Awakening

I awoke to almost complete silence. The first thing I noticed was that the TV was off. The light from the overcast day coming thru the blinds gave my bedroom the feel of an abandoned classroom at recess.

The only two sounds I could hear were the low, steady, almost calming hum of the aquarium. And the sound of cars passing by on the street below. And even they seemed much more distant than they actually were.

I looked at the clock, and for eight or eleven seconds could not for the life of me remember what day it was.

Five-fifty. Five-fifty. I repeated it to myself. Was it a weekday and did I have a bit longer before needing to get up for work? Was it a Saturday or a Sunday? I wasn't even sure if it was AM or PM.

Finally it came to me. No, it was a Monday. And I had taken a nap. Must have been a good one. Sometimes I think sleep provides as much of a mental rest as it does a physical one.

Completely naked and nestled warmly beneath the covers, I turned over to look out the window. All I could see was the rooftop of a house across the street, glistening from the rain that silently fell. And extending far above the house, a tree, against the almost white grayness of the sky. Shaking its limbs violently, as if it were angrily trying to rid itself of leaves that had overstayed their welcome.

Then, the shrill electronic ringing of the phone pierced the silence. One... two... three... four... I counted the rings until the machine would pick up. A few seconds later my cell phone rang. I reached to silence it. But I didn't answer.

I pulled the covers tighter around me. I wanted to enjoy this rare-found peace awhile longer.

"Woke up to the sound of pouring rain. The wind would whisper and I'd think of you..."