For my birthday

​He went to bed on the eve of his 25th birthday, disillusioned with his lousy life and scared for his future. His thoughts darted from one part of his life to another with unease. The future terrified him and made him squirm on his cold hard mattress.
*
He thought about his primary school days, the only time he could truly say he was happy and jolly. The canes from the teachers not withstanding, he’d had himself a glorious time. He focused on his friends, people he still knew and talked to to date. He remembered his teachers especially those who caned his lil ass black and blue. Poor kid he was then. The school cook flashed into his mind. The magnanimous Uncle Cook. His all time favorite school character. He had loved eating back then, suitcase always full of grub and eats. Uncle Cook supplemented his suitcase foraging, providing half baked beans and a fair share of weavils for him. Oh yes! Half cooked Food was something to look forward to when brokeness struck as it often did. Such a wonderful time!!
*
He shifted uneasily as his thoughts turned to his O-level schools. A time he wished to erase from memory. A time of his life that he wanted to erase. That was a time of adrenaline packed adventures, adolescence and hormones. A time of peer pressure and the urge to fit in. He didn’t fall into the traps of love and girls, but his other addictions led him downhill. He recalled every moment he had escaped from school, every time he chopped class, all to go watch translated movies. He cringed when he remembered his mothers tears whenever she was told about his latest moment of madness. The secondary school freedom had gone to his head. He’d failed to control himself. The strikes he’d participated in, the ones he’d initiated, the problems with teachers. This had been a foundation for his current stubbornness, his madness and supposed zeal to fight ‘injustice’ at whatever cost. He had learnt invaluable life lessons, lessons seared into his mind; lessons learned the hard way!
*
His attention momentarily moved onto his A-level school time. The highlight of any students’ education. The transition from childhood to semi-adulthood. Not a boy anymore, yet not a man yet. Raging hormones. Increasing peer pressure. Love. Stress. Books. Nothing straight forward. He worked as hard as he could, egged on by friends and family, performance always excellent except for Physics. Damn those papers! That stuff was hard. Jesus Christ! His ‘special friends’ introduced him to God and helped transform his life. He’d regressed since then though, he had far too many regrets in life. It wouldn’t be the first. He had had fun, made lifetime friends and tried to create something of a legacy for himself.
*
The university days rolled into his mind, four long years that had disappeared in the blink of a second. Four years of freedom. Four years of struggle. Four years of more madness. Four years of fun. Four long years of growing up. He’d tried to be everywhere for everyone, often mistaken for flirting and voyeurism. He regretted nothing and was happy with how he’d lived his life. He’d made new friends, once again participating in strikes and demos against unjust policy/decisions. He had alterations with lecturers, for reasons best kept secret, winning some battles, losing some. He’d done it all; fallen in love, gone to club, beach, church, road trips, done retakes. Been there. Done that. He’d had a ton of fun. Awesome memories. His heart had got broken more times than he cared to count, but that was all part of life. He fought his way through his final year engineering project, finally graduating with lousy distinctions. He didn’t really care. The transcript bore his name after all. It lay somewhere at home, gathering dust as he searched for that elusive job experience. If only there was a school that taught “At least Three years Job Experience”.
*
His thoughts moved onto his relationships, with God and family and other people. His faith wasn’t so great, and he struggled to comprehend religious affairs now. He hoped to change that soon though. His family always came first for him. No compromises on that. 

He then turned to his relationships with people. With his ex girlfriends and the person he cared about now. 
His eyes slowly closed, too exhausted from his day’s exertions. 
**
Happy 25th birthday to me. 
***
(Birthday Notes: To be updated)
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Pérez.