Run, Wild, & Free: A Midday Jog To Remember

So there I was on my midday jog with Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica” blaring through my headphones on full blast. No trepidation, no underwear, I was as free as the sky was blue.

EARLIER…

For the past 3 or 4 weeks, my Monday mornings have fallen into a rather compromising routine. Firstly, I have to be up by 7:30AM so I can pick up my little cousin J for 8:15AM, and have him to school by 9AM. Seems simple enough right? WRONG! I’m definitely not a morning person.

In fact, anyone who knows me personally knows that I’m very hit or miss when it comes to being on time. Obviously, more misses than hits, kinda like a Justin Bieber album.

Nonetheless, I try my best every time. Fortunately, I was up and Adam today, despite falling asleep somewhere around 3AM in a fog curated by Netflix, leftover Chinese food, and my old faithful Sylvester Blue.

Exercise clothing on (which for me is just an old pair of joggers, a tank top, bandanna, my Blackashi Sensei hoodie, and tennis shoes), I braved the streets of Nassau, headed purposefully for Prince Charles Drive.

The road was surprisingly calm this morning; traffic hadn’t start piling up as yet. I guess everyone was still drooling on their pillows, not wanting to face the start of another school/work week.

And who can blame ’em? We’re still in the middle of a polypeptide. So, just being able to mentally function long enough to do anything remotely productive deserves special commendation.

With the sounds of Lana Del Rey’s “Chemtrails Over The Country Club” filling the guts of Veronica, my Nissan Cube, I arrived to my Uncle’s place in no time. I hope J was actually ready this morning. After honking the horn a few times, Aunty Jade appeared like a phantom on the balcony and gave me the 5-minutes signal.

I knew what that meant, he was gonna be a while. So, I crossed my legs and started casually scrolling through social media. While doing so, I got a text from my bestfriend, Jake.

“Morning Bestie, I really would appreciate a ride to work this morning, if you’re able. I have to be there for 10:30AM.”

Without giving it a second thought, I texted and sent a voice note over WhatsApp informing him that I’d be to his by 9:30AM the latest.

J finally comes outside and gets in the car. He greeted me as usual with his lackadaisical voice, “Morning Terran.”

– “Morning J, how are you feeling this morning?” He nods expectantly. And honestly, I can’t blame him for his lack of enthusiasm. Imagine having to report to school after months of online learning from the comforts of your home.

Hear me out on this one. I know the living situation uniquely varies from student to student, but I’ve been over enough times to realize that the kid has a pretty sweet setup.

Thus, with a sigh and the next track on the queue playing soothingly in the background, we were off to our destination. And suddenly, I got the feeling that my morning run was shaping up to be more of a midday jog.

We pulled up in front of J’s school 5 minutes past 9. Hey, I was actually early this time. For once, it was him who caused himself to be late for homeroom. Per usual, I gave him a pep talk and told him that he’ll live, despite being a few minutes late.

I know, not my finest role model moment. But a lot of things I recall stressing over at his age had no relevancy whatsoever in the future – school (mostly what was taught) being one of them.

With Lorde’s “Melodrama” now filling the airways, I was off to Jake’s to get him for work. Upon my arrival, I blow the horn and wait patiently. Soon enough, he messages me to let me know he’ll be right out.

He was not right out by the way. He had to have taken at least 20 minutes after that text was sent to come outside. And for a moment, I thought back to the many times my other bestfriend Mia used to wait for me whenever we had someplace to go. (Mia if you’re reading this, I’m deeply sorry for all those times and I love you, bitch.)

Nevertheless, I didn’t find myself annoyed by the waiting. I was too busy catching up with my good friend Reggie over WhatsApp. Plus, after already waiting on J this morning, I felt pretty much warmed up to the idea that today was gonna be something else.

After another few minutes pass, Jake emerges and makes his way to Veronica. I’m greeted expectantly, “Good morning Bestie, thank you so much for even coming! And my apologies for the wait. How’s it going?”

I nod expectantly, and assure him it was no biggie. And honestly, even if I were upset by the waiting, it’s very hard to stay mad at Jake. The pleasant tone of his voice, his inviting eyes, the way the light catches the hair on his upper-lip…

-Hehe, I mean… ANYWAY, you get the point.

So between jamming Pop music and catching up on each other’s weekend, I had the arduous task of taking Jake’s “special route” to get to his job. Mind you, this is the preferred route he takes to avoid unnecessary traffic. It’s just about 9:30AM, so we’re still making great time.

A few sudden turns and jook-jook corners later, we were on the straight and narrow to his place of employment. Certainly, it was quite an adventure due to Jake’s Apple-Maps-like navigational skills.

