Communication
“Baby you’ve got to calm down okay, I’m sure that’s not what she meant okay?” Lee-Ann says she follows an angry Simo into the elevator. He doesn’t look interested in what she has to say. “Please hold,” Simo shouts to the person who had just pressed the up button. He rushed to stop the elevator doors from closing. The life has about 5 people in it all quite, minding their own business. Simo and Lee-Ann try to squeeze themselves in. They are a little embarrassed. The silence in this small elevator is deafening. They stand in the front facing the door.Lee-Ann, seemingly agitated by the silence, obviously aggravated by the tension they bring with them she takes a deep breath and breathes out loudly, “Can you at least talk to me babe, and let me know what you’re thinking?” she says trying to whisper.
Simo gives her a look as if to say ‘keep quiet’. Lee-Ann looks at him dead in the eye as if to say, ‘we shall have this conversation one way or the other.’ Simo turns his head to look at the people behind them and he realises that they are all looking at them. It looks like some are trying to figure out what is going on between him and his acquaintance. He looks at all of them as if he is counting them by eyes one by one. He clearly wants to say something but words fail him. He turns around and faces upfront again. He takes a glance at his Lee-Ann again and looks upfront again without saying a word.
“Excuse me,” a voice from behind him says. He turns around and realises someone wants to pass and get out of the elevator. Then does it dawn on him that he never pressed the floor number they are jumping out on. He lets the person pass and gets out and then he presses the number. He is still not saying a word to Lee-Ann.
The tension could be cut with a knife in this elevator. Everyone is quiet. Simo keeps taping the side of his right thigh, it seems to help him when he is anxious. The floor numbers on the elevator seem to be taking forever. He takes a pick at Lee-Ann again. He sees that she is sad. That seems to make him feel bad a little bit. He takes a deep breath, ready to utter some words but just before he could, the elevator doors open. They have reached their floor. He gets out first, followed by Lee-Ann. He gets to the door with a number 805.
He’s anxiously searching all over his pockets, “Now where are my damn keys?” he asks but not really expecting an answer. Lee-Ann herself is now upset because she’s being ignored blatantly. Simo finds the keys and opens the door to this very spacious and beautiful apartment. It has a beautiful furniture, looks expensive too.
Simo goes straight to the window. The view is a beautiful park but further is the harbour. He watches on as a ship carrying cargo moves in. He really looks upset. “Baby talk to me, please,” Lee-Ann pleads with a low voice as if she’s begging Simo. “How will I know how you feel if you don’t talk to me?” She comes over to Simo and stands next to him. “Please, meet me halfway then,” she pleads. Simo looks at her in the eyes for a moment, without uttering a word. He goes to this side table next to the TV stand and pours himself a double if whiskey. He downs it all in one go. And this seems to shock Lee-Ann who watches on. She has never seen Simo this upset before.
“Exactly, what is it that you want me to say, huh?” Simo says calmly. Looks like the double whisky trick worked. “Did you not hear what your mother said to me? Did you not see how they looked at me with those judgmental eyes?” Suddenly he’s all upset all over again. But Lee-Ann is lost for words even though she’s paying attention to what Simo is saying.
“Clearly they don’t approve of us. No, let me rephrase that. They don’t approve of me dating you.” He raises his voice, turning away from his girlfriend. “Okay, okay baby. Calm down please,” Lee-Ann says. “I hear you my love. But, you know…” she says as she holds Simo's hand, “I don’t think that’s what my mom meant, you know. I just think that…” but Simo doesn’t wait for her to finish, “No, no, no” Simo says as he pulls away from her. “Don’t even think about defending them babe.” He’s upset all over again.
“They just don’t want me, a black guy dating you, that’s all.” he says as he goes over to the side table, again and pours himself another double. Again he takes it in one go. And then he breathes heavily. Lee- Ann comes over to him, to try and listen to what her boyfriend has to say. She takes the glass off his hand and puts it down. She then holds both his hands, “Baby I’m not defending them, okay?” she says calmly. “I just think she was just trying to understand. She just wanted to know…if we are prepared and ready to be in this relationship, that’s all babe.”
This seems to calm Simo down a little as he goes to sit on this beautiful brown leather sofa. It is big, cosy and comfortable. Lee-Ann comes over to sits next to him. She really seems to want them to finish this conversation. She doesn’t want them to go to bed with tension.
“Look, this isn’t the first time your parents do this to me alright? I’m black, you’re white and they don’t think I deserve you…” Simo says calmly with a worried face as he sits starring at the TV that isn’t even playing. “oh no, my love.” Lee-Ann says as she brushes his back, “I don’t think that’s the case okay? My folks are just old School. I love you and you love me. That’s all that matters, right?” she says trying to pull Simo to herself. But that seems to rub him wrong, “No that’s not all that matters okay?” Simo says as he stands to go and stand next to the window again. But this time Lee-Ann doesn’t follow him. Simo stands there for a moment and comes back to sit on the other sofa, “that’s not all that matters. Your folks always invite us to their home, only to interrogate me and try to make me feel small.”
