2 – Words: Conversation: Inspiration

My sister woke me at the crack of dawn today.  I don’t do well with mornings without coffee.  This determined fire cracker got me out of bed, dressed, and out the door…all these without a cup of coffee.  I give her props for the feat.  I’m incredibly unsociable without coffee.  The world always seems like a serious battle zone, and everyone talking is the enemy racing it at me with battle axes, arrows, swords and machetes.  I was a disgruntled zombie.  My focus only on what I have to do to get to point B, and anything extra turned into an annoyance.

We were heading to a finance master class my sister runs, the venue today was along Ngong Rd.  The matatu driver was plugged to the loudest reggae music I’ve heard yet.  The treble in that joint turned into a small torture device.  I was a tad disoriented when we arrived at our destination.

Of course, my little task master knows me well.  We ended up in the lovely Cakes & Muffins restaurant along Ngong road.  Minutes later, I got my hit of house coffee, and the world righted.  I’m starting to think coffee can be used as a weapon against me.

The master class started an hour later than we had planned and in the short span of time it ran, the ladies in attendance turned into my inspiration.  Women in business inspire me on most days.  These ladies were no exception.  Starting a small business is often the most difficult task one can take up.  The challenges always out weigh the merits, but meeting these group of ladies, the waking up was worth it.

The talk on managing cash flow ensued.  You would think the topic would be enough to get them sleeping, but everyone was wide-eyed, and taking notes.  Then, the conversation started, and I got a first class seat to women facing real struggles in their businesses.  The baking industry has grown in Kenya.  Breaking into the industry requires more than bravery.  Contenders face stiff competition from fellow bakers, and consumers who are well educated in the type of products they want.  Despite the challenges, these ladies are focused, and determined to keep going despite these struggles.

When the class was over, one of the ladies comes up and says, “Thank you, so much.  Thank you for doing this, it keeps us going.”

I smiled at my sister, because she’s the determined firecracker who made this day worth it for a half-dozen women, and there is nothing more powerful than that for inspiration.

***

*matatu – public PSV

Day 2, the goal today was to hit 400 words talking about what happened during my day.  I had a good time meeting the ladies today at the masterclass, and their stories truly made me smile. Fighting!

1 – The Great Robbery of Sweet Six O’clock Sleep

A bird whistles in the distance, melodious beauty cuts through the heavy veil of sleep.  Senses alert, the freezer in the living room hums to life.  A series of mechanical whirls fill the silence of the house.  They said the thing would be silent that first day at the showroom.  The humming continues, the sound low but hardly silent…score for the sales man.  The humming cuts off five minutes later, the silence is surprising…welcome.  Once again, the bird living in the tree right outside the house whistles…or was he still whistling?

Sleep beckons, that sweet delicious wave of sleep only found at six in the morning.  A glance at the clock—that square-faced, faux-gold piece that is now twenty-five years old, still faithfully counting away the minutes— shows that it’s twenty-five minutes until six-thirty.  Eyes close, stubborn will clings to the comfort of warm blankets.  Nose buried in the wool-rich blankets, fingers clutching tight to the edges, contentment fills as once again I’m caught in the magical world between awake and dreams.

A heavy weight drops on my legs, and a sigh escapes.  Four paws trail a massage up my back, and loud purring fills the quiet.  Suki, the cat, is awake…

When the purring doesn’t work, she proceeds to dig her paws into the blankets.

Step, step, dig, dig…Suki’s purring volume increases…wake up, wake up.

Suki steps a rhythm on my back.

I hold the blankets closer.  A peek at the clock, and it’s only six fifteen…not time yet.  Ignoring Suki’s vicious alarm clock, I close my eyes and desperately cling to that sweet sleep.  How was that dream going again…?

Ah yes—

A heavy weight drops on my head, enough to grab me away from sweet bliss.  I push the covers away and raise my head slightly.  Suki sits on the floor, her dark irises round and large in the morning light.  Her gaze is expectant.  She thinks she’s won with her hit and run…I smirk.

My head finds the pillow again, this time I turn away from her, and make sure to cover my head well with the blankets.  The faithful clock says it is six twenty-five.  I’m getting my five minutes in.

My nose is cold.  The temperatures are their usual low this early in August.  The thought of a shower is not appealing.  Closing my eyes, I seek that delicious sleep again…five minutes and then I will wake up.

Two minutes in, the blankets are warm again…the dreams right on the fringe.

Suki jumps on me, again.  Her purr is soothing, her weight on my arm friendly.  She lulls me further into sleep…and then, she’s pawing at the blankets covering my head.  Her claws sink into the heavy blanket and the tips meet skin, I sit up in a hurry and she jumps off fast.

She sits on the floor…smirking at me.

My blankets are thrown aside, the warmth sucked away by the frigid room temperature.  There’s no getting that back now. Damn minx has won this round.

I glance at the clock and scowl, Suki won at six twenty-seven.  She meows, the sound of it urgent.  She’s hungry and wants food, now.  I feel robbed of three delicious minutes of sleep.  Giving a loud yawn in answer, I get up and chuckle when Suki leads the way to the kitchen.

***

This is Day One of the writing challenge…came up with this in fifteen minutes.  I think it went ok.  Will see how it goes tomorrow. ^_^