TIM AND JULIET

From an all too familiar motion to an all too familiar destination, the glass was lifted off the furniture to the mouth ready to take a gulp out of it. But judging by the straight face exhibited, it seemed the citrus flavored drink had failed in its quest to produce a tingly effect.

"That was the crappiest thing I ever did in my sensual life."

"I mean who does such a thing in his sane state of mind?"

He said as he put the glass back on the piece of furniture implied to be the table. It seemed ridiculously absurd why I sat opposite to this fellow blatantly staring and listening to his ranting. But here I was nonetheless, and striking a conversation too with this recluse of a man, Tim.

Within us, he was relegated to the low-life that he already was. And though being a loner, today he seemed to be disputing this perception and any other. I just couldn't tell it apart if it was a deliberate attempt or really if he was just good at talking, but for whatever reason, that is what he was actually doing.

"I knew you would never have believed me if I didn't try to prove our acquaintance."

And indeed who would have believed that this low life of a man knew that woman driving the sky blue Range Rover Sports 2010 edition? Maybe in another lifetime, but I definitely couldn't be grouped into this category.

But he had defied this as he casually walked onto the woman only to be met by a very hearty embrace. The hug befitted that of only two people who had prior acquaintance and really missed each other, and it was exhilaratingly sensual.

So here we were staring at this clear contrast of a gorgeous woman elegantly dressed, and a man whose original colour of the clothes he was wearing being beyond comprehension, and to cap it, they were locked up in an almost never ending embrace.

"Well, I hope that you believe me now."

He proclaimed as he poured the remaining volume of the drink into his mouth and slammed the glass onto the piece of the furniture. I only cast him a stare cautiously.

"You know, I never have anyone for my audience, but since you are an exception now, I might as well tell you the whole story."

How delighting, just not what I need or intended to subscribe to. And I wasn't in any way going to condone it, no way.

"Great, that is just delighting. I actually need to hear how the whole story transpired."

But again on second thought, I just couldn't dismiss the man that easily, that is, after raising his hopes so high up. In a way, I had to brace for what would translate to a boring affair, but someone had to do it.

"It was severe pain than emotion I had ever seen in anyone's eyes before."

"She didn't even seem to cry but tears still streamed down her cheeks nonetheless."

He then wiped the liquid like substance starting to form at the extreme ends of his eyes with his palms. I didn't even think to utter a single word, or heave a sigh under my contemplating breath. I just looked on silently as he continued to deliberate.

"You mean this is it, ha?"

"After what we've been through….. together Tim?"

He only continued to stack his belongings in a disarrayed pile into the overnight bag. As far as he was concern, he had his mind already made up and he wasn't looking back for whatever reason, whatever. That is why he didn't even think to answer the question she was posting to him.

And he was done. He zipped the bag shut and yanked it to his shoulder. In an instant Juliet was at his side shoving him into the wall.

"So this is how it's going to be Tim?"

"Go, just go you ungrateful imbecile."

"Never, and I mean never step foot anywhere near me again, you hear?"

He didn't answer, and neither could he maintain eye contact. He just stood there while Juliet sank onto the bed and hid her face under her palms. Seizing the moment, Tim dejectedly walked out of the door and disappeared under the guise of the midnight darkness.

"And you know what Sam?"

"I never looked back or called, and neither did she.

With the magnitude of the sentiment sinking in, I wondered if this freak was really for real. Quite on the contrary, he looked tremendously disorientated as he ran his fingers over his uncombed hair.

"I thought to do so countless times, but I never got round to actually doing it. But I wish I did Sam, I really do."

Tim continued after a slit second pause.

"Well, you know what hurts the most in this whole affair?"

"It's that she stood by me for three years, three years man.

To him Juliet seemed like the average phenomenal creature he had set eyes on in a while. Though she was a fun loving girl, she carried with her this strange aura of responsibility. It's no wonder Tim felt obligated to fall in love with her unconditionally, since she was a marrying material a typical perception in this stage of life.

I have never established the logistics concerning this, but Tim too it seemed subscribed to this line of thought. And oddly as illustrated in his life, this male being had serious monetary implications.

"It took me five years after completion of my university education to be able to raise the outstanding balances and graduate."

"You mean to tell that you have a degree in something."

"In Mass Communication to be precise."

He still didn't cease to amaze. How could he have just sat on such an accomplishment in life?"

"And right about this time is when I realized that Juliet really had a thing for me."

"Though she had been there for several years before, I just couldn't understand why I never noticed this while she continued to grace my life."

Analytically, maybe this dude really had a mental disease, taken from the fact that Juliet was fortunate enough to gain meaningful employment before he did. Though she didn't do much, in the least her mere presence was evidence of her unrivalled love for him.

"I was fortunate enough to get a job immediately after my graduation."

"And during this period she started encountering problems of her own, and we decided to move in together."

The slight flicker of emotion writing through his face shouted that indeed, he felt remorseful in the course of telling his story. I on the other hand didn't feel the need to waiver the hurt that had riddled his contemplating face, I simply stayed put. Wasn't he who had suggested that he wanted to tell me how his story unfolded?

"Then she was laid off from work about five months after we moved in together."

"Oh pardon my courtesy Sam, but do you want a refill?"

"No am actually fine, but kind of engrossed in your story in you don't mind continuing?"

A sense of tension was starting to build up in this room, and I knew that I wasn't in anyway responsible for it. He was starting to show frustration, and I was in the other hand trying to scold pity for this poor man but silently.

"Yeah, we stayed for another two years in this arrangement before she became expectant with my child."

The free flow of tears down his cheeks couldn't be kept at bay as they descended trickle after trickle. It seemed he was genuinely hurting, but to what degree was an elusive phenomenon that I couldn't quite explore or substantiate.

"I guess that is when all hell broke loose."

"I simply don't know how I did it, but I became active in another affair and then barged out of this relationship."

"Were you insane man?"

"And what of the child, did you just forget about it too?"

"She told me earlier that she named our son Mike and he is doing pretty well."

Running his hands over his uncombed hair for the umpteenth time, he lightly closed his eyes then opened them rapidly to gaze at the ceiling.

"My God, what did I do?"

He asked as he gripped into his shirt almost tearing it into pieces.

"And this woman we were involved with left me soon after our positions in the company were declared redundant."

He confessed at last. I gazed at this lunatic wanting to hit the crap out of his sane mind. I mean, who actually does such a thing to someone who has stood by you for all those years, and to leave when she is expecting your child?

"I felt so guilty afterwards since anything else I did ended in jeopardy, and Juliet had turned into this money bags lady that was unapproachable."

"Well, that is how I sank into oblivion and redeployed as a freak here."

Silently, I paused to access the unfolded events. This was outrageous, totally outrageous.

"So Tim, now what is your course of action after meeting Juliet today?"

It was not a question but a mere obligation to find out when and how he was going to go round this, and gauge if he was likely to take the correct course of action in trying to piece his wreck of a life into anything meaningful.

"To be honest Sam, I have no idea."

"Not even a slightest of clues."