Journal of A Single Gal in Q8 - Episode Eleven

From last episode...

"No, I'm ok, thank you," she told her Boss. "Just not feeling very well this morning," she felt so bad that she wanted to cry. Why would she want to leave for six months now? All those adventurous plans she had planned to do in London now seemed irrelevant. Suddenly she felt that London was going to be very lonely.

She looked at the proposal and realized that she only had two weeks to leave. She slowly began the process of convincing herself that this was good for her career and maybe it was better this way. If he really cared about her, he wouldn't forget her and in some way this would force the relationship not to move too fast. God knows she needed plenty of convincing! This was so depressing, she decided she'd go walking on the beach that evening to sort out her thoughts.

"Can I come and join you?" he asked when he called her, just as she was parking her car by Fridays.

She smiled to herself and told him that he was more than welcome if he wanted to.

When he finally joined her, they walked in silence for a while. She took a deep breath as they walked side by side. His smell was intoxicating. He smelt clean and fresh with a mixture of manhood. To distract herself she finally blurted out the news.

"You're leaving so soon?" he said with a hurt look on his face "but we only just met! You're not running away from me, are you?"

She just laughed and said "Don't be silly!"

When it was finally time to walk back to their cars, she noticed the swings and told him that she always had a love for swings. Walking towards the swings, she casually sat on one of them and without hesitation, she realized he was right behind her as he pushed her slowly!

It was night time and there was hardly anyone around but she felt slightly awkward. In the distance she could hear the music blasting away at Fridays and the honking of the cars passing by the Gulf Road.

For a moment, she didn't feel like she was in Kuwait, it almost felt unreal. If it wasn't for the moon light, it was almost pitch dark. All she could see of him was his white training suit that he was wearing. She wanted to see the expression on his face but she couldn't.

A few joggers past by and she wondered what they might be thinking? Strangely, they turned to look once and didn't look back. At first, she couldn't understand why they hadn't looked back and then suddenly it dawned on her. The scene was that of expatriate, not locals. It was funny that once they'd made that assumption that they wouldn't be Kuwaitis they weren't interested anymore. She smiled to herself. She liked getting away with this. She felt like she was traveling and there was no one around to judge her. It was a relief.

She could never quite understand why that invisible pressure always existed in her head. At the end of the day, she was a person who never did care what people thought. Yet, she hated to be in situation when she knew exactly how people were going to judge or misjudge her. She always felt that way when she was in Kuwait. As though this imaginative giant sat on her shoulders telling her what she should or shouldn't do. Actually, part of the reason she'd wanted to travel lately was due to that imaginative giant that had put extra pressure on her shoulders lately. She was beginning to feel like she couldn't breath.

The weird thing was the minute she was on an airplane, fastening her seatbelt, that feeling would slowly melt away. It would take only a few days when she'd wonder if that pressure even existed at all! The irony was that the minute she'd realize that, she'd suddenly feel like it was time to head back and the circle would continue.

When she'd finally be on her way back, she'd begin the observation period of the same old weirdness and irritation. The moment she was in the waiting lounge heading to Kuwait, it would all begin; the rude staring, the standing by the ramp endlessly waiting for the luggage, the loudness of people yelling at the Sri Lankans to grab their luggage as though it would disappear, the passport control guy throwing in some comment when he stamped her passport, the shoving and pushing at security control, which never seized to amaze her! They had just arrived, so what was the hurry, it's not like they were rushing to catch a flight!

Maybe traveling was not going to be too bad afterall, she thought to herself. She needed to breath lately, she needed civilization and getting away may be the right answer.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard him say "Even though I'm going to miss you, from what you tell me, this training course is really going to be good for your career and I admire your ambitions and independence. I think that's what I like most about you. Some girls just want to get married and stay at home."

She didn't comment. Although she liked the fact that he thought that, she wasn't sure if it was entirely true. Partly it was. She was ambitious but like it or not, her gender was born to feel that life would not be complete without the continuation of the circle of life. To start her own family and settle down. If she didn't want to admit it to herself, her body would remind her once a month. Her biological clock would force her into a depression and she would stand in the conference room and deliver a perfect presentation to Management and yet deep down feel worthless. If it wasn't the feeling of continuing the circle of life, it was at least to have someone be "a witness to your life", she'd heard that quote from a movie and could never forget it. It was the perfect description to what she was looking for.

As she took her seat on the British Airways flight heading to London, she felt a mixture of feelings. The two weeks had past too quickly and she couldn't believe that it was time for her to leave! She was too excited to sleep and her mind was working overtime. She forced the feelings of sadness out of her head and thought of being in the here and now. At least for now!

She was just getting comfortable when she found someone standing in the aisle waiting for her to move so he could take his seat. She looked up and she couldn't believe her eyes; it was the President of the Company that she worked for!

What was he doing on this flight and why was he seated right next to her? The simple fact that he was the President of the Company made her nervous but there was always something else that bothered her. The way he looked at her. It was the kind of look that made her suddenly feel like he'd stripped her of her clothes. He suffered from what she diagnosed him with the bona fide "Older Man Pervert Syndrome" OMPS for short. The kind that popped viagra in their mouths like it was banak!

As they did the usual greetings that went on and on i.e. How are you? How's your family? Then another ten more of "How are yous and How's the family" hardly ever listening to the answer, he finally settled his big body onto his first class seat.

No sooner had he done that, he gestured to the hostess to bring him a drink. The man couldn't wait to get his hands on the hard liquor.

He reached for his drink as his big arm nonchalantly brushed on her left breast. She could feel herself freeze then quickly pushed herself further back into her seat. Great! This was going to be a long and extremely uncomfortable flight, she thought in dismay.

To be continued....