Next nine minutes

I know him like I know exactly every curves of my body.

He’s the most loyal and old-fashioned twenty-something man I ever knew. Even though his left ring finger will soon be taken for the rest of his life in the next 300 hours, I know for sure that he won’t give up on me. The right side of the bed will forever be mine.

He’s a heavy sleeper but he never snores in his sleep. Interestingly, he grinds his teeth. Making noises that’ll make you cringe. The grinding noise intensify when I caught him sleeping after his long night shift at work. The only cue I knew when he’s worn out. He did not say anything other than silently curled up beside me when he got home. I know him too well.

He’s a careless man. He often forgot where he put his belongings and spent 7 minutes and 22 seconds to look for them in every corner of this cluttered room. However, never once in his life, he did not care about me. He checked up on me every once in a while, making sure that I have the energy to get him on his feet every single day. Never once in his life, he let me nestled alone in this right side of the bed.

He needed to get on his feet at 7 o’clock sharp this morning. I knew he’s too worn out to make it. But I managed to woke him up cheerfully. Twice. I knew he tried his best to open his heavy lids, but he covered his ears with a pillow instead. He told me to get back to him later. For me ‘Later’ means ‘In the next nine minutes’.

He did not expect the next three minutes was going to be chaotic. Neither did I. It started when his phone suddenly chimed a very loud noise. I watched him woke up in shock as he abruptly seated and looked at his yelling phone on the desk. I could feel that pain on his head and the fast beat of his heart as he tried to walk straight to get his phone.

“Morning, Sir. Yes I am uh.. I’m on my way”

He got on his feet aggressively this morning. He rushed to every corner of the room to find his watch. He did not have a second to shower, as he realized that today is Wednesday, morning shift started at 6 o’clock sharp. I watched him curse and mumbled to himself. If only I could say something to calm him down or tell him that it is okay to have mistaken the time once in a while. However all I can do in that ‘next nine minutes’ is to remind him to get on his feet – once again.

“SHUT THE F*CK UP!!”

I know him like I know exactly every curves of my body, even when his powerful grip has tore me up in pieces. On the floor.

And for the first time in my life, I stopped ticking.