Pounding The Keyboard

             Death and sex will always be taboo as a topic of conversation for any family.          But that morning, Roddy heard his siblings talking about the inevitability of death. He didn’t join in the conversation, it’s not that he was scared of death. He almost confronted it a few years ago when he tried to stab his own heart a few days after his girlfriend eloped with a married man. The two had been having an affair under his nose. Roddy continued eavesdropping and learned that his siblings had bought a six-urn niche in a columbarium. They were planning to transfer their parents’ remains there and the rest would be be allotted to them—there would be no wake, no funeral service like they preferred, it would be an immediate cremation and a journey straight to the niche.       That day, they went to the columbarium to make a payment and to see the niche—Roddy quietly sat at the backseat of their car.       It was around four in the afternoon when they reached

               Hot milk? Check.        Beer? Check.        Sleep naked? Check.        Count sheep? Check.        Avoid caffeine? Check.        Exercise before sleeping? Check.        And still, you can’t get enough sleep and you’re still sleepy and a little groggy during the day? So what do they say about something you can’t lick? Join `em. Or enjoy `em. Enjoy the following benefits of insomnia (yes, it has).        1. You can do movie or TV marathon every night. Finish three seasons of Game of Thrones in one night.        2. You can read more books. You can even memorize the dictionary in one night.        3. You have longer working hours and you can work in utter silence (the only noise coming from your earphones blaring some progressive rock music).        4. You have lots of time to think. Think about what? About why they don’t sell balut in the morning, for example. Many great ideas came from insomniacs., many great works were hatched late at nigh

       Thinking of watching Logan, I took a ride to a mall after  after an appointment two nights ago. I didn’t know how many yawns I made during that journey, I probably broke a record somewhere.   I got out of the vehicle when it reached the mall, stared at the billboard announcing the showing of Logan, drooled at the chance of seeing Wolverine decimate his enemies again with his retractable bone claws, then I yawned, twice, turned my back and decided to just go home—I was sure the movie would end with me asleep in my chair.        My sleeping difficulty worsened this past few weeks.  Somebody probably thinks a complete sleep is such a priceless commodity that I don’t deserve it. Hot milk is useless, drank gallons of it, no effect, I have a few tablets of Sleepwell, but I am yet to take them for fear of being dependent to them. I would go to bed at around midnight and I would still be tossing in my bed at three in the morning. It's not normal. Normal for me is I wi

               One thing I’ve learned in this world is that there are people who are easily (and quickly) offended—and many of them, when offended may not forget. Some of them, when slighted, can be brutal and fatal. Like this news that went viral recently, a man was mauled and killed by a group of young men and women just because he accidentally bumped one of these young men. Now, what kind of animal are you when you are willing to maim and kill just because somebody’s shoulder grazed your own shoulder?        One sarcastic political post in social media from you and you’ll get a lot of people riled enough to threaten your life. Although, most of these people are trolls who are paid to do just that, harass and intimidate those who aren’t on their side.         Then, there are these people who once you offend them,   slightly or in a grave manner will make it their life’s mission to see that you always suffer, never mind if you’re trying to make amends or just trying t