It was my third day of fasting. The discomfort in my body due to the condition of my cervical spine was preventing me from doing many things, you have no idea how disabling it can be, how painful, annoying and desperate. I tried many things to heal my body, traumatologist, physiatrist, homeopath, yoga, therapies, ozone injection and nothing, the constant pressure, the feeling that my skeleton was totally amorphous is hard to explain.
Still, there are better days when the discomfort can be overlooked. I had to do something to free my body from this torture, so I decided to try fasting for 3 days, I read that it is miraculous as it achieves a total connection with the Divine.
I decided to do it on the beach, I paid a modest inn and went during the week to avoid the crowds of people that attend on weekends. This posada had an old gas stove and allowed its guests to use it, I took everything I needed so as not to stop working, since I sell coffee on the street.
It was quite a challenge, seeing people on the beach eating fried fish, squid empanadas and other delicacies and I decided not to eat for 3 days, only water, tea and infusions, without any sweetener and the best thing coffee, a good friend told me that it does not break the fast, so it was not all that difficult after all, with coffee as a refuge, I repeated that to cheer myself up.
The first day was easier than I thought and the coffee sales were good. The second day I was starting to see little stars and my stomach was rumbling. At least I had the coffee with me, its aroma helped me keep going.
The third day I felt like I was hallucinating, I no longer had the strength to continue with my plan, I wanted to take the money from the coffee sale and buy myself a beach dish or, even more, I wanted to tear it out of someone's hands and eat with desperation, but there were moments of lucidity and suddenly I remembered why I was doing that, I imagined myself free of that infernal discomfort, I smiled reluctantly and my impulse to eat was controlled for a few minutes until the internal struggle returned and the cycle repeated itself.
That day I didn't want to work, I sat on a rock to contemplate the horizon.
Suddenly I heard a strange voice, like from a cartoon, I was not surprised to discover that a beautiful white dog was talking to me, I felt delirious. I had read that fasting clears the mind, but at that point I could not distinguish between the real and the surreal.
"Give me a cup of coffee, pretty brunette."
"You don't have to flatter me, I can give you a coffee without you having to".
"It's not flattery, I like to be flirtatious with women so they can caress my head and ears."
"Right now I don't have the strength to caress anyone."
"I know, it's your third day without food, I know very well how it feels. My mistress died 20 days ago and her husband never loved me very much, he kept me in his house for her, but since she is no longer around, he left me abandoned to my fate"
"I'm so sorry, it must be very hard."
"Yes it is, now I am without my mistress and without a home. I don't know how to be on the street, I don't know how to fight, I don't know where to look for food. Some people have given me some scraps, some people have kicked me and the bigger dogs with street experience sure know how to scare me."
"I don't know what to tell you we all have problems"
"I know, but you have chosen to go on a fast and I am on a forced fast. Invite me to eat something"
"Today I can only give you coffee, I don't want temptations. If you want to meet me tomorrow at this same place and have breakfast together, I am also eager to eat."
"I ordered the coffee a long time ago and I'm still waiting for it."
I then served the coffee to that chattering little dog and he immediately spit it out. He complained to me that there was no sugar in it.
"How ungrateful, sugar is bad for dogs."
"It's also bad for humans and they eat it like it's nothing."
"It's okay buddy, I don't force to argue with anyone."
I took an envelope of sugar, I poured it into the coffee, I stirred it and the little dog drank it as if he was in paradise, we were a moment in silence contemplating the sunset. I said goodbye and we agreed to see each other the next day.
During the night I planned to make a deal with him and stay one more week enjoying the beach and selling coffee as long as he accompanied me, as cute and charismatic as he is that would help me sell all the coffee in an instant, in exchange I would help him find a home.
During the next 4 days he accompanied me around the beach selling coffee and I was asking if anyone wanted to adopt him, I didn't manage to hear him anymore although with his eyes he told me a lot.
Many people showed affection, but no one offered to keep him, until a young girl who had two other dogs couldn't resist.
It has been a few months since then, I have felt better from the discomfort in my body, but there are still some after-effects, I am thinking of doing a new fast to see if I finish healing and maybe I can talk to a cat or a bird.
This was my entry for #STB Creative Writing Prompt (Week 39).