I feel his presence behind me, but the “brain fog” makes me difficult to think.
Without turning around, I direct my steps towards the living room where no one is yet, hoping that he will follow me.
He does.
I hear his breathing, he seems to be closer.
Slowly, I turn towards him, and our eyes meet.
I then realize his hesitation, as well as the childish fear of making a mistake.
I take the lead once more by going to sit on the sofa on the other side of the living room, and again he joins me; gently sitting down beside me.
As I force myself to concentrate, keeping my eyes fixed on the geometric patterns of the ocher and cream-colored carpet, he seems to scan my face with curiosity.
Nervously I keep crossing and uncrossing my feet under the sofa.
Suddenly, his hand touches mine, which I withdraw out of nervousness; and instantly wishing I hadn’t done it.
If only he could put it again..
But he doesn’t, and my heart sinks with disappointment at the thought of having broken the spell, and above all with the fear of forgetting what to say.
Music and Talia and Ada’s voices, my friends, come from the kitchen, without distracting us.
He tilts his head to one side, pushing me to look at him again.
And I get lost in his dark eyes..
He smiles, emitting a slight laugh, and I smiled back; enjoying this moment of complicity.
The desire invades me to ask him questions, to listen to him, and that he also wishes to discover me..
But in order to avoid not knowing what to say, I keep silent.
Finally he puts his hand back on mine, and draws closer to me.
Then suddenly, startled, I notice that his face is turning green… And…
AAAARGH!!!.. He starts VOMITING!.. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!!..
MY DRESS!!.. My pretty little pink dress with cute little pastel colored hearts on it, HE COMPLETELY RUINED IT!..
Alerted by his incomprehensible screams that would bring down the walls of Jericho, Talia comes running, followed by Ada.
_ Me, while rushing towards the bathroom and holding the sides of my dress: THAT’S IT!.. This is why I DON’T like coming to your’s Tal.
Unfortunately, he is always HERE, most of the time.
_ Talia, taking him in her arms to calm him down while speaking a little louder so that I can hear her : I suggested that we go to your house, you said that he was going to destroy everything in your place.
You didn’t give him anything to eat, I hope?
_ Me, while noticing, haggard, that she comes towards me with the great walking catastrophe in her arms, who insists in imagining himself being a “shrill” version of Soprano : I only gave him a few boiled peanuts. He started following me everywhere while you were both in the kitchen, I had to keep an eye on him.
Unbelievable.
A dress that I bought not even a month ago.
Aaaargh!..
_ Ada nodding her head as if stunned : stop thinking only about yourself and exaggerating, you react as if your dress was completely ruined.
_ Talia, joking while washing her nephew who she’s holding next to me on the sink: sometimes I wonder which one of you is 2 and a half years old.
And the little one can’t bear to eat again after lunch, I told you that before.
_ Me, having finished washing the bottom of my dress, and in an irritated tone to Ada: you seem to neglect the fact that the smell of vomit disappears with difficulty.
Then speaking to Talia without taking my eyes off my dress and trying to fight the brain fog to think and find a solution to this dilemma caused by “shrill soprano”: I hope you have something for me to wear meanwhile.
That’s one of the annoying things about little buggers, their “extraordinary ability” to very often cause unimaginably epic damage.
A PINK dress. BRAND NEW. Aaaargh!!..
