Can I Ask

Harvey stared at the woman who was quietly sipping her soup and shook his head with a frustrated sigh. If one could earn money from being silent, she would probably be a billionaire!

"Niana, can you please speak more than a few words? They don't cost money, you know. And, I understand that you don't like my books. And that is okay. Many people don't. You have also made it clear that you don't like me though I don't understand why you have then rented your house to me. But please let me explain myself again as to why I need you to talk so that I can get out of your hair faster. It is like this, I have been experiencing a writer's block for the past few months."

"It is only when I saw you interacting with that woman who was your previous roommate, that I suddenly had an idea for my new book and character. And to make the book as realistic as possible, I need to understand your living habits, why you speak so slowly and so less and what has made you the way you are. And for that I need to interview you. So please please do co operate with me... and say something about yourself."

Niana stared with her big eyes at the man as he continued to talk to her and finally spoke," I lived with a monkey once.. for a month... "

Hearing her sudden voice was shocking enough but as the words she said registered, he could only cough and choke on the soup.. Did she say what she said?

"Ugh...what?" Harvey asked warily.

Shrugging her shoulders, Niana spoke in a small voice with no inflection ,"You asked. You said you wanted me to tell you about myself."

Harvey narrow his eyes trying to decide if she was purposely trying to goad him and make him give up... well he'll roll with it... for now. It wasn't as if he had a choice either way.

"So you lived with a monkey? Was it just you and the monkey or were there other roommates human or others?"

"Just me and the monkey.", she answered seriously.

"Oookk.. "Harvey nodded and then continued," And when was this?"

"A few years ago. I had to move into the monkey's apartment in London.."

"The monkey's apartment? In London? Must be a rich monkey!" Harvey interrupted quickly.

Niana shrugged and continued to speak, "I don't know about that. But he liked to chatter a lot. Much like yourself. Never knew how and when to keep quiet."

oooo burn.. Harvey thought. But he was too thick skinned to bother and continued his line of questioning. "By apartment, do you mean the zoo? Was it in the London zoo? And did you choose the monkey to cohabit with or did you live with the other animals as well? "

"It wasn't the zoo. I was pet sitting for an acquaintance.."

"Oohh..that is a relief to know that you have never lived in a zoo. But you went all the way to live in London to help an acquaintance. I would not even do that for a friend!"

Niana tried to detect if he was making fun of her but realized that in fact he looked perfectly serious. This too made her wary. And to curb wariness, attack was the best defense, so she snapped," Good thing I am not you then."

Usually when she spoke about living with a monkey people would look at her as if she had gone crazy or maybe escaped a mental asylum.. They wouldn't even ask so many questions about why and how. But this guy looked as if living with a primate was the most normal thing in the world. And then he was not even insulted when she had been very clear about this insult.. was he too slow and had not caught on? Should she directly call him a monkey? Would that be insulting enough? His smooth expression did seem out of order.

But of course she said nothing. Grabbing the packed dinner she ripped it open slowly and started to eat quietly, once again ignoring the man."I don't like to talk while eating."

She could hear him sighing and fidgeting as he wanted to make conversation but only grumbled a bit and did not force the issue.

Niana decided then that he was a good roommate at times. He knew when to keep quiet and when to go on and on. Though the going on part was more frequent.

The peace, however, was short-lived. As she continued to eat, Harvey spoke, "Well you can listen if you don't like to talk while eating. And then I'd like you to talk after you have finished. To put you at ease, I can talk about myself until then."

Before Niana could say she was not interested( Author: Niana Rivers.. were you slow in stopping him because you are, in fact, interested? Niana : shut it author.)

He spoke, "I was mugged by a seagull once."

This made Niana pause again and look up with interest. Getting mugged by a sea gull was odd and Niana Rivers liked odd.

"Mugged?"

"Uh huh! Interesting isn't it?"

Niana shrugged and looked back at her food," Why would that be interesting? I don't even know if you are lying to me.. And sea gulls are known for stealing food..."

With a hurt look, that seemed to be completely out of order on his otherwise charming face, the man complained," Would I dare to lie to you? And the offending bird did not steal my food. It stole my wallet! Hence I was mugged."

Instead of being interested in his story, Niana nodded and explained," Well, there has been a scientific study where scientists have concluded that sea gulls take cues from humans and prefer to take things that have been handled by humans. So that was probably the reason you were mugged. Don't worry. The seagull had no vendetta against you. I think..."

Harvey: ".."

This was the most he had heard her speak and it was a random fact about sea gulls? Wow.

Seeing the shocked expression on the man's face, Niana realized that she had spoken too much and turned an embarrassing shade of red. The very big perk of being a pale skinned girl! To escape more embarrassment, she quickly gathered her half eaten food box and went to throw them into the refrigerator. She would eat the rest when he fell asleep... or before he woke up...anytime when she did not have to face him after this.