Lee-Ann wants to say something but she doesn’t get the chance as Simo continues, “And I must say babe, thank you for never standing up for me.” This seems to shock Lee-Ann who has her eyes wide opened. “Yes, yes love. You don’t. What? are you ashamed of me too?” that was just about much Lee-Ann can take from his grumpy boyfriend. She stands up, “Now you hold on a minute,” she shouts. “How can you say something like that to me? I’m ashamed of you? That’s not fair and you know it.”
She starts to move up and down behind him with her head on her head. She is fuming with anger. “I could say you were ashamed of me just now in the elevator when I wanted to talk to you but you didn’t want people in the elevator to know that your girlfriend is white, right? Right?” she shouts.
“Hold up, what?” Simo stands up and looks at her. “Elevator, what?” as if he’s trying to recall. But Lee-Ann ignores that, “Do you stand up for me when your friends make silly and patronizing jokes about me, or you laugh with them as well? Do I complain about that?” she’s starting to have teary eyes. She’s breathing heavily.
“oh no babe I think this is getting out of hand and I don’t think…” but Simo doesn’t finish what he wants to say, “you’re damn right this is getting out of hand,” Lee-Ann says as she storms out of the living room and off to the bedroom. She leaves Simo standing there, lost for words. But he doesn’t follow her. He sits down and thinks for a minute. He goes over to the side table. He picks the glass, he thinks for a second and puts the empty glass down. He comes over to sit down. He put his head between in between his knees and hands over his ears as if he doesn’t want to hear a sound.
Moments later he goes into the bedroom. The bedside light on his side of the bed is still on. Lee-Ann looks sound asleep. “Baby, are you awake?” he asks as he stands by the door. There’s no answer. Something tells him his girlfriend is awake, she just doesn’t want to talk to him. He stands there for a moment.
He decides to move by the dressing table as he takes off his clothes and puts on his PJs. He looks through the dressing mirror to see if Lee-Ann is really asleep. Her eyes are closed. Yep, she’s awake, he thinks to himself. He walks over to the side of his bed and tucks himself in. He puts two pillows on his back as if to want to sit straight. He keeps quiet for a moment, to see if she will turn around. But she doesn’t.
“Love…” he calls. There’s no answer. “Love…” he calls again. “Can we talk please?” Still there’s no answer from his girlfriend who is sleeping facing the other way, showing him only her back. He takes a huge sigh. He pulls the pillows from his back, he tucks himself in. He takes another glance at his girlfriend, still silence. He has a face of regret on. He hates going to bed like this. He regrets leaving things ugly in the dining room. He wishes to apologize now but it’s too late. He turns off the light at his side bed side and takes a huge sigh.
In the morning he opens his eyes. To his surprise, he is still sleeping in the same positon, on his side looking the opposite direction from the one Lee-Ann faced last night. He turns around and lead by the hand hoping it will meet his girlfriend’s warm body. But he is greeted by the cold sheets exposed to the cold of the morning. Lee-Ann woke up early. He turns around again to the bedside and picks up his phone. It’s 06:23. He thinks to himself, she’s up early this morning. It’s a Sunday. Where could she be rushing off to, so early?
He wakes up and put his sleepers on and goes to the in-suite bathroom to brush his teeth. Moments later he finds his girlfriend in the kitchen making breakfast. He is not sure if he has to say something or keep quiet.
“Morning baby.” he says nervously. “morning,” Lee-Ann responds back to him. Simo didn’t really expect a warm greeting. He kind of expected this tension but he wants to end it. “Wow, you’re up early. And it smells delicious up in here,” he says with a smile. But he is greeted by quiet response. Lee-Ann puts Simon’s breakfast in the dining table and goes back to fetch hers and comes back and sits down. “thank you baby,” Simo says with a smile. “this smells divine,” he looks at his girlfriend in the eyes hoping to catch her glance but she is not making eye contact. She comes over and sits down.
“Baby, I’m sorry okay,” Simo says with a very sad face. “I really didn’t mean to make you upset. I was frustrated and took it out on you and went too far….” Lee-Ann wants to cut him in but he won’t let her, “wait baby,” he motions with both hands, “please let me finish. Please.” Lee-Ann keeps quiet and put her fork down and fold her arms as if to say alright then, give it your best shot.
