‘What can I do? I’ve tried everything,’ said Isabella, her voice choking with sobs. ‘Have you tried nothing?’ Asked Dr Matthew with a kind smile
‘What do you mean?’
‘In the four months you’ve been working on this musical composition, how many days have you taken off?’
‘I can’t stop thinking about it. Whether I’m eating, lying down, on the bus, in the bathroom, I’m always finding new ideas, always working.’
Dr Matthew looked at his watch. ‘Is our session over?’
‘No, I want to show you something. Come with me.’
They walked up a flight of stairs to the concrete roof. A cool breeze blew. The sun was setting.
‘Have a seat.’ He gestured to a pair of rocking chairs.
They sat down.
‘Isn’t that beautiful?’ He rocked his chair.
‘It’s nice but my piece will premier…’
‘Shhhh. Listen to the birds.’
A group of sparrows chirped as they swooped. Isabella listened, then sighed and stretched her legs
‘Without the sun, we wouldn’t have any life on earth. But even the sun sets. If it didn’t, we’d be dead. We all need cycles. Sunrise and sunset. Your creativity is desperately in need of a sunset.’
‘There’ll be plenty of time to rest after I finish.’
‘Yes. But if you don’t rest, you may never finish. Rest, and you may do more in a day than you did in a week.’
The sun slipped behind the horizon. ‘Try this: No more work until you watch tomorrow’s sunset. Forget all about the project. Cover your piano and have some fun. Watch a movie, have a long sleep, visit a friend, go for a walk. And after sunset, you continue the composition. Sounds good?’
Isabella smiled. ‘Yes. Easy enough. I can do that.’
‘Want some ice cream?’
‘Totally! I feel better already.’
—–
Read – The Yellow Page – A Flash Fiction by Francis Mkwapatira – Malawi
