"She envied you but deeply admired you. Every statement I made about you gave her the picture of the woman she had always wanted to be. I couldn't help but bring your name up mindlessly in her face. Everytime,"I lowered my gaze as I realized how deep I had gone with this talk about my ex. Perhaps that's how much the woman across the table meant to me.
The evening had been a beautiful one afterall. Imperfect situations always turn out to be the most perfect moments. We had trodded from our business meeting venue. Now in the heart of the city, in a rear basement restaurant. Barely populated, we could almost hear each other's blinks. She maintained a comfortable body language, like always. The short phrase had sunk deep into her and she obviously looked flattered . We both knew it but barely could do a thing about it. Nostalgic moments like this had filled up most of our conversations. Even over the shortest voice calls.
" Ngooluddeyo boss wange," I said to the waiter as I escaped her piercing eyes between the long silent gaze. I'm still learning how to navigate emotions. Its a whole other job altogether I guess. Especially around her. The man had now brought the meal after a very long wait. We facially asked each other who of us should tell him how long he had delayed. I finally broke the ice. She is a queen, I cant help seeing anyone treat her otherwise, even when she is wrong. Love must be so blind.
"Spirit is a wierd name you know...."
"Is it?" She responded defensively."I mean all of us are all kind of spiritually connected."
"Who exactly?"
"All of us, like, all living things."she said with a brief guilty laugh.
"That makes sense." I gave in. The fact that she named her pet cat "spirit" just didn't sit right in my head but the fact that she is the one who named her was even cuter. Love must indeed be blind.
My phone was now dead. The loner me would be running between shops just to get some power. She had already substituted this gadget friend of mine. What else could she replace? Did I even care? The mere fact that she was right there, by my side, holding me tight as we crossed the streets, Or when she saw the stray dogs that fished out the fear in her firm personality, Or when she pulled my hand away from the stranger man who turned out to be just a beggar. All of that brought to me unmatched sensations. I was outwardly firm, but deep inside, my heart was blushing. We were two hours into my phone's death. And I still didnt care.
It was now our third restaurant, perhaps our last. We weren't really there for any meals. My phone had to get his life back as we needed some cash. As she gently sipped on the juice I'd bought her, she asked mindlessly, "Are you not having a juice?"
"I have been craving for tea, remember? They don't have it here but I will surely have a cup later. Lets first get you home." Her eyes accused me of dishonesty.
"Ok," she finally gave in uncomfortablly.
Out of nowhere, a second straw was in her very cup of juice, making two now. Its tip directly in my face.
"What's this supposed to mean?" I shockingly asked wondering how and why she put it there.
"That, exactly."
At this point, I nolonger believed I was the most empathetic person I knew.
"Ok, I didn't see this coming buttt,... I take it." I concluded as I gladly welcomed the treat with a bit of hesitation. The juice wasn't the treat though. Having it with her was. Got me thinking of Paris on the spot.
But damn me is still wondering, "Is it us? The ideal happily ever after?" Romeo and Juliet were just dumb. But we're probably way dummer not to see the gem in these moments. See how blind love can be?
Oh Good Lord.
April,2024 Kampala
Jabbar Yunus.
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