A Night To Breathe: Uncovering The Joy In Simple Pleasures.... Creative Nonfiction #147

I can vividly remember what the hallway was like ....clean, polished, smells nice and there's something about it, something I can't really figure out. Maybe it was the way it scream luxury or peace...I can't say.

The man at the reception stand wasn't even that accommodating, I told him I had a reservation and all he could was type on the laptop in front of him, well I know this is his job and obviously... he's used to it, but this is my first time, not just in a hotel but in an environment, in a space like this, one that's quite, filled with fresh air and clean.

It might sound a little bit off, but the truth is, I saved up for this, from my small catering works, to money I made from making frames to some errands and all. Even my regular gala and coke had to go on a break so I could be able to keep for this. And, I didn't tell anybody about this, I know you won't expect me too, they would just think something is actually wrong with me, cause who saves just for one or two hotel night, when there’s rent, food and siblings who's about paying still school fees?

But me, I did cause I was tired, I really need a time out.

I am tired of nights where generator noise gives me headaches, I am tired of waking up to cook, I am tired of using bathrooms where I had knock just to make sure nobody was inside, I am tired of the unstable power supply.

So I saved up, I saved for two nights, just two nights.

The room was great, though not that fancy.... for me. The bed was big, there was a very neat if not new beddings, the silence also was given, just some normal quite sounds, the AC was running smoothly as well.

I dropped my small bag on the only chair close to the bed and just stood there, I didn't rush to lay on the bed, I just stood there inhaling the good, fresh air. I didn't even walk around to check the plasma TV, the bathroom and all, I was just there staring.

After a little while, I went in to the bathroom to shower and changed, I was about turning on the TV when I heard a knock on the door......

"Room service sir..."

Sincerely, I almost cried, cause I have never experienced such before, I have seen it in movies, but never have I ever experienced this, I was told my pay comes in with little light meals, but I wasn't expecting what the waiter brought in , she entered with a smile on her face and a tray filled with bread, tea and egg sauce.

“Enjoy your night rest sir,” she said.

I couldn't even respond her, she left, I turned off the light and crawled under the bed sheets. The bed enh, it's so soft. Not my regular foam on your hair bed I use at home. And also, it's not the type that sinks from the weight of your body, this is peace, this is me really sleeping and living my dream, even if just for two nights.

Also, throughout my stay, I didn't take a single picture to post online, cause there was no one I wanted to show off too. This wasn't for anybody, this was for and for the boy I used to be. The one who grew up in a house where the ceiling leaked, where we had to go miles to fetch water, where birthdays were marked with prayers, for the boy who had to hawk his mom's wares just to make ends meet, and for the boy who once thought luxury was a scam.

I just lay there, whispering to the ceiling:

“This is really my dream, and I’m living it.”

Though it was just for two night.

By morning when I was to leave, I packed my bag, ate the simple but nourishing food they provided and checked out.

This time, the man at the reception stand smiled and said,
“Hope you enjoyed your stay here sir...”

I smiled and said, “I did.”

And then again, I walked back into the sunny, noisy street of Lagos. But obviously,something had changed.

It wasn’t the hotel that changed me, it was me knowing that I could save, sacrifice, and create something good for myself, it was me knowing that I could love and prioritize myself this much. Even though the country, economy and all is not smiling.

Well, not that that night fixed my life, but it gave me proof that joy can be found even in small thing, and that sometimes it’s in just two night, and you've lived your dream.

All pictures were generated using AI.

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