Loving blues

There was no one in Nina’s life that had not been sacrificed to serve her career. No one, until now. Someone was here who could not be cast aside.

So, If she had held her head high as an executive woman in a media corporation, having only peers but no superiors, it was solely on account of her ambition, which she was careful to brag about, albeit tactfully.

Of course, a life of corporate affairs alone can be dull. So, she allowed herself some social diversions. Yet, ultimately, even the most poetic fling had to be offered up at the altar of career ambitions.

But now, forced to slow down, she thought more lucidly about what had been really her first love. And so the ghosts of foregone romances began coming around, and one in particular – Raphael.

Barely a week ago, she had seen him in a mall, pushing a shopping cart alongside an elegant, young woman.

And when he looked her way and she waved curtly, it was apparent he had not seen her. She felt a tinge of jealousy, but mostly nostalgia, of what it had been like to be his only three months earlier. She later casually called him up, just to give his heart a little jolt: He was friendly enough, but did not seem as eager to get reacquainted as she had anticipated. He was one of the really good ones. He had pursued her more ardently than anyone before and even after she broke it off, he did not relent for months, until he stopped trying one day.

And these pangs of longing she expected to wither in the passion of her profession as others had only grew into anguish. Now, this new life growing in her made it evident that he had become a more important part of her life than she had intended. So, she decided that perhaps it was nothing more than an emotional attachment to the father of her baby; it had to have a scientific, biological, explanation. And yet no second thoughts had entered her mind about whether to keep the baby, his baby.

A month later, she called him again. His response was as cool as before, and he promised to return her call, though it later occurred to Nina that she had induced that promise. But he never called.

‘You gotta quit crashing at my place like this,’ I said. ‘You’re messing my social life.’ Nina was wielding my remote control and making me watch a Mexican Soap with her on my flat-screen in my own house.

‘Don’t you mean I ruin your one-night stands, dear cousin?’ she jested. I turned away, smiling. She folded her legs on the couch and snuggled closer to me. I snatched the remote and started flipping channels.

‘Why do you get yourself a place in a fancy neighbourhood and pay a year’s rent in advance if you never actually live there?’ I asked.

‘I can’t help being afraid of the dark. It’s a big house’ There are certain fears girls never grow out of,’ she said.

‘Quite Or maybe the loneliness gets to you. Yeah, that’s a ghost that will not be exorcised with any indulgence,’ l snorted.

Her fat, heavy cellphone buzzed on the coffee table and jarred my nerves. She pounced on it. Just her PA, she said with weariness. I had a good laugh.

Nina tossed her phone away and sat back on the couch, sighing. ‘I miss him! Does he ever ask about me?’

‘Does who?’ I asked absently. She did not answer and I turned, only to meet her frown. I groaned in despair. ’Raphael? Oh boy! Not another interrogation! I’ve answered that a hundred times already, Nina Show a little compassion.’

‘Davie, please?’

I sighed and physically willed myself out of my apathy. ‘Okay. Um you know what quiet guys are like. They keep even the most common thoughts vaulted up.’

’Doesn’t he even ask if I ask about him?’

I shook my head.

‘Is he seeing someone?’

’I don’t know Maybe ’

‘Oh. You ever tried to sort of slip me into the conversation?’

I shook my head. ’Mh-mh.’

‘How come?’

I groaned. ’Because he liked you, he loved you! Here I was, thinking you two would hit it off when I Introduced you, and for a while. I was feeling good about my good deed. Then, five months later, you decide that it’s an inconvenient affair and turn your back on him like he never existed. Even when you knew you were having a child with him

’He’s my buddy, Nina, and when you’ve done something that causes suffering to a friend, you learn to keep your hands off his business.’

My chest was heaving I was very upset and Nina remained quiet. I guess it had never occurred to her how severely her break up with Raphael had sat in me. In a way, I considered it my personal failure.

’I’ve changed. Really,’ she said

‘Know what else is funny? That I had feared he’d end up hurting you. Leave him alone, Nina ‘he’s not even your type He’s an apologetic, spineless IT geek who has no real ambition in life — and he’ll really bore you. He bores me sometimes. You have the interest of several other men far superior to Raphael in looks and charm! Give them a chance.’ I snorted.

‘That’s probably a good idea, and yet one not so easily done. There are a million, million men, but only one Raphael.’ She rubbed her eyes and feigned a cough to cover a sob. ’Guess I’ll say goodnight now ‘ She got up.

‘Fine. I’m fine.’ She smiled bleakly at me and walked out of the room. Day after day, she cuddled the hope that maybe he’d still call. She was in a delicate condition. She had, astoundingly, lost interest in her work; sometimes spending the whole day only visiting friends, malls and coffee houses. I knew nothing about pregnant women except that this one needed to stay with me.

But the situation was getting worse by degrees; I was once again inextricably entangled with the two people I most cared for. And as If that was not complicated enough, now there was a little third person also demanding consideration.

I surfed through the channels mindlessly, then cursed and hurled the remote. Then as I started to get off the couch, an idea formed in my mind.

The following afternoon, I called her from work.

’Don’t worry; I’ll stay at my place tonight or a hotel, maybe,’ she said quickly

’Oddly enough, I am actually inviting you for an extended stay. I don’t have the heart to throw you out when you are on one of your blue rolls.’ I said.

’No, you’re letting me stay so you can keep me under close observation. You’re afraid I’ll put a rope around my neck!’

We both laughed.

’I’m more afraid you’ll starve And what kind of pregnant woman doesn’t crave food, chocolate and ice-cream anyway?’ I ask.

The kind that falls in love six months too late.’

A brief silence passed.

Ah, well’ I said. ’You’ll have to come by to pick the keys from the office. Looks like we are having another all-nighter. Oh, and beep me before you get into the elevator so that I meet you at the reception ’

TO BE CONTINUED IN NEXT EDITION…

END:PG46/46-47