Stayed home, heard too much

Today I did not go out. The Karoo can wait. I sat on my bed and cleaned the UV torch. The glass had red dust in it. Red Karoo dust. I wiped it slow.

My phone buzzed. It was dad. I did not pick up. I watched it buzz four times then stop. My chest did a small thing. Not big. Just tight.

I thought about her too. The one I left. I will not say her name here. It feels dumb to write it like a kid with a crush. But my hand wanted to.

I ate toast for dinner. Sat on the floor. The flat was so quiet I could hear my own breath.

Some days I think the scorpions are just a trick. So I can be alone in the dark. So I do not have to sit with my own head. So I do not have to call him back.

That is the truth. I did not want to write it. But it is the truth.