Soothing Idleness

It had been a long, hard day. I walked through the front entry and dragged myself to the couch. I flopped down and took a deep sigh. Lying down felt so good. The day had consisted of finishing two finals, squeezing in two last minute rehearsals, and baby-sitting the overly hyper kid next door. Not to mention it was only five o'clock. At least I had the rest of the night off.

What could I do to relieve the stress and forget about the exams for the next day? I pushed myself from the comfortable cushions and trudged to the freezer. I opened it and felt the icy air tingle my skin; no ice cream. Well, there had to be cookies or brownies somewhere. I could almost smell the tempting aroma. I closed the door and searched the kitchen. There were none in the cupboards or the jarx or the fridge. I looked in the pantry and finally found a small box of Betty Crocker brownie mix. Not like Mom's, but it'd have to do.

I quickly blended the mix, then poured it in the cheap container provided. I put it in the oven, turned on the timer, and sat on the floor. I eagerly watched as the mixture slowly rose and a lucious smell drifted throughout the kitchen. Finally, after a lingering fifteen minutes, the brownies had finished. I reached in to pull out the precious treasure. The scent alone made me feel more uplifted.

Giving them time to cool, I walked into the bathroom to fill the tub with hot water. I reached in the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of orange blossom scented bath bubbles. I poured in a couple of capfuls and gently stirred the water with my hand to get as many bubbles as were possible. I walked back to the kitchen and brought the plate of brownies, along with a small stereo, aromatherapy candles, and my Alicia Keys CD. On the toilet next to the bathtub, I placed the CD player and put the CD in. I turned it up loud enough so that I could block out the world. I set the four candles around the tub and lit them. New fragrances filled the air, just enough to comfort me.

I eased into the tub, careful not to splash the candles. I reached for the plate of brownies and took a bite. They were more succulent than I had hoped, and savored the rich chocolate with every bite. The music heightened the relaxing mood. I took a deep breath. After today, this soothing idleness was worth it.