A Promise

  "Surprise" I heard extreme loud voice of Linda from other side, before I could open door fully, 

    "Yes I  am surprised, what are you doing here?"

    "I am here to help you with your dinner" She stepped inside. She wore gray short dress, perfect for dinner date, with her makeup on, like she must have come here after finishing her dinner date with the hot guy in bus or that beard employee, but the large backpack on her back confirmed she came from home, whenever she comes from home she bring half of her home with her for me.

    "I have ordered Pizza, you can help with finishing it" I went back lying under the sofa. 

    "Why haven't you changed yet?" she asked, looking at me upside down.

    I ignored her question like I did not listen, my eyes were still on television.

    "Look what brought for you" taking out the large wine bottle from her bag she said 

    She knew this month I am running out of savings, and as month end is near, this is what I badly needed.

    "Get up" Linda stepped in my bedroom.

    I got up, tied my hair with a rubber band, wore in my hand and sat on the sofa, still looking straight at television, until Linda came back and threw my night dress on my face with her left hand, and balancing 2 wine glasses in her right hand.

    I handed her the money I was holding since she came and took clothes in to room to change, I could hear the doorbell while changing, it must be for Pizza, when I came back to hall, Linda was settled in balcony on my yoga mat, which is definitely never have been used for yoga, with wine bottle and 2 glass kept on her one side and with pizza box opened on her other side, she was spreading pizza herbs on half of pizza to already decided which part she is gonna eat. I picked my bean bag and walked near her. She opened the whole partition between hall and gallery and poured wine in glass for me. I settled on a bean bag opposite to her like a jumbo teddy bear, she handed me my glass.

    This is the reason we are best friends, we often date such kinds of girl's date, sometimes she takes care of me like a mother. She understands, she has family to take care of her but I may have only her as my family. At least since we became good friends.

    "Who dropped you here?" after taking some sips from my glass and finishing my first slice I asked.

    "Mum and Dad had planned dinner outside, but I don't want to be part of it, so I asked them to drop me here, they will pick me up while returning." 

    "Cool." I said in numb voice

    "Are you upset?" she asked.

    "Tired"

    "Tired? Really? What did make you tired? Making greeting cards? Or staring at men fixing your computer?"

    "Shut up"

    "Are you still upset about him leaving"

    "No, maybe I am more upset because I am stuck in ADC," I replied sarcastically.

    "You are upset with what I said in the morning?" she asked me with one of her eyebrows raised.

    "No dude", I said in a calm voice and continued "you were actually right somewhere, I was sad because he is leaving somewhere but maybe more because I am still stuck there, because I feel the sadness of even a person I never seen in my life, leaving the office with better plans for the future. I just feel like I failed again and again, but this was not the only reason, there were many for which I don't want him to leave. You know I will miss him badly, I am not that selfish right?" tears dropped from my left eye and my right was holding another drop of tear. 

    "Yeah, of course I know,  I know I was rude in the morning but it was also because what you said me before" Linda poured more wine in my glass, and continued "But it  is ok, you leave first or him or anyone else it won't make big difference, even you are leaving ADC in next 6 months, don't you, we are leaving soon, and ADC is not that bad place for 6 months." Linda said in a convincing tone and poured more wine in her glass.

    "But I am not sure whether I will be leaving in 6 months or not. Because I have no plans after leaving here, I am already running out of savings. If I leave this job and don't get a better one, it will become impossible for me to survive. First the owner will throw me out of this house. Of course I am trying hard, I am giving skype interviews, I am sending my resume to other companies, but yet haven't got any affirmative response, maybe my resume has nothing impressive to get hired. So till now I am not sure about leaving this job after 6 months." I said, still crying and taking another sip of wine.

    "Even if Owner do not throw you out, you do move in with me anyway, and don't you think, they are not responding 'yes' maybe because it is too early to look for a new job. I mean you still have 6 month to serve ADC, so how can they give you confirmation of their placement when you will be joining them after 6 month. You shall wait at least 3 month more then try, until chill and enjoy your last days in ADC, and you only told me to have a cheerful ending in this job, remember your own words" Linda winked taking a big bite of her 3rd slice. 

    "Cheerful? Really? How shall I cheer myself, sitting on an office chair, working on shit projects, calling to frustrated people, getting a penny every month, and seeing very few friends of mine leaving before me, one by one. See this was another reason I wanted him to wait for 6 months at least, I really wanted this last few months to be beautiful for me, but I have very few friends here and among them you and Lucas are closest to me. Now I have only you, of course we are best and enough together, as in your words more people more memories more happiness. But it can't happen now." 

