The alarm goes off at 3am… there is some
light, some pottering… some alarm noises intermingle in her dream and are
quickly shut down by a magical force nearby. Finally she wakes properly to a
kiss on the lips, something light, sweet erotic…
Its time to get up says a soft and gentle
voice. She would usually play getting you up games but she knows she has had a
sleep in and he was anxious last night. When they crawled into bed at 2am she
made him remove his stripey underwear and he was too stressed to notice.
She goes about getting ready. He is
repacking. She is showering. He is wrapping up cords. She is pulling the
leopard print underwear and lacy black top out,
throwing the white one in. They don’t speak, touch each others hips as
they pass each other. She wishes they were listing to Emma Louise like the last
few days (except for the previous morning where she played God Save the Queen -
as a joke).
The shower gel is gone from the shower. The
kitchen is clear and the knife has been put away. Her vegetables that were on
the counter last night are gone.
Where
are my carrots? she asks.
I
threw them in the bin. You can’t come back to them in 3 weeks.
I was
going to eat one for breakfast.
Where
is my dressing gown?
I
hung it up in the wardrobe.
Thanks she says. She pulls the offending item out of the wardrobe and puts it in the suitcase. They go
through a few more motions.
What’s
wrong?
Nothing.
What’s with this anxious military man?
Are
you nearly ready, the taxi will be here in 5 minutes.
Yes. She goes into he bathroom. Have you seen my watch?
Its
out here. She finds it laid out in a neat little
pile on top of her computer, notebook
and wallet.
Are
you nearly ready?
Do
you really think moving all my stuff around will speed things up? She sees that somewhere he is anxious, not about catching
or missing the flight but about retuning to the village after 4, 5 years away.
It is scary, it is confrontational. She has
had recent first hand experience of this. A few times over. Returning home is
stressful, resplendent with other people's expectations, hopes, disappointments and some rare
treasures. The indelible vulnerability that goes with not
knowing what you’re going home to tastes like rain.
We get in the cab.
Are
you ok? he says.
Yes ,
I’m waiting for you to snap out of it and get excited. Her feelings are hurt and she sounds a bit sulky. She hears it in
her own voice, recognizes it and doesn’t like it. She wants to be a better
person for him
They get to the airport, dash around a
little, and stand in the line for check in. He softens looking at the progress
of the line. He put his hand around her waist and draws her in, nuzzling his
kisses in her neck.
