The last two weeks were probably the worst days I have had in a long time now. When things go down, they go down together.
- At work, we lost a good opportunity which came our way, due to the incessant stupidity of a few managers. They never learn.
- At home, the construction work that we had started a couple months back went on a standstill.
- I caught up with a terrible cold and was sick all these days, giving company to the rest of the victims at home.
- A friend of mine met with an accident and had bruised herself so badly. Another friend of mine (who owes me money) never returned my calls.
- My phone line at home went bust and along with that went my internet too.
- Back to work, I was asked to help another team with some R&D on a “product” they were building and things looked a little bit, or I should say pretty much hopeless. I need to wait and see how that comes along.
Burdened with all this and more, I woke up to this Saturday morning praying to see some change of luck. My prayers were answered with a power failure, goddamnit. I called up the service guys and find out that the power wouldn’t be restored until 5 in the evening. Load shedding – they call it. Yeah I heard them right.
Not having anything to do and not in a position to go out anywhere, I had to find myself something to keep me occupied. I sifted through the newspaper but could never really focus on any news. I found this Sudoku puzzle.
I have never tried one before, so I decided to give it a shot. I realized an hour later, how miserable I was. After spending all that time and thinking that I had solved almost 60% of the puzzle, I found I was wrong all the way through. I knew I had to backtrack but I did not know from what point I had to resume. I then noticed something – Below the puzzle there were these words: DIFFICULTY RATING and beside that were five stars, of which only one, was shaded. DAMN! That was one of the easiest puzzles, and I went through with it for so long, and was left with just a messy piece of paper, pencil markings all over, so brutally treated that it would tear the next time you write on.
I did not feel like eating at all. Anything I tried to eat, tasted so bitter. I would have listened to some music if only I had charged my iPod. I picked up a book to read which I had left unfinished for almost a year now. I had to read through some of the earlier pages to remind myself of the plot and to get re-introduced with the characters. The story could not get any more predictable; at one point I even felt that I could have done a better job. The story writer just was not capable of keeping secrets. She had littered clues all over the place like a stray dog.
I then remembered where I had bought this book. It was a roadside shop near Harvard Square. I should have left it were it belonged.
I was patiently waiting for the power to be restored, wondering if a day could get any worse than this. I hope not…
