Setback
🏷️ Categories: Personal stories
“The end was contained in the beginning.”
George Orwell, “1984”.
Paraguay, May 22, 2024 at noon
It all started when Claudia arrived home after a busy morning at work. It was three o'clock in the afternoon and fatigue showed on her face. She had had endless meetings and numerous reports to fill out.
He went into the kitchen, opened the fridge and took out the first thing he could find: some salad and a piece of chicken left over from the day before. He didn't feel like messing with the cooking. He heated up the food and sat down at the dining room table. The hunger started to go away but the tiredness wouldn't go away.
Just as she was finishing her meal, she heard the sound of the key in the lock. Her boyfriend was coming home. He walked in and set his briefcase on the floor, walked over to Claudia and greeted her with a kiss.
—How was your day, honey? —she asked.
—Well, although I'm exhausted. I think I'll take a nap to get my energy back. Would you mind waking me up around 6 or 7? —Claudia answered.
—Okay, that's fine with me. I'll wake you up,” she said with an understanding smile.
Claudia got up from the table and headed to her bedroom. She closed the door softly and plopped down on the bed. The feel of the cool sheets against her skin brought immediate relief.
Time passed and her boyfriend, seeing her sleeping so peacefully, decided not to wake her up. He thought she needed rest and would soon wake up on her own. Claudia slept soundly in a restful sleep.
When she finally woke up, she didn't check the time or turn on her cell phone. Routinely, almost without thinking, she got out of bed. He put his feet on the cold floor and reached for his slippers. She put on her robe and headed for the kitchen. The atmosphere in the house was quiet, dimly lit by the light filtering through the curtains.
Claudia began to prepare a cup of coffee. As the water boiled in the kettle, she petted her dog, a Labrador named Max, who had approached her wagging his tail.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen. Claudia poured a cup and sat down in the living room. She was enjoying her coffee and an impromptu breakfast consisting of some toast and jam. She looked out the window and saw the sky abnormally dark, completely overcast. The weather forecast had been warning of heavy rain for a few days, and it would probably rain today.
After breakfast, he got dressed and prepared to go out. He chose comfortable jeans, a T-shirt and over that he put on a light jacket, anticipating that the weather might get worse. He headed for his truck, an old but reliable pick-up he had inherited from his father.
The cool morning air cleared his mind a bit. He climbed into his truck and left his belongings in the passenger seat. He started the engine and drove out of his village. As he drove to work, he noticed that a supermarket that was usually open was closed today.
—They must have been delayed,” he thought aloud.
The normally bustling country road was deserted.
—Lucky for her, no traffic jams today,” she said to herself, glad to get there early today.
The first drops began to fall and the lights of her truck reflected brightly on the road. As she drove, she noticed a detail: the needle on the fuel tank was almost at zero. He decided to stop at a nearby gas station. Running so as not to get wet, he approached the gas station counter and greeted the attendant.
—Good morning,” said Claudia, her hair a little wet.
—Good morning,” replied the attendant, smiling.
She paid him and went to fill up the gas tank. She watched as the yellow lights of a gas station sign reflected on the wet asphalt of the road. He found the reflections in the water hypnotic and beautiful.
As the tank filled, Claudia turned her head to look at the large sign that gave off the light. The luminous sign showed the temperature and time.
12°C, 00:37.
Claudia was stunned.
—00:37,” she repeated quietly in disbelief.
She had been driving in the middle of the night, thinking it was six in the morning. She had slept a full eight hours from the time she went to bed at four in the afternoon until twelve at night. A cold sweat broke out on his back as he hurriedly turned on his cell phone. She saw several missed calls from her boyfriend, who had been concerned when he noticed her absence.
She climbed back into her van and set out to return home. As she drove back, she couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't realized earlier what time it was. Accumulated fatigue and always doing the same routine had made her act without thinking.
When she got home, she saw that her boyfriend was fidgeting, waiting in the living room with concern.
—Where were you? —she asked, getting up quickly.
—I swear I thought it was daytime. I slept so much that I lost track of time,” Claudia explained.
He sighed, relieved.
—Don't worry. The important thing is that you're fine. Let's get some rest and tomorrow everything will be clearer.
📌 P.S. This story happened to a friend of mine from Paraguay. Everything told is true. The names of the characters have been changed.