I thought I would break midday. I thought that I would catch a glimpse of a pizza or some tomatoes and just give in. Yet, fasting isn’t nearly as hard as I expected.
Yes there are some low points during the day. Times like when you think ‘I would have been eating lunch now.’ Sometimes I get random cravings, which I know can’t be relieved of. However, these mouthwatering thoughts pass and you forget. You no longer become aware of your empty stomach while your mind fills with new thoughts.
On the third night, my school had a community dinner. Tessa made South African Boboti. After everyone had eaten, I brought my food up to my room and waited until 8:58. The bowl of food sitting on my desk and Lisa said, “It’s calling to you.” I replied by saying. “It’s been there for a while now.” I could have been implying the food, but also the feeling of hunger, which I learned to ignore. The last two minutes were the hardest. I decided to write this while I watched the clock get closer and closer to sunset. The smell surrounded me, but I learned to ignore it. Finally, the time came, but I didn’t rush to eat my food, which I had been waiting to engulf all day long. Instead I finished writing this sentence and then began to eat, slowly as not to stuff myself too quickly.
My food may have been cold by the time I actually started eating, but it still gave me a warm feeling in my stomach. A feeling of accomplishment.
I accidentally broke fast 37 minutes early on the fourth day. I was so thirst and as soon as the waiter put the cold water on the table, I immediately picked it up, poured it into my glass, and without thinking, lifted it to my lips and took a sip.