    "That's why I always used to tell you to have more friends. At least give a chance to people to be your friends, you don't even share a smile with my other friends in office, also people who initiate smiles, you find them creeping. Initially Stephen, Austin, Myla everyone was good to you, don't they?, you can't filter people as per your choice." Linda said, offering me her last slice.

    "Yeah, people who call us gay couple. People become friends, they don't make friends" I replied, denying her offer with my gesture

    "Ok I agree, don't make friends but can you please try to be friends with them, at least for me? See I really want this end to  be beautiful so our new start will be more cherish, of course I enjoy with my other friends of office, but I really miss you in those enjoyment, I am not able to talk about those fun, not able to do bitching about all those, because you are not part of it. Please do it for me. Don't make permanent bonds, but at least  temporary attachments?"

    "This is too much you are asking against a Red Wine Bottle, but fine I will do it for you"

    I am not introvert, or person who likes aliens rather than human, or hate them for no reason, but before shifting in this town I used to live in Frido at place of my mum's friend for few years, where I had many friends, all good ones, but when I heard about her son coming to live with her, I left Frido, and never went back. Also I lost all my friends there, we are in contact but distance friendship does not work in my case. I don't want it tom  be happen here again, 

    But still, promises are made to be kept, so I decided tomorrow to have a new beginning. 

    I stepped in my house, after dropping Linda to the elevator, the same room, the same house was looking less messy to me, I don't know whether it was the magic of Red wine or Linda's lectures. Whatever it was, it helped, at least till morning, everything will be less messy for me, and I can sleep well. And that was more than enough for me.

    Before going to bed, I looked myself in to the mirror, I was looking like Insomnia Patient, who haven't slept since decades, but still my eyes were wide open, adoring myself in mirror some questions were running in my mind, what shall be my efforts towards new beginning, shall I say hi or good morning to everyone tomorrow? But it will be too much, so shall I initiate a smile first? Or just try to smile back at people smiling at you? Yes this is a good option, smile back. Because I was not doing this only to keep a promise I made to Linda, I really wanted it to work for myself.

    After playing Rapid fire with myself, I saw hair curlers lying on my dressing table, I don't remember the day I used them last. But why not a New look for a new beginning, I rolled my hair around the curler and jumped on my bed, in just a few minutes I slept with the lights of my room on.

                                                                                            ***

     I stepped in the ADC premises with flaunting my curled hairs, Linda was following me keeping one step distance between, maybe because she felt I am acting weird. But I think this is what she asked for a new beginning.

    Linda went straight to the canteen, I reached my cubicle. I checked again myself 7th time since I left home, but this time on Black Monitor Screen before turning the computer on. Linda arrived with Coffee mug in her hand, "Have it, You need this" offering me to take coffee mug in my hand she said, 

    "Not really, I am good, we shared the wine if you remember" I replied, with my hand folded.

    "Maybe, but still it will help you to behave less weird" She kept a coffee mug on my desk.

    "That's so kind of you" sarcastically smiling at her I replied.

    While working on my computer I was still looking around if anyone is checking my new hairstyle out, damn I slept 5 minutes later to put my curlers on, I wanted the audience for appreciation, never mind, I liked myself like this so I checked myself in my phone's front camera again. I saw on the screen a person behind me trying to come in frame, but I couldn't see his face properly, as it was more than half hidden behind my face, I turned immediately.

        "Sorry for photo bombing" Stephen said, 

    "Ohh, apology denied, it wasn't for photo" I said smiling at him and wondering at same time about what he was doing near my desk, 

    "Ohh so you put a face lock?? Ohhh to hide your boyfriend's chat yeah..?? Great" He laughed and moved his earplugs towards Linda. Maybe this was the purpose he came to us.

    "I wish it would, but I just felt something on my face, so I was just checking out" I said with a smiling face.

    "Yeah, that's cuteness what you felt" he winked and laughed at the same time and went back to his desk.

    Stephen and I hardly talked, since I broke with Austin. The reason behind me stopping talking to all the friends in ADC was Austin, I dated him for almost a year, we mutually broke up. But things between us are worse than a Divorced couple. Each of my friends except Linda here are no longer friends to me. Of course Austin is the supervisor here, no one wants to mess with him. But it doesn't mean all they shall make me feel like a criminal and Austin as a victim.