Disconnected

Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound was deafening. I was trying to concentrate on my chapter but every time I heard the noise, my eyes would wander over to the kitchen faucet and my brain would start pondering reasons why it could have been leaking.

‘Focus,’ I told myself while breathing deeply in and out. ‘So, where are we?’ I checked the page in front of me. It was staring at me, with its bold white empty space; one sentence at the top. I stared back at it.

The story was coming, I knew it. If only I could find the words… Tap.

That was it. The chair hit the floor when I got up, I couldn’t care less. I stormed out of the dining room and ran up the stairs to the cosy land of plush bedrooms. I entered the study without stopping, pushing the door out of my way. It smashed into the built-in wardrobe mirror with a deep thud.

Mark turned his chair around half blocking the screen, but I could clearly see some battle scene in the background. His eyes were wide, showing a mixture of guilt and shock.

‘It has to stop!’ I waved my arms. ‘You promised to deal with that. It’s driving me crazy!’

‘I know but it’s not that easy,’ he was shifting in his chair uncomfortably.

‘What’s not easy?! It’s not rocket science, is it? It’s just one damn thing I asked you to do!’ It was a lovely Summer’s day, so the windows were open and suddenly all the voices in the next-door garden went quiet. 

‘Then you do it, if it’s so easy.’ He turned his chair around showing me his back.

‘Fine!’ I looked at the black wrinkly leather for a moment but short of dragging him out of it, there was nothing more I could do right now, and I needed some air. I flew downstairs, grabbed a can of cold Mojito, poured into a glass, and planted myself on the patio lounger outside.

It took quite a few sips before I got my blood to the normal levels. The wind on my face and chirping of the birds together with a comfy lounger invited daydreaming and more creative thinking instead of blazing fury.

We had been together for three years already and normally he was quite good with all the small repairs in the house, so I knew I was being unfair. It was just that bloody writing, it did my head in. Every word seemed like a mountain to climb. I had all those plans to write 1000 words a day and was failing miserably. I had it all properly set for success. The dining table with nothing but the laptop on it. No phones, no browser notifications from various social websites, and no other people in the room. No distractions. Except for this bloody tap!

So that was it, I might as well give up for the day. There was no way I could focus there and let’s face it, it was probably just an excuse anyway. I was a lousy writer. Or not even that! What was I? A writer to be? Or just a dreamer with huge plans and nothing to show for it?

The patio door swung open interrupting my train of thoughts. I grabbed a glass with Mojito as there was no other weapon in sight to face Mark.

‘I did it. I dealt with that permanently. Are you happy now?’ he said and stared at me. His lips were tight, eyes sad and arms crossed; no sight of mocking or joking but I knew he hadn’t done a thing. I might have been deep in my thoughts, but I would have heard the noise if he was fixing the faucet. The kitchen window was just behind my back.

‘Did you really?’ I sipped my Mojito. It was still nice and cold.

‘Yes, really,’ he shrugged his shoulders and slumped on to the lounger next to me. ‘Although I don’t understand why it was bothering you so much.’

‘Because it’s driving me crazy!’

‘But it’s unfair. I’m not telling you what to do am I?’ He wasn’t looking at me but something in the distance. I followed his gaze only to see a rose climbing over the fence. It was in full blossom but I’m sure it wasn’t what he was seeing.

‘No, you are not but I can’t do it myself hence I asked you. At the end of the day, we both live in this house.’

‘Exactly, and we both agreed on giving each other space and not trying to force the change.’ He sighed.

I wasn’t sure where that came from and I could see the bottom of my Mojito glass in need of refilling, but the matter still wasn’t resolved. Despite Mark’s words, I could almost hear the tapping through the double glazing of the kitchen window.

‘So how exactly did you handle it permanently as you say?’ I asked and looked straight into his eyes.

‘I removed it.’

‘You did what?’ My mouth dropped. I was expecting him to fix the leak not to disconnect the tap altogether! We needed it!

‘I disconnected and removed it. No trace left. Happy?’

‘Not really…’ I said, not sure if my hearing was somewhat affected by a combination of the hot weather and Mojito.

‘What else would you want me to do then?!’ He asked and raised his eyebrows.

‘Like try to fix it maybe?’

‘Fix what?’ His face started turning red. ‘Isn’t it enough I can’t have my hobbies, now you’re blaming me for our argument? Do you want an apology as well?’ He got up swiftly and walked back inside. I followed as this was going nowhere.

‘Fix that!’ I pointed at the leaking tap he was actually looking at, pondering something.

‘Oh yeah, Josh will be coming tomorrow as I don’t have the tools,’ he said and left me gobsmacked.

‘Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?’

‘You didn’t ask.’

‘I did.’ I waved my hands and spilt the rest of the Mojito on the floor. I forgot I was holding the glass in my hand.

‘When? I don’t remember. But don’t change the topic.’ He focused his gaze on me again.

‘But this is the topic!’

‘No, it’s not. It’s about respecting each other’s space. I do not tell you how you should spend your free time, do I?’

‘I don’t tell you either. You can do what you please.’ I furrowed my eyebrows.

‘But you just did!’ his voice reached the high tones.

‘When?’

‘Upstairs!’

‘I didn’t. I asked you to fix the tap.’

‘What? I thought you were upset about me gaming too much?’

‘Why? I don’t mind you playing your games.’

‘So why on Earth have I deleted it!!’

‘I don’t know,’ I shrugged. ‘Do you want a Mojito?’ I asked as I definitely needed a refill.

‘Make it a big one,’ he said and ran upstairs.