Just then, a call came in. Tanya's phone
was ringing. For some reason, she didn't want to pick up. When it rang again she asked me to pick up and inform the caller that she was busy. I picked up and who should I hear? It was Harrison. "It's Harrison" I whispered, "Should I give it to you?" I asked Tanya. She hesitated, then finally she said I could tell him she was busy. "Kindly let her know that I called, and I would like us to talk. Thank you" He said as he cut the call. We brushed off the interlude and continued in our short lived fare dine. We had to get back to work. For about a week, Harrison had tried to get a hold of Tanya, albeit she gave him the dumper, the silent treatment. Well at last with his persistence, she responded, only to let him know she would see whether or not it would be possible to 'talk'. "What do you think, should I go ahead and talk to him? He wants to come pick me up after work so we go over for dinner at some eating place. I really don't feel like it though, I'ld prefer not digging up my past again, it's a painful undertaking." Tanya queried as we had our usual midday break.
"Tanya, I think everybody deserves a hearing. That's just my take. I mean, even the court gives a benefit of the doubt to everyone, even those caught in the act are treated innocent until proven guilty" I added. Zack too, was with me on this one. "Are you sure?" Tanya asked. "Affirmative, and in any case, we will have plenty of tissue for this one" Zack answered with chuckles. But of course we allowed her to think through it, till she too was in concert.
Just as we walked out onto the parking lot, Harrison wheeled in. Couldn't have timed us better. He got out of his car to give us a gentleman's greeting. Overly mannered as usual. And before he took our lovely Tanya away, he paused for a while as if entranced in thought, then turned and spoke up, "would you fine gentlemen care to join in for fishing one of these days, let's say this coming Sunday?" Harrison asked. "That sounds great, we'll just need to do a raincheck on that thought" Zack responded while I stooped to tie my laces, only to realize my shoes had no laces, so I dusted the invisible dust instead. This I did to avoid being the one to answer. Perhaps I would have been an easy buy.
Just then I turned to my beautiful spot, SUV, it cast a shadow on Zack's little pigeot, but he didn't mind, never a time did he come down with sour grapes. Then I immediately heard chuckles behind me. "What now?" I asked. "Look on your forward right tyre" Zack said. And what should I see, a clamp on my tyre. What err did I do? And there was no 'security' in sight, what a dumper! "You can always go with me, you'll find it tomorrow" Zack suggested, but I was bent on waiting to have my car freed from its fetters. "Here Vince, you can use my car for today, then you can pick me up tomorrow morning when coming" Tanya said as she whisked the keys at me.
Hers was not so manly to my taste but it sure did have some good looks on. "I'll take it, it's a deal. Oh and thanks for the offer Zack. I owe you one" I said as we all called it a day, perhaps Tanya and Harrison's was just beginning.
Early morning I went to pick up Tanya. She was running late, not surprising. I threatened to leave as she was delaying me, but somehow she managed to molify my waning temperament. We made a deal, she was to set my car free, at a fee. On our way, I ventured to find out how her day had been."So, how did dinner turn out?" "Oh it turned out perfectly fine. They have quite a fine cuisine, perhaps we need to try it out one of these days." She said. "Oh, okay great. I'm must say I'm so not surprised" I added. "And what's that supposed to mean?" She recoiled. "Oh, just that really. Last I checked 'surprised' didn't have many definitions, and the few there are, are all well known by you. Need I run you through? Okay, surprised: being caused to feel surprise, amazement... surprise: noun-something unexpected ,verb..."
" Okay, okay. Stop it! I hear, you needn't go through all that. You know I don't like to talk about my past, it's a shame and you know it. That I have my sanity intact today is because of friends like you and Zack. Harry...well Harry is part of that history or a big reminder of it, and don't think I really wanna talk about it right now. Maybe later." She interrupted. "Well you know what they say,' friends are there when need 'em, and they are there when you don't. And right now we're probably on the 'don't'." I added. "Vince, please. Don't make me feel bad about all this. It's a little to early to stress out, I got work to attend to, I need my mind in one piece." She continued. "Okay, ma'am. Your wish is my command. All I was getting at, however was that talking helps. Infact, it's half the problem solved, of course as long as you are talking to someone who cares." I reiterated. "Just out curioaity. How does Zack succeed getting you talking?" To this I got no reply and probably silence was a better answer. I wondered whether it was in the tone, the non verbal cues, or the hug that melted the ice, but I guess nature had not bestowed upon one such as I the ability to appeal to the emotional state of another, especially Tanya. My emotional quotient was in the dregs, and I needed a forklift out of the mire.
An awful silence pervaded the milieu. I couldn't stand the silence. I begun to hum a song I had heard a while ago. Couldn't quite recall the wording, but my mind was a forthcoming ally, a great filler of gaps, confabulation. "Hmmmmm, I see trees are green, roses red, violets purple, birds flying through the skies, then I sing to my self..." Just then a second voice joined,
"I see trees of green,
Red roses too.
I see them bloom,
For me and you.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world!
I see skies of blue,
And clouds of white.
The bright blessed day,
The dark sacred night.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world!"
"Wow, Tanya. You can sing? Wow!" I spoke in amazement. "Well ya, a little. I used to sing a lot when I was still young, then the growth spurt happened, and I guess I developed new interests." She added.
"You know what, Like you, I loved singing when I was still a little tender shoot. But that, together with a host of others, were buried. Of late, however, I've begun to unearth a few of them. I realize they are the pieces that make who I am. I'm obliged to be 'the doctor' while at work yet away from that I have a life, not with any obligation.
Allow me to state that the creator has imbued in each one of us tastes so varied one from another. We each are peculiar. We are born with an innate ability, perhaps an unalienable gift at birth. And truth be told, we derive our greatest pleasure when we work towards these bestoments, and even greater pleasure when they are used to bring a smile to others.
Have you noticed a physician, or any other worker in any field of his calling, with an ever pleasing 'halo' around him, a charming speach, an attitude with gratitude, perhaps with a tinge of alacrity? Odds are that he or she has harnessed one or more of the said bestomments to his, and by extension to other's benefit." I said with a touch of inspiration that seemed to send shock wAves to my own ears. "Wow, Vince, you speak as one who has been stained with wisdom of the ancients" Tanya said with chuckles. "Thanks V" she added. "What for, driving you to work in your own car? It's my pleasure." I said with a smile. "You never cease to amaze me" Tanya said while I added, "I never wish to cease. I never wish to" we laughed . Perhaps our shoes were now of the same mould. Perhaps two could disagree on a point and still be best buddies, tempers need not flare up. Though much in common, we are all different, each has a unique individuality, and perhaps one need not strive to disolve it into another's form or coerce another into his.
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