I asked her, "Don't you think you need a change, I mean a break from this relationship?"
"What do you mean?", she snarled. "Oh, you are double-dating....Look into my eyes and tell me you are not seeing someone else. After all we have been through together...." she ranted breathlessly and I regretted making that statement. This is it. Another episode of our arguments.
"I was wondering why I wasn't properly introduced as your fiance to that girl at the mall. You said you attended thesame university. Now, you are telling me we need a break. Is that my reward for staying with you at the hospital for a whole one week and I was going to have the toughest exams I ever had. I had to re-sit my human anatomy just because I slept off in the examination hall, Desmond."
I was about to say something when she clapped irritably and continued nagging. I folded my arms and sat defeated on my new leather sofa, so soft. I could call it home.
"You know I am the best student in my class, Desmond. Yet I had a re-sit. Okay, tell me, what have I done this time? You have been insensitive, did you even notice I had a stiff neck? No. I have been living like I have no one ever since we went to the mall together. Bless my soul, If I ever set my eyes on that husband snatcher, I will uproot her damn hair."
"Now, don't start cursing" I managed to say but she was racing with her words that I could never catch up. She swung her energetic arms around the throw pillow and squeezed gently. "You mean you want to leave me now after you got that big job and I exhausted myself trying to choose something nice for your apartment. Of course, Desmond, you are colour blind. If you doubt that, tell me if this is lilac or magenta.'
I was frustrated by now and wanted to sleep. Then, the real drama began. She started sobbing - hard.
"So this is all I get for staying faithful? Desmond, I am not ready to leave you now....."
For a moment, I thought of embracing her like in the past when she shed her crocodile tears and would have me chew my words but no, this time, I had to be a man. Not after I heard uncle Jude say its better to live in the corner of a roof than have a nagging wife. I had to be courageous. This break up would benefit the two of us. It doesn't matter how she sees it for now. I managed to sit up and clamped my fingers together. I looked at her, did I say look, her eyes were red by now, so I stole another look at her. She was still expecting me to come for her and embrace her but I was adamant. I remembered when we met, if I had had some change, I would have rushed her to the altar within two months but thank God I didn't. She's not the worst woman I know; only proud, bossy and a nag. Yes, that nagging part wearies my bones. Tricia is the most brilliant girl I know. This is no stunts. She has been on scholarship since she was seven and now she is rounding up medical school. I'm talking of major and minor scholarships. She is as intelligent also as she is brilliant. There is even a joke that if you don't understand something, just give it to Tricia, she will read it for one full day and teach you. No wonder she had so many admirers. Well, I am not the opposite of her. I guess I am just a compliment. I was the sport star in college; basket ball champion, good grades, nice physique, lady's guy. We went to thesame school but our paths never really crossed except that some of her friends were cheerleaders for my team. We met again after school at a friend's beach party and took to each other. I was just rounding up my degree in Mechanical engineering then and she was in medical school. Like I said earlier, if I had money, I would have married her right away because I was convinced (or thought I was) that she was my wife. She wasn't like the girls throwing themselves at me with mostly nothing upstairs. She was beautiful, witty, confident and everything I dreamed of in a wife (at first glance). It seemed as if she had never given any man a thought and I was only lucky to be the 'one'. We started dating and let me be sincere here, Tricia can do anything for anyone she loves. She can even skip classes to bring you breakfast or come all eighteen hours to see you on your birthday eventhough her parents must not know she left school to see a lanky corper up North.
Tricia is not the kind of girl you lie to, she's too smart and seems to know tricks guys play, maybe because she has six brothers. I once told her she should go into investigative medicine (forensic) when she caught me red-handed trying to dodge her. I really loved to be with such a wife for the rest of my days but lately, I thought about marriage and discovered that its a life-long thing, not that I didn't know that before but it suddenly dawned on me when I collected my appointment letter to start my dream job. Please, don't misunderstand. I am not an ingrate for wanting to break up with someone who has been there for me many times. The only problem I have with Tricia is her nagging lifestyle. She jumps from one topic to the other within a minute and talks so loudly and boldly. It won't take Tricia ten minutes to narrate to you all she has done for you in quick successions that you would wonder how she managed to remember other things.
I"m not trying to be callous, I'm only ironing out my future if ever I will get married. Even though I have had so many reservations to marry Tricia, I couldn't just leave like that. I was looking for the right time and here it is. Honestly, I don't know where to start from anymore. I'm sure I don't know how to toast a girl neither can I be patient anymore for this 'forming' common with beautiful girls but my heart says we have come to the end of the road.
Now, you may think its all because of the old friend we met at the mall. Never. How can I break off my relationship just because of Nadin? Nadin and I have always been distant and to top it all she told me she was going to send her wedding invitation soon. Even if Nadin was available, I have no eyes for her. I wish I could put the qualities I love in Tricia into a young. submissive and teachable girl and that will just be it.
"I said, what do we do now, Mr. Desmond, I'm not ready to leave you now..." she said pulling my sleeve and I was like, she's going to force me to beat her up someday if I marry her. "I have invested so much time and energy in this relationship. You are an ingrate. I knew it with the way you sized that girl up...."
I wanted to cut in that Nadin had absolutely nothing to do with it and that there was nothing so special in Nadin's body physique but I refrained not wanting to talk down the innocent lady who had been her alibi for the argument.
"You should have asked me why I'm breaking up with you, Tricia " I said weakly, my eyes caught hers. "I apologize for waiting this long but I assure you it took this long to reach this point and someday we will both realize its the thing to do.
She paused and looked down, then I continued.
"Its all about your character, Tricia. You nag, you are not submissive, you are too vocal. I tried coping but at this juncture, I can't put up with it anymore.....". I though it was thunder that made such deafening impact of my face. She slapped me. I held on to my face and managed to finish my statement.."....and you are abusive."
"Shut up. Just shut up."
"Its going to be painful for me, Tricia."
"I said stop." She picked her bag and took a lasting look at me. "Thanks for nothing Mr. Desmond." She dashed out of the house and out of my life.
I had suddenly become Mr. Desmond. Then, my thoughts took its toll on me. Where I stood glued for a minute, I felt like the greatest traitor that ever walked the earth. I had broken someone's heart. Someone many guys would love to be with but I just had to let go. I wanted to pick up my phone to call her. To apologize that I didn't mean to hurt her or waste her time. That I loved her until she nagged it all out but there was no use. Its going to be tough.
I slumped in the leather sofa that gave me comfort after being dealt with such a thunderous slap. I dozed off almost immediately.
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