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“Great, of course it’s pouring down now,” he grumbled, heaving the shopping bags back onto his shoulder with gritted teeth.

Darius left work early today to make it into town before shops closed to pick up the gift for his best friend Sami. So far, so good, until he decided to go the extra mile and make a detour to the supermarket. He felt clever and applauded himself, knowing that the day after the party, Future Darius would without a doubt appreciate a stocked fridge. But until then, he was dragging himself through the streets with a wet sweater and dripping bags, cursing every time someone bumped into him or when he tripped over the curb.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached his building and fumbled for the key. He climbed the stairs slowly, and took a short break on the first floor. Arriving on the second floor, he unlocked the front door and unloaded all the bags on the bench next to the entrance.

At times like these, Darius was grateful for living alone. He had actually gotten used to living in a shared flat, as Sami was a pleasant flatmate. However, Sami took things to the next level and moved in with his long-time girlfriend. Darius stuck to his job, which allowed him to afford the place on his own, and was as happy as a child whose parents were out for the evening. He quickly put away all the groceries and left the gift in the hallway so that he wouldn’t forget it on Friday.

While the water in the pot was heating up for the pasta, he looked out of the window. He had a surprisingly nice view, even though his apartment wasn’t very high up.

In front of the building, a large area had been cleared for a new city park and some older buildings had been demolished for it. For months, he woke up to the noise every morning and started the day cursing, as the construction site didn’t move forward for a while. He watched the progress, or rather the stagnation, from his window and wondered where all the noise was coming from, when no new holes had been dug and no rubble removed for several days. How was that possible? Were they just trying to annoy him?

However, he had to admit that the end result was not too shabby. He now enjoyed walking in the park and going for a nighttime stroll. The construction phase had turned him into an early riser, and after a lot of bad moods and grumpy days, he got used to it and gained some extra hours. Although there was little sleep left, as he has always been a night owl, he still enjoyed having more of the day.

Darius had a routine and no drama in his life. Sure, there was a part missing that he hoped would eventually return someday, but he had found a type of peace and wasn’t in a hurry. Maybe he contributed to the bad image of his generation, which seemed self-centered and wanted to live in the moment, but he also had no interest in headaches and other side effects of certain human relations. He was doing well.

Why waste time in the dream world?