I can't get no sleep

Sleep evades me like an errant child. And not one that goes quietly either. She would slam the door behind her, stamp her feet and shout; "I never want to see you again!" and run off at 4 and 5 in the morning. I would be left with the sound of a small congregation singing "Ha....lle....uayah...." in the church just across the way, and a preacher preaching through a microphone as though it were indeed mid afternoon and his congregation was a crowd of one hundred and not a sprinkle of fifteen..
Sleep would tease me all afternoon. Hit me hard and then skip off.  "You can't catch me, you can't catch me!" Or stand at the foot of my bed at 7am whilst the carpenter banged yet another nail into a downstairs wall.

I spent weeks trying to catch this child. On some days I forgot I needed her until late. Those proved to be better days. There were the nights when I got all dressed up and went and danced with her anyway, watching her with squinted eyes.Or went walking or driving around, only to be shouted at from the church microphone just a few hours after I put my head down. Ear plugs, tissue and cotton wool all failing to keep her noise at bay. She was wicked. Wicked.

All I wanted was to hold her- for at least eight hours. Rub her back like I used to and say- "It's OK, you can stay. I really really love and need you". But here- she didn't care at all. Tongue sticking out and hair sticking up- "Nah na na na na. Come get me then!". I got to dragging the hem of her skirt on a few occasions. Forced her down on several others- but in Ghana, she never loved me, not really. My inner child ended up writing a few lines of stern complaint. You can read them under my eyes.