Half an hour past lunch and the effects of Friday afternoon were beginning to show. I could hear the monotonous ticking of the clock, growing louder by each passing second. Ironically, there are no clocks in the office save for my cell phone that I checked with annoying and increasing frequency so the origin of the sound is anyone’s guess. There was much work to be done and deadlines to meet but the prospect of a long awaited weekend combined with two hours of sleep the previous night had rendered the afternoon useless.
Sleeping at work is not the best of practices though I have seen it done. There’s the obvious feeling of guilt and then of course, the fear of getting caught. But when you have only two more weeks left, the latter tends to lose its luster. Anyone who has gone through extended periods of time without sleep will realize that only so much resistance can be put forth before everything comes crashing down. In my best attempt to stay awake, I began to look around at something that would catch my interest – anything. Luckily, my office walls are plastered with posters of British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Maldives, etc. for such times.
There is one picture in particular that I lose myself into. It shows one of the French Polynesian islands surrounded by crystal blue water as if colored in using a paint brush. The island is not very large, inhabited by long slender trees with arching branches and a beach that stretches far into the bosom of the ocean. There is a clearing in the middle and a resort or perhaps a house welcomes its visitors. In the background, another island rises into the sky with a much denser shade of green than its smaller neighbor. It is a magnificent sight to behold, an undiscovered land that excites the senses.
Having found something worthy of distraction, I began to browse Expedia.ca, researching the approximate costs for a trip to an exotic ‘paradise.’ I’ve noticed a big shift in my thinking as of late. No more am I concerned about the next project, assignment, lab, or exam. They have become trivial nuisances like a fly buzzing around a Bengal tiger. Thoughts are measured in months, years, and decades with seemingly endless opportunities and adventures waiting to be found.
A round trip to Maui is $900, to British Virgin Islands $1600, and to French Polynesia, upwards of $3000. Take into account a 10 day stay at a 3-star hotel that overlooks acres of lush greenery and rolling hills waiting for someone to trek through their innards to its desolate peak and pray fajr as the shearing sun rises on the horizon – will cost about $3500. Can you put a price on the experience of giving adhan in the wilderness with animals as your congregants and the clouds as your witness?
Sometime after 3 o’clock, I closed the office door and put my head to rest on the desk. Dreams of beauty and glory ensued.
Labels: British Virgin Islands, dreams, French Polynesia, goals, Maui, paradise, pray, work
