The alarm rings at 0600. The sound, however incessant, has become familiar, like the rooster heralding the coming of a new day. The 0600 in big, green numbers signal the start of the work day, almost as ruthless as 1200 signals the middle of the day and 2000 the end of it. It’s funny that the sun, master of the day, wakes up after me and goes to bed before I do. You would expect more responsibility from such a top supervisor. 0600, I get up, drink a glass of water at my bedside, then drag myself out of bed. I did not always drink water in the morning, I only picked up that habit after attending a company meetup event where they talked about the importance of work-life balance and tips for staying healthy. I don’t remember much about it, but I remember the glass of water trick, and it actually works. I take 10 seconds to walk to the bathroom, but I always wish that I took longer. It should be criminal for lights to be this bright in the morning, but I heard in the meeting that adversity is good for you, so I always feel somewhat heroic whenever I turn them on in the bathroom.

Same mirror, same face shaved yesterday, but there is already a bit of stubble showing on his chin. “Maybe I’ll wing it”, he thinks, but then he remembers that his supervisor caught him with two hairs showing on his face and reprimanded him for not showing professional responsibility. But then again, the razor hurts his skin, the machine is load and the lights are so very bright.

He splashes water on his face and dries it with a towel. He’s been using the same tower for two weeks tomorrow, but it doesn’t smell, so he doesn’t change it. He only uses the towel once per day anyway.

He goes back to his room and starts to get dressed for the day. The power of routine allows him to dress with the lights off, thankfully. In the beginning he often got his trousers on the wrong way, but now the only thing he can’t do automatically is the tie All the better, because he only puts on his tie when he’s about to leave the house. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Lately, the government has started an advertisement campaign along those lines, but he already knew that; it was taught at the company meetup. Breakfast may be t he most important meal of the day, but there’s nothing you can do when you have no time to take it. A ¥200 coffee from the corner machine has to do, today as with all other days. It’s a bit expensive, but the taste is better than the others, and it’s warmth reminds him of the way he snuggles in his blanket. Of course by now it’s 0606, and of course the train to work leaves at 0620. It’s a 5 minute walk from here until the train station, and another minute to get past the gates, which leaves him 7 minutes to remain home, 2 of which are used to brush his teeth and tie his tie. Maybe he could change his alarm clock to reclaim these 4 minutes, but setting it at 0604 just seems wrong; plus, everyone knows that the day starts at 0600. So he sits, everyday, with the mouth fresh, at 0607, for 4 minutes, just waiting, without thinking about a thing. There’s nothing to think about anyway. You should think about work at work, outside of it you should think about something else. But there is nothing else now; he already exhausted what the had to think in the time when he got his trousers wrong. 4 minutes pass, but he always wished they’d go slower, even though he never dares say it. So, now the tie. He chooses a different tie, depending on his mood for the day, but his ties are almost all the same. Today, the tie is equal parts blue and gray. He ties it up the way his father taught him, with an even knot, even though he has always preferred straight knots. He just could never manage to learn them. Grab the brief case, leave the house.

Tags: #Short Story