“I was wrong love. I really was. I shouldn’t have said what I said to you. That you are ashamed of me. Of course you’ve been great babe and I really appreciate you. I love you and I don’t want anything to come between us baby. Will you please forgive me? Please.” he says all this looking at his girlfriend in the eyes. And this time she is making eye contact.
Lee-Ann takes a deep breath, “I hear you,” she says but still not letting a smile. Simo breathes a sigh of relief and smiles. But his joy is short-lived as Lee-Ann continues, “but do you realize babe that this happens almost every time we go over to my parents or to your friends and family gatherings? Babe, it’s close to 3 years now together. How long do you think it will take before either of us has had enough? Before we are tired of it all?”
Those words seem to shake Simo a bit, “Now, wait a moment baby, what exactly are you saying to me?” he asks anxiously. His eyes are open wide. What is this woman saying to him? But Lee-Ann takes both of his hands across the table as if to calm his nerves a little bit, “What I’m trying to say baby is that we are in a relationship. This is about us. It’s about what we want. So at some point we’ll have to draw the lines against our families and friends.”
Simo listens attentively as Lee-Ann keeps rubbing her thumbs across her boyfriend’s hands which only makes Simo makes his grip a little tight as if he is responding to what his girlfriend is saying.
“I know my folks are a little uptight when it comes to you…” but Simo cuts in, “a little you say?” he asks with a smile. They both let out a little laughter, ”hahaha…” they let go of each other. At least now the ice is broken.
“okay maybe little more than just a little, hahaha…” she lets out a huge laughter. Simo laughs back at her while shaking his head. He is happy that they are okay now. “I guess what I’m saying baby is that I have to take a stand with my folks, my mom especially,” but Simo cuts in, “and your sister cousin too, huh,” he smiles. Lee-Ann takes a second to think, as she looks to the ceiling for a moment, “You mean, Julie? Hahaha” she bursts out laughing. “Yes, Juliet. She doesn’t like me that much does she?” Simo asks with a somewhat straight face.
“Don’t mind that one, babe. She’s just being over protective. But she will get used to you. Plus, from what I saw is that she and your friend, Mlu get along very well. Remember at that party we went to in Florida about two months ago?” Simo tries to think hard, about it, “oh yeah? What about it?” he asks with interest. “well…” Lee-Ann says biting her lips like a naughty girl who’s about to kiss and tell, “I think they hooked up that day.” Simo gets wide-eyed, “no ways,” he shouts. “Ooooh yes,” Lee-Ann shouts back at him. “well I thought since he is your best friend and all that, he would have told you,” she shrugs her shoulders.
“But my sister is okay with you, right?” she says as she sips her cup of coffee. Simo nodes without uttering words. “oh and my cousin brother, David likes you” she smiles. Simo blushes a little bit, “Oh well, he’s gay, so of course he likes me” he says as he sips his coffee. That’s sends his girlfriend to bust out laughing, “hahaha, so what if he’s gay? Hahaha and I never told you that okay” she says but Simo burst out laughing too, “hahaha. Okay” Lee-Ann shakes her head and looks down in embarrassment. She can’t believe her boyfriend just said her cousin is gay. “oh and my friend Melissa is okay, right?” she says.
Simo nodes as he takes a sip, “oh yeah she’s a darling but her brother has a crush on you, doesn’t he?” Simo says as he looks away. “Oh my God” Lee-Ann opens her eyes wide. “Baby that was a long time ago, Jason has moved on from there, come on” she says but Simo ignores that as he says “Well I know my aunt just adores you,” he says. Lee-Ann smiles and nodes as she blushes at the thought. “And of course you and Mlu are cool, right? And…” but he doesn’t finish, “Oh your friend JB,” Lee-Ann say as she points at her boyfriend and then rolls her eyes upwards.
“oh that one?” Simo is embarrassed. “Yes, that one. He really can’t stand me can he?” Lee-Ann says as she looks away. “uhmm, you know people like JB baby, he is old school. These kind of relationships are new to people like him. It’s not easy for him to adjust. Plus, you know,” Simo says before he pauses for a second, “I told you about his story.”
There’s a little bit of awkward silence suddenly.
“I know baby,” Lee-Ann sighs as he holds Simo's hands again, “but it’s our job to educate people right? Our family and friends. We have to build the bridges. Or maybe we are the bridge. We must never ever let people come before us, right?” she says as she looks at her boyfriend in the eyes. Simo smiles at his girlfriend.
They have that quiet moment as they stare at each other's eyes.
“I promise you baby, I’ll fight for you every day,” Simo says as he stands up from the table. Lee-Ann stands up too. They hold each other for a while. “I promise you too baby. I will stand up for you too, every day,” Lee-Ann squeezes her boyfriend as she says those very words.
Please log in to submit a comment.