Agreement with the Enemy - Infidelity (13.)

Time moved on. I just wasn't the obedient little girl anymore. I could stomp gently and sometimes even push things through. Next to our housing estate, they finished the second phase of construction. It added another restaurant to the estate. He quickly made new friends and acquaintances. From workers and lawyers to doctors and door-to-door salesmen. A seemingly disparate company, but full of wonderful people who got along and had a lot of fun.

Attendance was regularly and carefully monitored and recorded and tardiness was penalized. In the corner by the regulars' table were the taps, and on the wall hung a phone book with the contact details of all the members of this peculiar community, so that latecomers could be hurried up and subsequently be beaten out of a round.

We held events together. Christmas in July, we played football and some of them came with us on our rambles. There were a lot of fishermen among the local crew and a few ponds in the area. A man's paradise, you might say.

One of these quiet fools was a keen cook. He could turn fish into incredible, almost artistic creations. platters, fish in a hundred ways, grundle in different shades and flavors, rich, colorful, finely chopped vegetables... Amazing! I don't eat fish much, but this was really a feast for the eyes and the appetite.

I thought it was funny that someone who can conjure up so much goodness doesn't eat fish. My head wasn't buying it, but my mouth was eating until my ears were bulging, while the chef sat and watched us quietly with a smile.

He started to go on his own. At first only when we were sick, then for all sorts of other reasons, and then all of a sudden he became a mountain climber. On one hike, he met some people with ropes and carabiners, and that was it. When he went to the crag, I stayed home. It didn't bother me too much. But then I came across some photos while I was cleaning up.

He was happily sprawled out in a chair on some kind of a terrace of the family house, with a beer in his hand, next to him a woman hanging laundry, another one cooking in the kitchen, posing in the hallway... I quickly realized what was going on. My intuition is quite well developed, but it still hurts. I felt like I was looking at myself. Exactly the same type. And the resemblance...!

I was stunned. Do you get it?! A kiss full of love, talk like Palacky, and then this. Maybe it wouldn't have affected me so much if he hadn't had the words of undying love on his tongue a thousand times a day. He was annoying with it.

We sat down to discuss the situation. I hate getting into all sorts of unnecessary things. Everything was clear as day. It came out that they already had a future together. He even had a job lined up!

I spoke matter-of-factly, without unnecessary emotion. We discussed the facts, I even asked him to be nice to her.

My nightmare could have ended with a wonderful happy ending. I'd have my apartment, I'd be single again. Everything could have been sunshine...

It could have, but it didn't. That's what happens when you can't see into the future and you believe the bullshit about how everything will be different, how he'll make it all up to me, carry me in his arms, and so on...

If I'd just farted out on some of the dismantling, he could have moved out in peace. But no. I just had to deal with it and beg him to stay with me, and how I love-hate him. And he said he loved me so much. And the whole thing went back to normal.

I mean, he's been waiting for this! He suggested that he was gonna end the relationship, that he wasn't gonna go anywhere anymore. And love, that undying love, flared up again with a flame that almost killed me years later.

Frcella Mixela. Which was vodka and juice. A madcap chatterbox that became a hit for a time. It was this holographically sweet bubbly drink that was wonderful to drink, followed by a great duck feed. At least I did.

I poured almost a whole liter of it in the sheer joy of our relationship being saved. I'm not used to drinking. Pretty soon, I ended up with my head in a bowl. As I was in there suffering in silence, someone rang the bell. From the conversation, I understood that it was two girls who belonged to a group of climbers. I couldn't play the role of the lady of the house for obvious reasons. I didn't even think of trying. I just tried unsuccessfully to breathe in the amount of alcohol I had consumed. My feet wouldn't listen to me, which was probably a good thing. After an hour, they left.

And so I blinked away the rare visitor. It happens.

11. I'm sorry. I should have given you your freedom at that time. I didn't try to stop you. I'm sure we'd both be better off. I just needed more life lessons. Find out why I'm here. What this is all about. Meaning. Why do we resort to complicated solutions when things can be done simply and painlessly? Just to understand. To do the proverbial "Click". Today, I know.