Day Three: Wrapping Things Up

When my alarm clock goes off, I wake up feeling even more tired than I did

when I went to bed. With absolute dread I get up, shower and leave for work without

having had any breakfast. Luckily the travel to work goes smoothly and when I enter

the office hardly anyone is there. Slowly I walk over to my desk and put my stuff

down. I turn on my computer and go to the coffee machine. I look over towards Ben’s

office. Hmm, his door and the blinds are closed, so he probably isn’t in yet. I was

hoping to ask him some more questions, but it will have to wait. I bring a cup of

coffee back to my desk, sit down and start working on the articles I need to finish

today. Shortly afterwards, everyone starts pouring in. When Beth comes to pick me up

for lunch, I realize that I still have to speak Ben and decide to check if he’s in when I

get back from lunch.

“I’m sorry, Beth, for ignoring you yesterday. I was really busy, but I could have

talked to you for a while when you were nice enough to bring me back a sandwich.”

“That’s OK! I understand. So, are you ready for Friday?” Beth asks while we get

on the elevator.

“What? Oh, yeah…well, getting there. I’ve sorted out my stuff at home, but I

still have some laundry to do. And the article for the Boston Globe still has to be

finished, among several others. So I’m afraid I can’t be out for long today, but I’ll

make it up to you when I get back.”

After having had a quick sandwich and conversation about another one of Beth’s

failed short lived relationships, we turn back to the office. I go straight back to work

and after an hour I hand in the article for the Boston Globe to Leon, the editor of the

newspaper. By the end of the day I also manage to finish an article for Blast, a column

for Dig and another article for the Improper Bostonian, which I put on Sylvia’s desk.

Since I am leaving Friday morning Ben gave me the day off tomorrow to get ready, so I

send an e-mail to all three of my colleagues giving the last of my assignments to them

with a huge apology. I check one more time if I’ve covered everything, then turn off

my computer and leave to go home with a detour to the grocery store.

At home I start preparing the food I got on the way and put another wash load

in the machine. Luckily, the clothes I washed yesterday are already dry, so I put them

on my bed. After dinner I turn on my favorite music, sing along and fold the clothes.

When the washing machine is done, I hang up the clothes and start putting stuff in my

suitcase. I turn up the sound of the stereo and loudly sing along to the music when all

of a sudden the doorbell rings. I lower the volume again and walk over to the door to

open it. When I see my neighbor at the other end of the door I am surprised, because I

really didn’t expect to see him.

“Could you please keep it down? My wife and I are trying to have a romantic

dinner and your singing is kind of ruining the mood for us.” he asks politely.

“Oh, of course! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to bother anyone. I’ll keep it down.”

I shut the door again and continue folding my laundry. After putting all the dry

clothes as well as my toiletries in my suitcase and some books, tapes and batteries for

my voice recorder in my backpack, I go to bed. By now I am so tired of the lack of

sleep the last few nights, I’m gone within minutes.