24 [Episode 3]

Time always seems to fly when we’re happy or when we concentrate our mind on something that requires attention. Sometimes we have hard times understanding how we can accomplish so few things in such a big amount of time. Hours and hours of thinking for just a simple math exercise or hours of concentration for an idea just to realize that after you found it the satisfaction isn’t quite what you expected. We’re always striving for more, always tackling bigger heights, always setting new and more ambitious objectives.
In David’s case every single second of his life was as important as the safety of his eyes. Nevertheless when he was working at achieving the one thing that mattered to him time flew just like a bird. He used to do research for 20 hours without even realizing as if he would have lost his touch with reality, as if he would slip into a state of nirvana; finding the rules of reincarnation was what made him feel complete. “You’re chasing a mirage!” friends and parents used to tell him. This was bringing him down from time to time but he knew it won’t be easy when he took the decision in the first place, David knew that such a big thing will require his entire energy and nerves. It wasn’t as if he was the only one chasing this dream, it wasn’t as if he found something amazing that others didn’t realize, the only thing pushing him forward and keeping him on the right track was hard to explain but he could feel it. “If I feel it, there’s no doubts, it’s true!” he convinced himself.
The road to the supermarket was quite long. 20 minutes from sidewalk to sidewalk, crossing two streets and then his destination was waiting. Nevertheless, David always felt it’s a waste of time because nothing useful could’ve been done there. You can only spend your money on things you need more or less, stay in line to pay for them and then walk back home. He used to think that the essence of reincarnation lies in human behavior and that the pattern can be discovered by studying a generation of people. So he used to go to public places and lose time observing human behavior, watching at the way people react in different circumstances, the way people take decisions regarding a product or the way people think about God or the church. Then he found out that there is no rule for which one soul will reincarnate in the same family. By studying an old book his grandfather had in the library he found out that the soul isn’t aware of its state when it leaves a body and that it will instantly go into the first body available. Ever since this 'revelation' came, public places became just a place here he could not think straight or a place where he used to waste time with his girlfriend. “I wonder what is she doing...”. David knew that she loves him and that she thinks that no other boy in the world could make her feel happier but the way she was sometimes treating him was just awful. David was the type of guy that would offer his entire affection, energy, money, health, his everything to the person he loved, in exchange demanding at least communication. His past relationships were nothing like what he was searching for and that could be a reason for which he ended them after a short period of time. Nevertheless while they lasted he used to give his best in making it work thinking that eventually it will all worth the fuss. Obviously it didn’t and just the thought that he lost so much time and energy for nothing was making him feel angrier than ever. “I will never be able to understand why girls say there’s nothing wrong with them when obviously something is! Nevertheless we are supposed to keep asking because they love the attention but we will never be appreciated for this. Again, in a moment of complete rage all of this “there’s nothing wrong” moments will pop out and a huge fight will take birth. Strange beings they are...” but he also realized that loneliness is a lot worse. “You can’t live with them, you can’t live without them. Ain’t that some bullshit!”
Deep in his thoughts he didn’t even see that approaching car as he was crossing the street. A loud horn woke him up back to reality and he had to command his legs to move as fast as they can to avoid the impact. “Screw you stupid driver! I am allowed to cross through here, moron!” but the car didn’t stop. He could see the supermarket now thus his mind went straight to time: “Ah, damn it! Another 20 minutes of my life I’m never getting back!”. He was studying reincarnation with a lot of passion but this obsession gave birth to another one: the obsession with time. David became aware of this after a few months he took the decision to find how he could know in which family he would reincarnate after death. At first he thought that his cause is childish for he will never have enough time to achieve his goal. “This will take more than a lifetime, maybe an entire Eon!” he used to say when he was coming to a dead end. “Hurry up David, hurry up! There’s no time!” a female voice was shouting in his head whenever this situation was happening. He had no idea why it was a female voice and whom did it belong to. It wasn’t his mother, it wasn’t one of his ex girlfriends or his current one and he had never met his grandmother. "There's no time you say? I will show you there is time!" he was always shouting deep inside of him.
He entered the supermarket’s parking lot looking at all the cars parked there. Most of them fancy cars, a few of them regular cars probably owned by regular hard working people. “Aw man, give me one of those fancy cars and I would have money for my research! I’d sell it without second thoughts, I’d let somebody else abuse mother earth. I will never get it why people are so obsessed with technology and finding better ways of exploiting the earth. You dumbasses, God gave fire, sun, two legs and two arms and our ancestors were able to live without cars or plains! There are much more important and bigger things in life...”. From there the rage embraced his heart. A small and mild rage but it made him forget about everything else and he woke up at home.
-Here you go mum, I wasted exactly 1 hour and 18 minutes of today for these groceries...
-Ya, but you won some money darling. You will learn eventually how hard money are earned.
-I guess you’re right. Did anyone call? I forgot my phone in the bedroom.
-No idea honey. I didn’t hear a thing.
-I must have let it on silent... He went into his bedroom and pressed a key on the phone. The screen lighted and his eyes grew a lot bigger while his heart started pounding as fast as car engine at 5000 rpms.


To be continued...