Me-Time

 

On the twenty-first, my wife returned after a trip with her girl-friends.

‘How was it?’ I asked her.

‘It was fantastic,’ she replied. ‘I needed that.’

I nodded. It made me feel understanding.

‘I am going for a trip too,’ I told her and when she raised an eyebrow, I added, ‘next weekend.’

‘Are you going with your friends?’ she asked.

‘No.’

‘Are you going alone?’

‘Yes.’

She frowned. Our private moment was interrupted by the arrival of our kids from school.

That night, I told the kids. I am not sure they heard me. The next day, I told my boss. I didn’t have to because I was going to be away during a weekend. But I was supposed to be reachable twenty four-seven. My boss frowned. I informed the team. I think they wished me a good trip. They were busy with an important project.

This morning, I left on the early morning flight. I took a taxi to the airport. My wife had offered to drop me but I insisted on setting out alone. She had shrugged. My kids were asleep when I left.

I checked in at the resort. I lay down on the soft bed. My mobile lay next to me.

‘It will start ringing now,’ I told myself. ‘Darling, did you pay the phone bill? Papa, bring such-and-such game. Did you send your review?’ I could hear their voices.

Before going for lunch, I called my wife.

‘How are you?’ she said. ‘Hey, some friends are here for lunch… let me call you back later…’ She called out to our son.

‘Mama, how do I do this sum?’ I heard him say in the background.  My daughter came on the line, ‘Papa, I am watching Big Bang Theory.’ She gave it back to my wife.

‘Can she watch Big Bang Theory?’ I asked my wife.

‘Silly… it is some science channel. Hey, I have got to go…’

I had a quiet lunch in an empty restaurant.

At three, a text message from the boss interrupted a fitful siesta, ‘where is the review?’

I was typing my reply when I got another message, ‘sent to wrong person.’

I smoked a cigarette, had a long shower, and drank beer at the bar during happy hour. I had a quiet dinner in another empty restaurant.

I went to the casino. I smiled to be friendly. The guy sitting next to me moved away. The lady in mini-skirt sitting opposite frowned. The two men with her frowned too. I lost the day’s quota quickly and went back to my room.

I lay on the bed. My mobile lay next to me. I reached for the writing pad and pencil on the bedside table. I wrote this note. I have one page left. That should be enough to fit in tomorrow.