I awoke this morning feeling as though I had just undergone mild water torture. I know my logic is weak, but early in the morning damp clothes and a wet face brought me to no other conclusion. When I realized it was only sweat, I was only slightly comforted. I cleaned up and tried to move on with my day but I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of arrest and torture. What would I do if I were arrested while in the Philippines? Would I be tortured? Could I handle it? The rest of my day revolved around this doubt and fear.
I arrived at aerobics ready to break a sweat. I have gotten used to the idea of exercising in the parking lot of a strip mall. The music, the abundance of exercisers, and Leon (the instructor) make it feel completely normal. So I was a little disappointed to learn that Leon would not be leading today. Instead there was an energetic man who felt that my abs needed major toning. Incorporated into each movement was a pelvic thrust. I could really feel the muscles working, in fact they burned. But I didn’t want to risk being arrested for indecent behavior, so I found it necessary to stop.
When I arrived at work I learned that I would need to wrap all of the books in the library with plastic. I had all the needed supplies and got right to work. Some of the books presented no problem. Others did everything they could to make my life difficult- they had round edges, or ripped pages, or were so dirty that my tape would not stick. I tried my hardest to keep my cool but couldn’t take it any longer. I was tempted to slash the books with my scissors but thought I might get arrested for the destruction of public property. I decided to take the mature route and threw a tantrum instead.
I was starving by the time lunch came around. I was so hungry that anything sounded good, that is until they brought out our peanut butter sandwiches. I just couldn’t bring myself to eat another sandwich. After eight days of pb I was tempted to steal lunch from one of the students. Of course I would be running the risk of being arrested for stealing. So, I put on my pouty face, ate my sandwich, and got back to work.
When I got home from work I found that there was no food for supper. Someone needed to go get groceries. Usually I do not like going to the grocery store. It is too hot to walk, the store is chaos, shopping on our tight budget is difficult and if you do finally make it to the checkout the clerk doesn’t have correct change. But today I eagerly volunteered. When I arrived at the store I purchased a frozen yogurt and sat relaxing in the air conditioned building. I never wanted to leave my spot but eventually decided I had better get shopping before my team realized I was a fraud. I couldn’t risk the jail time!