But once we pull up, he informs me that I won’t have to get him when he knocks off. We wish each other a great day, promise to message later, and part ways. It had just turned 10 o’clock and I was still ready to get my run on, despite my stomach now weighing in on the conversation.

I arrive at Goodman’s Bay about 10:30AM, ready to conquer today’s run. Admittedly, I’m still contemplating changing my running day due to the crowd. On Mondays it’s literally a senior citizen’s fest. And sure, my matured soul may match the theme of the beach on this day, but it never hurts to have a couple of young vessels around to keep my attention.

“Young vessels”? What am I, 60?

Anyway, as I’m getting ready to make my way on to the track, I realize my gas meter was gauging pretty low. Additionally, my stomach was sending me some mixed signals. Hence, I decided to hit up the Shells, Old Fort Bay (my favorite) and use the public restroom in The Caves Shopping Plaza on my way back. Seems simple enough right?

WRONG!

Swinging into the gas station, I make my request known to the pump attendant. His coworker decides to inform me of some news.

“How’d go Rastah? You know you got a big screw in your front tire right!?”

-“I’m sorry, A WHAT?!”, my brain in need of confirmation to fully process what was just said. I step outside to see for myself. And there it was. A huge, metal screw, as big as me in my front tire. “Oh wow”, I said drily.

“Tell you what Rastah, I got a deal for you. I’ll take she out and patch it up for you.”

-“Really? How much we talking now?”

“Just one little $8.”

Mind you, I have no patience when it comes to things like cars. If something needs to fix ASAP, I will find the money to get it done. Also, as an INTJ, in any situation, I lean heavily on my intuition. And all my gut was telling me was ‘You may or may not have to take a shit soon’.

So, I agreed. The pump attendant got his tools from his trunk and within 2-minutes, my tire was once again seamless. At that point, I didn’t care to ask for change, thus I ended up giving him $10 instead. Merry Christmas sir.

And before you knew it, I was off with the wind once more, jamming out to a Dance-Pop classic, “Call Your Girlfriend” by Robyn.

But before I returned to Goodman’s Bay for my midday jog, I had some business to take care of. Hence, I umi-zoomied to The Caves Shopping Plaza to relieve my bladder. At this point my stomach seemed to have calmed down. I entered the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

Now hovering over the toilet, I recreate a Mr. Kelly moment. While doing so, my stomach makes a light grumble.

Oh, this always happens. It’s just a fart, I told myself. Let her rip and we’ll be done here and onto our midday jog.

Listening to that particular voice in my head, I followed suit. Letting it rip like a Beyblade. However, the only thing that rested in peace was the pair of underwear I had on.

Time froze. I needed a moment to process. Instinctively, I reached for the toilet paper.

There was none.

At this point, I was laughing riotously while scrambling like Mr. Krabs in that Pretty Patty meme.

So I hiked up my underwear (midway), hiked up my joggers all the way, and like an obese tortoise, ambled my way back to Veronica and got the roll of paper towels I keep in her glove compartment, along with a grocery bag.

I went back into that bathroom and did what needed to be done. I emerged from the inside feeling a lot lighter, for several reasons. Astonished, but not dismayed by the trajectory of my day, I hustled back to Goodman’s Bay for my midday jog.

The sun still shone with promise, the old folks were still out by the numbers, and there was an extra sweet breeze today for whatever reason. Stretching before commencing the midday jog, I took a moment to reflect on this morning’s proceedings. Taking in deep breaths, I reflect, and let go as I exhaled.

It was time for take off. (Offset!) LOL, sorry I had to.

So there I was on my midday jog with Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica” blaring through my headphones, on full blast. No trepidation, no underwear, I was as free as the sky was blue. Taking in every vibration the music offered me, my dark cocoa skin glistening in the sweat, heat, and adrenaline of it all.

What a f***ing day!

Did you enjoy today’s short story?  Tweet me your thoughts and follow me @Introverted242  or leave me a comment below.

If you liked this post, share it with others and click the links below to connect with me on social media:

Instagram: @introverted_insight 

Facebook: Introverted-Insight

YouTube: Terran Brice

Also, check out the links below for my debut, poetry book “My So-Called Quarantine”:

Introverted-Shop: (Digital Ebook)

Amazon: (Digital Ebook & Physical Paperback)

Subscribe to the blog via email and receive exclusive content like sneak peeks of upcoming blog posts, book chapters, as well as my behind-the-scene thoughts on various content. Plus, you’ll never miss a new post! Until then…

Thank you so much for reading Insighters and I’ll see you next time on Introverted-Insight!

Can’t get enough of #StoryTimeMondays? Click here for more story-related content!