PART TWO:
Then realizing I might think, that the question was directed at me. Offered an explanation; “I am sorry, I was just repeating the conversation we just had….Your friend and I, is what I mean” He offered, somewhat apologetically. I nodded in understanding, then remembering that he could not see my actions. I proceeded instead to release, a sound of encouragement. Which came out, sounding like a groan. The reason for the latter, being that ‘throw pillow’ #1 was now bursting at the seams. “I made it quite clear, that I would not be going with her. I did, about A MONTH AGO, I did!” "Of course", I interjected howbeit distractedly.
“Do try to calm down now…” At this point in the heated evening and inside my presently ram-shackled apartment, I was not sure to which one of the two the advice applied the most. When it finally appeared, that the person on the line had settled down. I ventured to bravely, yet regrettably suggest; “Would you like, to tell her again? A kind and gentle reminder, so to say. Maybe the other time(s), she thought you were joking and perhaps still had some time to change your mind.” “I believe a friendly prompt would be nice.”
After my lengthy ‘peace forum’ speech, I waited for some response. When none was forthcoming, I still went ahead with my tranquility execution plan. “Here you go A, D has something he wants to tell you.” I supplied, stretching the phone towards her. That final call to a quite resolution, must have saved ‘throw pillow’ #3. As A quickly dropped it on a waiting and rugged floor and ran to grab the phone from my hand.
Meanwhile, I scanned my living room wearily. Mentally making a note of how many vacuum runs, it would take to get rid of the strewn ‘cotton stuffers’. And the ones still floating aimlessly, when they finally joined their siblings on the rug. All necessary fixings, would have to wait till Saturday I concluded. Just minutes before I heard, the startling outburst and nerve jerking screams. An alarming wave, that rudely broke into my thoughts. A was yelling into the phone receiver. “You stupid liar…”
Looking around the large auditorium, almost made me dizzy. We were headed towards the ushers, who were in charge of the guest lists and assigned table numbers. People were filling in and milling around, some in familiar clusters. “Name please,” asked the first usher grimly. Meanwhile, he had looked down at the pages in his hands and was browsing intently. We had not said anything yet. So I wondered, if the list he was already searching. Had bunched guests, in order of the color of their clothing.
Finally, he raised his head inquiringly. Lifting his brows, in what appeared to be a bout of impatience. “Certainly,” reacted A as she gave him her name. “Here you go,” announced the usher flatly. Simultaneously handing my friend a small folded card, with a number on it. And two more loose cards. “Please keep these next to your plates, when seated.” He instructed and then quickly looked over our heads, to the people waiting behind us. I figured that was our cue of dismissal, as I gently nudged A away.
“I don’t think I like….” “Never mind it,” I interjected. Knowing, where the statement was headed. We then partially jogged and sidled to our assigned table. All the time, dodging fist pumps and hors d’oeuvre trays. No sooner had we gotten to the table, than someone yelled A’s name from across the room. It was her crowd after all, family and friends. “So where is D?” Asked the woman who had approached us in such a haste, that I thought we might have stepped wrongly. She looked me over quickly, without a word and then turned back to A.
A let out, a long sigh of regret and exasperation. Then without looking and a careless wave of her hand towards me, A answered; “Aunty B, you will have to ask her. She messed everything up." “I what?!” I gasped in slight horror, when I realized she was talking about me. “Well, if you had not sided with D." A shot at me, defiantly. "He would have been here right now. And I would not have needed a stand-in. You let him off the hook so easily and I still don’t understand why!” “Mhmmm….” Supplied the Aunt B, who was rolling and cutting her eyes at me.
“What I actually did.” I started, suddenly feeling drained and disgusted. “Was protect you, from desperately making a fool out of yourself.” “How was I making a fool out of myself?” A demanded defensively. “I wanted him to come with me, so we could stabilize our relationship. But by listening to his excuses, you made it easy for him to bail out. You messed up everything, for him and I.” “Mhmmm…. I could hear her Aunt B, from somewhere behind my head.
