CNF: Timid

He starts his day with the same dead end routine. Wakes up, gets out of bed, takes a shower, gets dressed, brushes teeth, has breakfast, then leaves his apartment for work. A groove in his life, never shaken, never interrupted. As he walks to the office, his head stays low always staring at the ground below him. If someone greets him he raises his hand for a quick “hello” before continuing on his path.

            Upon entering the skyscraper of a building, his coworkers turn around at the thud of the door smacking into place. They all smile at him greeting him, knowing he would respond with the same half-hearted gesture. He walks into his box like cubicle, remaining quiet. Headphones in staring lifelessly into the brightly lit screen, beginning to type, working as he did the days, months, years before. Almost never interrupted, he would go through the day alone, not interacting with others, keeping to himself in his own little cubicle.

            If you asked him why he never went to office parties or hung out with his coworkers, his answer would be sweet, short and simple, “I’m comfortable being alone, the company of others isn’t needed.” His boss never questioned him; he did excellent in his job and never missed a deadline. “Why would I want to interfere and disrupt a perfectly good worker? He doesn’t bother anyone else, he stays independent” 

CNF: Meaningless Nothing

I look outside my window and stare unleash their liquid cleansers onto the world. Leaving every object soaking with droplets falling in rhythm with each other. I glance around my room, I'm alone. I walk over to my bed, lay down and gaze at my ceiling.

Plain. White. Texture less.

Why is it so interesting to look at? My eyelids begin to come together, hiding the light keeping me awake.

          Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

The gap in my day I get to relax. To take the time and empty my mind from my overwrought life.

Peace. Tranquility. Quiet. Still.

The time of day when nothing engulfs you to steadiness. When you can clear your thoughts and get rid of that mind crushing headache that has followed you the entire day. Nothing has become my everything, the thing I rely on it to get through the day. The moment nothing comes my body and mind relax and remain carefree until the next task appears. Zen.

My door opens. “What you doing Mony?” my younger brother asks, hesitating before coming in. “Nothing”, I reply, as I get up. Bored with my answer he walks away. I hear him stop and turn around his shoes rubbing against the cold tile floors. “Wanna watch a movie with me?” he asks. “Sure”, the ideal “nothing” to do during this time of year and weather. I walk with him down the hall toward the living room, changing to another perfect category of nothing.

CNF: Dinner

While the warmth of the fireplace filled the living room, my dad and I begin to prepare the perfect dinner. I set the rice to turn golden brown, the ingredients for the sauce smashed and thrown in to the blender. My dad mixes and pounds the powders together to set the base for the tamales.

            The table set with the traditional colors of red and green, tablecloth decorated with holly leaves and berries, porcelain plates set for five.

            I sit on the counter next to my dad occasionally asking, “You sure you don’t need help?” “No”, he responds before focusing back on the task at hand. Kicking my legs impatiently, I leave him and pick up the remote clicking each individual button until I find an adequate Christmas movie to pass the time.

            A few minutes pass by and I decide to go back to the kitchen. Empty. “Where is he?” I walk toward his bedroom and stick my head in door way. A massive lump on the bed, moving up and down with every breath taken, a motor like sound coming from the unconscious body.

             “What am I supposed to do now?”