And God sends a cockroach

It's a flaw I have. No matter how much I plan to, I cannot to do something, until the time comes when I totally have to do it. I'll put it away till the very last minute.

It's not a flaw of today. It's been there ever since I can remember.

In the beggining of November, my (then) girl had told me to start packing slowly. Even I wanted to, so that for once I know I am packing right, and by the time the time comes when I have to leave, I'm all set without putting too much pressure on myself.

I hate packing. It's the toughest thing to do in my life. I just don't know what to put where, what to put first, how to fold, how the fact that when I came everything fitted in so comfortably, and now that I am taking back exactly what I had brought and nothing more, nothing fits.

Point being: I cannot pack. I'm a dud at that. And for a self-confessed traveler, that's quite a shame.

I guess it's easier when you're just a hippie. You don't give a damn as to how you look, what you wear, and how dirty are the clothes that you wear. It's easy. You know you can pack just about anything that hides your private parts, smoke some stuff and wander around like an idiot. Apologies to all those weird wanderers, I have tremendous amount of respect for all of you. I think I envy you guys.

I am more of a stylish traveler. Sure, I travel in the cheapest, stay in the cheapest and very

often mouth the line: "Peace sans luxury, I'm a hippie... eeehhhaaaa."

But I don't wear dirty clothes, I like wearing nice clothes, clothes for all occassions, different for different times... if possible, different everyday.

Yeah, I know. That's weird for a traveler. But hell, that's the way I am.

Man... why do I always drift away from the point?!

So I had to pack. It wasn't tough this time, because I know, I don't have to pack selected things, I just gotta pack everything I own (I'm shifting houses when I come back and I realised, I had brought in more clothes than I have actually used in the last six months).

So how tough could packing all your stuff in one huge suitcase, a 3-foot long backpack, a handbag, and another small shoulder bag be?

Well for me, as you'll understand at the end of the post, very. Point being: I don't know how to fold. I do try, but man, it never works.

You gotta hear my mum scream when she opens the suitcase after I get back home. Man, the ironing man's gonna be over-loaded that day.

Anyway, I was trying to put it off day in and day out - the packing. Everyday I'd see my washed clothes down on the floor in a bundle waiting to get inside the suitcase, and everyday I'd say, "Ok, a few more days to go. How long will the packing take man? I just gotta stuff everything in anyway."

The same was last night, even though in the morning I had promised myself that I'd at least close the suitcase today.

But this time I think God said, "Son shut the fuck up, and please pick up your clothes from the floor and stop living like a rag."

I was on my bed, in all my glory, smoking a cigarette, watching TV. And suddenly I feel this thing crawling on the side of my stomach. It took me a second to realise it wasn't the sheet. I jerked up, screamed at somein dark moving really fast to and fro on my bed. I swung my hands dramatically to take it off. After about three swings I flung it off the bed and right into my half-filled open suitcase.

I jumped off the bed, right on to my suitcase. Started throwing all my clothes out. Found it, flicked it out of the suitcase. On to the floor. I picked up a shoe and Bang. Man! What a battle!
I remember breathing after I killed it.

It's a flaw I have. I'm shit scared of cockroaches and lizards. It's not a flaw of today. It's been there ever since I can remember.

I went and sat back on my bed, my heart pumping real hard. I looked at my clothes. "No man Rohit. Pack it up man... Pack it up. Finish it off."

And boy, it took me just about 10 minutes, to close all my three bags, one after the other. Room: Clean.

Smile.

I lay down again in relief. Slept.

Woke up in the morning, and realised, I was naked... and I had packed EVERYTHING!

Grrrrrrr.

The worst part, I didn't remember in which bag I packed my underwear and socks. I found them eventually, after opening up and emptying my backpack, and my adidas handbag (deep inside my jocks lay).

So some packing is still left.

I'm tired.