with the soiled laundries.

Angel barged into the kitchen amidst her chasing game with Mervin and caught Rachel trying to salvage the situation by plopping the candied balls back into the container one by one.

“Mummy, Sister spilled the candies!” she slid towards me and whispered into my ears.

I rolled my eyes. Fatigue...

“Yes, I know,” I murmured. “How about helping her to put them back?”

Angel sailed into the living room like she had never been here at all.

I emptied the hot water from the electric thermos flask into the pitcher, filled the flask with water and set it to boil.

Rachel, my darling, slipped beside me and muttered, “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” I managed to reply placidly. Taking a deep breath and counting do help to settle one down. I was glad I didn’t blow my top just now.

I spent another half an hour herding kids into the bedroom. As my husband was out-stationed for the time being, they were all allowed to sleep in my bedroom.

Religiously, they uttered their nightly bedtime prayers. It consists of confessions on their wrongdoings, only that they were done on one another behalves. I spent another half an hour suffering near exploded eardrums amidst their crossfire. I rolled my eyes. I didn’t bother to find out what they were arguing about. Believe me, it’s too tiring and nothing you said would matter anyway. Be patient and let them tire themselves out.

My eyelids were so heavy by then I wished I could just hit the pillow and sleep, with my make-up still on and clothes unchanged. I closed the voices of kids behind the door and waltzed into the kitchen once more, to find Kristel, my dear bitch, bestowing me with a nice heap of ordourous leftovers from her dinner on the papers.

I rolled my eyes. After cleaning her royal butt and took great care to wrap her royal poop in the papers, I disposed everything into the chute.

I had forgotten why I had wanted to go to the kitchen. Yes, I still can’t recall now. And so, I returned to my room to find Mervin and Angel jumping on my bed and Rachel grumbling that they are disturbing her sleep.

I rolled my eyes (erm… have I been repeating this?) and demanded immediate hush and order. It’s such a chore to open your eyes wide to stare at them when they were actually threatening to drop their curtains any moment.

Rachel fell asleep almost immediately. Mervin’s snore filled the room next. Just as I was prepared to leave the room, Angel decided to sit up and chat with me. I rolled my eyes (oh, I HAVE been repeating!) and persuaded her to go to sleep. I nearly wanted to spook her with all the possibilities of engorging eyeballs and blood vessels spilling blood into her eyes if she refused to sleep but thought otherwise. It’s too long a story. And she’d make it never-ending with her “whys”.

Her determination gave way to her fatigue and she slipped into slumberland.

How I wished I could just plonk myself down beside her and sleep away. But I still needed to hang my laundry.

I dragged myself to the kitchen to finish the last chore for the night. Nearly tripped over the faithful dog who willed herself to stick by my feet. Rolled my eyes and cursed a little but managed to hang up the last piece of clothing without tearing out the sleeves.

A couple of dishes stared mercilessly at me from the sink. Tomorrow, I decided and staggered off.

On my way back to my bedroom, I caught a glance of the bags strewn across the living room, the jackets left lying on the sofa, the toys littered over the floor... I managed to block my vision and crawl back to my bedroom to update my blog. It’s a struggle between will and flesh.

My eyes are rolling again. But this time they refuse to roll out of my skull. I can feel sleep engulfing me. I am thinking of the mess in the living room, the filthy dishes in the sink, and is that Kristel scratching at my door? Leave me alone please…