PREACH

It was a Sunday night as far as I remember, no wonder the club was so crowded! I asked the waiter to lead me to a table for 2 as I was waiting for her to come and break the suspense. Lost in my thoughts, I kept wondering what was it she had to talk in person and not over the phone. Why did she choose a place far from the city? She has been weird lately. She wouldn’t pick my calls or respond to my texts, she wouldn’t wanna meet. What is it that made her leave 10 missed calls in the middle of the night? Nevermind, I guess I’ll just have to wait.

Ahhh! There she was. Oops nope, not her. Damn, this has been the third time since I got confused with somebody else. It’s been so long that I almost forgot what she… haha, couldn’t even get there. How can I forget what she looks like?

That’s the only face I remembered even after a major car accident. God, she almost killed me.

“Heyy what on earth are you doing here?” someone screamed from across the bar counter.

I only hoped it wasn’t Ryan. I turned around, as slowly as I could, hoping it wasn’t him. But there he was, with our other friends who I don’t get along with. I don’t know why they were always so interested in knowing what was happening between me and Preach. Sara even convinced Preach that I wasn’t the right guy.

“Hey man what’s up? Where have you been the entire summer? No posts nothing. What’s going on?”, Ryan asked with a sparkle in his eyes as though his entire motive was to finally hear that Preach and I aren’t together so he could have her.

Did I mention it earlier? Ryan and I go way back in time. We were born in the same hospital on the same day, he saw this world a minute before I could. We were brothers who could go to any extent for each other. Until one day, when Preach moved to our neighborhood. It was then we both knew we had a lot of things in common, including the one woman we loved deeply.

“So? Tell us, how’s Preach doing?” Sara asked anxiously. I wish I could answer that question. I hadn’t spoken to Preach since the accident. I had no idea why she stopped talking to me, why she kept avoiding all my messages, and why she didn’t wanna meet me all of a sudden. Until last evening when I received a call from her to meet me. Honestly, I said yes without thinking twice. I just had to meet her. I had my doubts, questions, reasons but none of it mattered the moment she said, “Dave” Right there. I would meet with a thousand accidents if that’s what it took for her to call me up.

“Hello? Dave you there? Or you again lost in her thoughts?” Eli questioned. Eli, a bold, beautiful woman. Someone who would do anything for her friends. She checked up on me regularly post-accident. She made sure I don’t go banging Preach’s door in the middle of the night no matter what.

While they all were busy laughing at me acting nervously, all I could think was of Preach. What was taking her so long? The suspense was killing me on the inside while I had to fake it in front of these people. There were too many people in this group who would do anything to make sure I don’t meet Preach until my last breath. The only thing I could hope was for them to leave before she shows up.

“So tell us, Dave. How’s Preach doing?” another question came in.

“I don’t know, she should..she would… I mean yeah, she must be fine” I stammered as I said that because I knew something wasn’t right. I knew she was in trouble and I knew I had to be there for her. I would do anything for her to be fine. With all these thoughts running in my mind I almost forgot there were about 6–7 people staring at me nervously, waiting for me to clear the air.

“It’s been a long time since we spoke so I don’t know what she has been up to lately” I covered it up somehow, looking eye-to-eye with Eli who knew how difficult it has been for me.

“Oh, we understand. So where’s she now? Are you waiting for her? Is this is the day we all sit together after ages?” Ryan asked. I knew he was hoping the answer to it was a no. I could do anything to not let Ryan know that Preach and I haven’t been in good terms. I hadn’t seen her since the day I woke up at the hospital. I tried everything I could to find her. After 4 months, I finally gave up and moved upstate. I had to get my life together. I had dollars of pending medical bills to pay, rent, studio. All of it wasn’t magically going to get covered up.

“Yeah, probably. You guys wanna get some drinks together?” I tossed the question.

My mind was so occupied thinking about her that I would do anything to stop myself from getting anxious. Every minute felt like hours. After a point, I started to believe that she is not gonna show up tonight. I checked my phone every 2 seconds.

“Remember the time when Dave and Ryan got into a fight because of Preach at the basketball ground?” Sara asked mockingly. I knew she was doing this on purpose. Ryan and I, it has taken a long time for us to not fight while being in the same room together.

Preach. Every time I hear that word, I skip a heartbeat. I first met her when she was figuring out how to brush her hair against a scale. She ended up rubbing it so hard that it stood still the moment she lifted her scale. “What an idiot,” I said laughingly. She heard me say it and had this grumpy face as she didn’t even realize why I was calling her an idiot. She was only 7 years old when I first saw her. She had moved to my neighborhood recently. And just like any other neighborhood rules, I was responsible to take her and my little brother to school safely. I was only 12 years old but holding her hands and ensuring that she is safe was something I cherished so much those days. I just knew I had to be there for her every time she falls down her bicycle or while walking or when her mom would scold her. Every time she got upset, she would hide inside my closet as her’s wasn’t big enough to fit her in.

Even now when she’s 23 and young and beautiful, she still chooses to hide in my closet. She doesn’t fit completely inside now so she simply keeps her legs hanging outside. She being around makes me feel like I am home. She is my home. Her dark brown eyes. The way she would purposefully stand facing the sunlight, expecting me to take her candid, sun-kissed photos without her knowing about it. The way she would try reaching my height by jumping around. And how she would try combining every outfit with her scarfs collection but nothing could match those green, ugly ones. And her coffee? Strong with just a packet of sugar on one side, so she could stuff it in her mouth later on. I remember one night when she almost caught the fever as she wouldn’t stop crying because her favorite slippers went missing.

I flipped the house upside down so she could stop crying and there they were, right under her bed. But her laugh when she found out, I swear to God, I would do anything for that laugh. She plays fair, I mean, only sometimes. But mostly she is going to go dirty on you because she has to win every game she touches. Give her 5 seconds and she would have already figured out the fire exit for her greatest escape from all hardcore parties. It isn’t about her not liking parties. Let’s just say, she has watched too many shows that make her wanna be spooky and fun all the time. She is way too secretive, I must say. Yet, I somehow manage to understand why she has been laughing way too much lately or why she has been sleeping a lot. But I always give her her own space, and bammmm, she’s back on track with her french fries and chicken nuggets, shopping unnecessary stuff all for herself. She is Preach. She doesn’t need an explanation.

“Dave? You there? Are you okay? You haven’t recovered from the accident I suppose” Eli asked.

“Oh crap. No these stitches keep hurting but it’s getting better. My life is coming back on track, searching for a new job, and yeah that’s pretty much it” I answered while I checked my phone and the restaurant door nervously. Why hasn’t she shown up still? It’s been an hour already.

“Dave that’s great but how’s Preach doing? Especially after the divorce. How’s she now? Is everything okay between the two of you?” Sara asked as her eyes flickered.

“Divorce? Who? What? Ahh, my head.” I stammered as I looked at Eli wondering what divorce was she talking about.

“Dave calm down. We need to take you to the hospital. You are bleeding” Ryan said as he panicked.

“No first tell me who got divorced?” I screamed at Eli, hoping it wasn’t true.

“You and Preach, last year” Eli sighed.