Saturday, January 26, 2013

TREADMILL FAIL

In that moment when you are falling, just before you hit the ground, when you are thinking "Oh No! Please God, this cannot be happening to me."

Those were my exact thoughts as I struggled to regain my balance, my feet flip flapping helplessly as if they had developed a life of their own. My brain tried to pass the message "get a grip!" to my feet but I my nervous system was no longer responding. I tried to hold on to the side bars, to grab unto something, but it was no use. It was like watching a movie in slow motion. I felt rather than heard the crunching of bone as my lower jaw hit the the floor of the treadmill, bounced up and hit the treadmill again and again. Oblivious to my pain the machine kept rolling as my head kept bobbing up and down with every movement of the treadmill. I could taste the blood in my mouth, my teeth must have torn something on impact. I felt cool breeze from the air conditioner on my back, my top was rolled up most likely from sliding down the treadmill as I fell. I must have made a noise as it was then I realised that the entire gym had gone silent. 

Earlier that day

It was a bright morning in Nairobi. The birds were chirping, I didn't have to rush off to work because I arrived a day before the commencement of my meeting to enable me get settled and familiarize. Since I did not know anyone and the internet connection was too slow to do any real research work I decided to explore the hotel facilities. I only had to catch a glimpse of the equipment available in the gym to decide that I wanted to begin exercising after a 2 year hiatus. I quickly went to the sports shop at the lobby of the hotel to purchase a pair of trainers which I wore with shorts and a tank top. 

Aye's Apartment, Hull, UK, Fall 2012
I started my exercise by joining an African aerobics class where I lasted only 25 minutes before I realised that my bones were too stiff to be jumping around pretending like I was a starlet in Dancing with the Stars. It was then I decided to try the treadmill, not that it was my first time but as I climbed on, setting the time, incline and speed I decided that I needed a good run. So I increased the speed, put on my ipod and begun my run. Unbeknownst to me the speed key was faulty and as I pushed for level 5 speed it was running up to 7.5, 8... a regular gym goer would have known to hit the stop button but all sensible thoughts flew from my head as I felt myself falling off, my feet doing 440 reminiscent of Bobo Ajasco in Wale Adenuga's Ikebe Super Magazines of the 90s. It was the fall of the century.

Present

I willed the ground to open and swallow me but it was unyielding.I tried to pray that I would wake up and realise it was a dream but nay, it was not going to be that easy. I tried to quickly stand up and pretend nothing was wrong s I usually do when I stumble, but fate was not done with me yet. Somehow I was positioned at a grotesque angle, my head rested on the treadmill, my right hand was somehow tucked between my breast and the ground, while the left was holding the side of the treadmill. My legs were splayed apart, one facing east and one facing west twisted as if in flight. I wished I had not decided I needed exercise that morning.

"Idowu are you okay?" a rich baritone voice said in Nigerian accent. That was when I craned my neck and saw him.

To be continued.. 

19 comments:

  1. Another to be continued story?!*wailing* not fair nahhh

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  2. Bee... this is just a tip off the iceberg to keep you coming to the candy shop. You won't be disappointed.

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  3. rodfl.. U need to b finishing ur stories, the suspense seems like u're getting back at me right now for laughing at you.. Its been interesting..keep it up.

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  4. hahaha.. yes Mike I'm trying to keep u coming.. its like getting to the interesting part of a novel when your mom calls you "mike? come and wash the dishes" hahahah

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  5. You remind me of the story teller from Hallmark's arabian nights. She told stories to the king, never quite finishing them, to do so would have spelt her doom. You flipped the script, now for us to stay alive we have to come back. He was right, your stories are riveting

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  6. Thanks Ikechukwu.. I'm honoured.. Keep supporting, kepp following for more riverting non-fiction stories..

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  7. OMG! I hope the "rich baritone voice" is not from someone you've been dissing? Another nice piece Hydee. Your blog reminds me of one of my grandma adage, she said "if you taste shrimp soup, you will definitely ask for more".#AMSTUCK.

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  8. Thank God you're stuck.. Scroll up for Sunday Special.

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  9. iDOWUUUUUUUU! I think it's about time you sit your butt down and give us the concluding part of this story, and STOP MESSING with our (MY) patience... jeeeeez! lol #MuchLuv

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  10. lol, You're so hilarious girlfriend. I was so enjoying the story till I read "To be Continued". Nice Blog hun.

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  11. lol, You're so hilarious girlfriend. I was so enjoying the story till I read "To be Continued". Nice Blog hun.

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