"I will try my best to make it for the meeting. I hope they put me on to the next available flight Sir." I said to my boss with a serious tone before I hung up and fell on my hotel bed, exasperated at the events of the day. I checked my watch and it was 10 Pm. I made one last effort to sit up and dial a number.
"Hi honey, how are you doing? I am still in Nairobi. I am sorry to call you so late but better I wake you now and tell you, than have you realize in the middle of the night that I have not arrived and have you worried about my whereabouts." I said with a soft voice.
I told her about the abomination that was my day and about the missed flight.
"Its ok honey, I am in a hotel and going to sleep because I am very tired, so you don't worry now. I will call you tomorrow. Bye GN". I said cutting the call.
I fell back on the bed again and closed my eyes trying to forget the day that was today. I was in Nairobi today for a business meeting and not only did it go badly, it overran my departure time and I missed my flight. I had been on the airport running from pillar to post just to get on any other flight. And all this for a meeting I had the next day in Mumbai which I was not too keen on attending in the first place.
Its times like this that make me regret my decision to take up that promotion last year. But with the baby coming and the new place I bought, I could not refuse the additional money. Since then it's been constant travel and I am practically living out of a suitcase. In addition with the young one at home and my wife staying at her parent's hasn't given me much home life too. All in all, a forgettable year for me.
Now Nairobi is not exactly the worst place to be stuck in, given the pleasant weather and the nice hotel I was staying in, but it is not the safest place to go around at night. So I had nothing to look forward to for the night other than the hotel room. I fell asleep right there in my formal dress and if it wasn't for the room service guy who came to deliver the cigarettes I had ordered, I would have slept through dinner. I paid off the guy and after closing the door took off my clothes and shoes and was totally naked before I lit the cigarette. I had a long drag sitting on the sofa, but the smoke was too much for me, so just cracked opened a window to let the smoke out.
I have been celibate for more than 9 months, given my wife just went through child birth. Also I was not someone who would go out for any adventure paid or otherwise. But I did occasionally relive myself through masturbation. Given my state of mind and physical state too, I just couldn't help stroking myself while I was smoking in the window. Mentally I was so down that moment that I didn't even realize where I was and what I was doing. I was nearly through smoking the cigarette when I realized that I was on display and there was a gentleman staring at me from the opposite window. I quickly realized my folly and put the curtains down apologetically. One more screw up on the day of screw ups.
I ran to bathroom to finish jerking off, had a quick shower and decided to get a late dinner at the restaurant. I put on baggy shorts, t-shirt and the hotel slippers to go to the restaurant. I ordered a scotch on the rocks and sat going through my mails on the blackberry. One down, two down, three down and before I knew it I was on my fourth drink before I finished with the mails. I decided to place order for food and called over the waiter. As I was looking around for the waiter I just glanced upon a gentleman sitting on one of the tables, who looked kind of familiar. He also smiled looking at me which I replied with nod of my head, all the time trying to figure who this gentleman really was.
When I finally remembered that he was the same gentleman who I had flashed just an hour back my face nearly lost colour with embarrassment. I decided to make it right with the guy and with all my courage I walked up to him and said "I am extremely sorry for the earlier episode sir. I hope I did not cause too much discomfort. I am again sorry for my stupidity but its just been one of the days you know."
He just smiled at me and said with an accent "No worries son. It's ok."
He was European gentleman of around 50-55, as tall as me, nice greying hair and a pair of glasses which made him look like a professor. Now I am not exactly the youngest around. I am 33 5'10" a little on the stocky side but I am hardly his "son". But with the trouble I had caused him I could not have taken any offence. I was just about to walk to my table when he spoke again
"Son, why don't I buy you a drink? After all I must owe you something for the show before dinner." He chuckled as he said this.
I was already embarrassed, and his comment about the show made me want to look for a hole to bury myself in. Even before I could stammer a rejection, he called over the waiter and told him to shift my glass to his table and ordered a scotch for himself.
"Don't worry son have a seat. I sincerely hope I did not disturb you in between, and you indeed took things to their logical conclusion" he said laughing.
I was again left with no words and gave him a wry smile.
The rest of the evening however was a pleasant one. Howard was a very jovial, articulate and intelligent individual. He told me that he was a psychiatrist based in London and had been invited by the University in Nairobi for a lecture. He was a widower and had lost his wife to cancer five years back and has been traveling the world ever since, just to get away from loneliness. I could make from his conversation that he was very experienced man who had seen the world. He was a jovial fellow and though there was sadness in corner of his heart, from the loss of his wife, he had decided to live his life instead of drowning away in sorrow.
Maybe it was my seventh drink or maybe it was the amazing conversation I was having with a really smart guy but I was getting really comfortable talking to him. I told him about my home situation and the job situation and the frustration I carry around due to lack of stability in my life. He made me comfortable and made me understand that the reason for some of my stress was me myself, since I was worrying about the uncontrollable and bringing myself down instead of controlling the controllable and accepting the uncontrollable.