Page 68 - November 2020

November 2020 68
Litterateur

Strategies of Sleeping

Ben Nardolilli

Ben Nardolilli currently lives in New York City.
His work has appeared in Red Fez, One Ghana
One Voice, Caper Literary Journal, Quail Bell
Magazine, Elimae, fwriction, Grey Sparrow
Journal, and THEMA. His chapbook Common
Symptoms of an Enduring Chill Explained, has
been published by Folded Word Press. He blogs
at mirrorsponge.blogspot.com and is looking to
publish a novel.

When Jim came back to his hotel room, his head and feet were aching. It was
entirely localized at both ends of his body, as if they were magnetic poles for
pain. There was also a pin in his eyes. As soon as he was able to undo his shoes
and lay down on his bed, at least his feet stopped hurting. The swelling
remained, but the coolness of his bedsheets helped provide a little comfort. The
crisp pillowcases could not do the same for his head. The pain there would not
go away. Technically it was a head ache, or an ache in his head. It was different
from ones Jim experienced before, deeper this time, and it hurt to think. Jim was
a bit puzzled by this. He regarded mind and body as separate entities, who never
managed to meet.

Jim closed his lids and took a series of deep breaths. At least he could try to
relieve his eyes from their morning over-exertion. He had gone to an art museum
and the modern wing made them hurt, as if the artists were trying to kick him

there. The strain was so great he decided he had better go back to the hotel and
take a nap. Otherwise he would be too tired while going out with friends in the
evening. At first, there was relief.The pain in his eyes went away and Jim just had
to deal with the hurt buried somewhere in the back of his head. Instead of
helping, the darkness and the deep breaths only made his headache seem worse,
as if his mind was speeding up to compensate for the end of the visual feed
coming through his optic nerve.