The Hexacoto

(This is post is backdated, written on 23rd July, 2016)

“Hi, here’s the article attached in this email as per our deadline. Let me know if you have any questions about the article.” 6.10pm

—

On the day that Josh died, after he had been carted to the medical examiner’s office, I went into the office.

“If it’s OK, I would like to gather my interview notes and work from home for the next few days. My article is more or less done and I should be able to deliver it on Friday, our original deadline,” I told my editor.

“Are you sure? Do you need more time? It’s OK if you want to extend your deadline,” my editor said.

“I’m OK, it should be fine. I’ll be able to deliver it on time; I’d just like to be able to work from home. I don’t want to hold up production,” I replied.

“If you say so. If you need more time, just let me know,” she said.

“I will. If there’s any inkling that I won’t be able to deliver my article on time I’ll be sure to let you know,” I said.

—

It was 11am or so on Thursday, and I received an email from my editor. “Just checking, how’s the article coming along?”

“The article’s coming along well. In fact, I should be able to turn it in today by late afternoon or in the evening,” I replied.

I don’t know why I promised to turn in my article one day early, when I was only about a third of the way through writing it. I don’t know what I was trying to achieve.

Fellow journalist friend Aaron invited me to hang out to do work with him. I guess it’s good to get out of the house and actually get work done. The night before I had stayed up from 1am to 4am working on the article and only managed to get my data and graphs done.

“Do you know how you’re going to handle the market report you have due as well,” asked my editor later in the day.

“Well I’m about done with the article, will be submitting it soon, stay tuned! Once I’m done with the article, I’ll start working on the market report. That’s not due until next Tuesday right? Well I’m coming into the office tomorrow, on Friday so I’ll work on the market report then. You know how these go, it doesn’t take me much to turn those out. I could probably turn it in on Monday,” I said.

Why am I promising my editor to turn in my market report one day before deadline again? I don’t know what I was trying to achieve.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah it’ll be fine.”

“OK see you tomorrow then.”

“See you tomorrow.”

My iced coffee turned warm, Aaron had finished his writing and left for his event. Shit, it was 5pm already, I’m maybe only about 75 percent done with my article. Late afternoon had passed. All that’s left is evening.

I had finished writing at 6pm. Glanced through it for quick edits, attached the file, compose.

I don’t know what I had achieved.

<– DAY 1

DAY 3 –>