Night Life

Diagonally across the hallway, my housemate prepares her late-night meal in the kitchen, and the smell of fried garlic wafts into my room, tickling my imagination, and conjuring images of gastronomical delights in my mind.

In the adjacent room, my other housemate chats animatedly on her mobile with a friend, and I hear faint echos of laughter through the narrow walls between our rooms.

Pausing, I turn to look at my clock, which reads 11.27 pm, and remember a time not so long ago, when I used to go to bed before midnight. Now, with housemates who are both night-owls, there's usually a flurry of activity late into the night, and I find my bedtime shifting further and further back to accommodate the late-night conversations, laughs, and exploits. I don't think I'd have it any other way, though.

Another peal of bell-like laughter wakes me from the short reverie. I turn back to my computer, chatting on msn with a friend in Singapore, a contented little smile growing slowly on my face.