Turnaround (the sequel)

Peace?

Huh? There was only one person in this whole wide world who called me by that name.

Alexander?

Yeah. It is me, Alexander..not the great, though. You have ccome back. Welcome home, my Peace!

Don't get your hopes too high. I just came to get the rest of my things. A taxi is waiting at the gate for me. I am in great hurry.

All your things?

All my things. Don't worry, I am not carting away what you had given me.

Peace, Peace...

Stop calling me that. Name's Paz!

Peace, Paz, whatever, It doesn't make any difference. I still like to call you Peace...like tranquil, calm, serene, all that you are and I am not. Right?

I didn't come here to discuss that with you. Please leave the room so I can pack.

You look great. I wonder who inspires you. Or has anyone captured your heart yet?

Please leave so I can continue packing. Or don't you trust me? Heck you had to see and check what I was going to stash away in my bag, yes?

Peace, you can get everything you want in this house, I have given you all this anyway, didn't I? I told you before, I tell you again. What is mine is yours.

After half an hour

I am done..Gotta go. Bye.

Uh uh, not just yet. You have forgotten smething very important.

I don't think I have forgotten anything. I've got all that I came here for.

Not everything. You have forgotten to leave behind some very precious things I have given you. And I am not letting you leave with them.

What?

My kisses and my hugs, Please leave them here, all of them, I demand that from you.

This is a ruse, isn't it? You're trying to lure me into a trap. Oh great. But I am not buying it. I must be going, goodbye.

Peace, this is not just about that born-again Jesus thing, is it? There is another man in your life, am I not right?

That is the craziest idea I have heard from you.

Then what is it? I would like to know. Come on, spill the beans.

Listen, Alex. The taxi is waiting. The driver is blowing his horn. I shouldn't have come if I knew you were here. I should have called first to make sure you weren't home. But then again, I couldn't leave like a thief.

Peace, tell me. weren't you happy with me?

Would you like me to tell you the honest truth?

Yes please.

Even if it hurts?

Even if it hurts.

Alex, we were both very young back then, remember? I was barely out of my teens and you were young at twenty four, no matter how much you have already accomplished in life. Our passion was strong, sizzling, but like most passions it burned out fast. I am sorry.

I am not. And if I could do it all over again I would. I have always loved you, Peace. I will always love you. Till all the rivers ran dry, till the sun grew cold and till we're wrinkled and old, I will love you with the same love yesterday, today and till the end...forever.

You have a weird way of showintg it, though. You were extremely jealous, Why you would even suspect your own shadow.

That's because I love you very much.

No Alex, you don't love me. You never loved me. You smothered me. I couldn't have friends, no meaningful endeavors, no freedom, no fun. I was a prisoner in your house. This house that lesser creatures, as you call them could only covet. Huge, luxurious, with elegant furnishings and Sodalite marble amenities, gold doorknobs, well-manicured lawn, olympic swimming pool, a mini golf course, top of the line cars and yacths that I had at my disposal. I was lucky to have caught your fancy. But I wasn't happy. I didn't care about those jewelry, those fancy clothes, trips abroad. All I wanted was you. To have and to hold at night. But you were not there, You were always out doing business till dawn.I was very lonely.

Now you're telling me. I thought all these things made you very happy. That was why I tried to shower you with more. That was why I worked my ass off so you could have all these things and so much more.

When you first brought me here I was very happy. I thought I was very fortunate. But as the days went on, I became more and more lonely, abandoned, alone. Yes, we had gone on vacations abroad, but you were always on the phone over business transactions. You didn't even notice how much weight I had gained over the years, and if you wanted me to get rid of extra fat around my middle. Did you even think about getting me pregnant? How I longed to be a mother. But, of course you would have had to marry me so that we wouldn't have to be living in sin and without God's and society's blessing. .But even that took the backseat to your businesses

Did you know that when you walked into that door today, I breathed a thank you God for bringing my Peace back home? I believed that if you truly loved a person, you would find a way back. Jesus Christ, how wrong I was!

I am sorry Alex, but we see things differently. I guess we shall have to accept that we were not meant for each other.

What can I do to change your mind? I love you so much, Peace. I cannot let you go.

Oh Alex, stop it. You only say that. But it's not true..Remember when you first brought me out for dinner? You said, you would never look at another girl. And yet when another girl walked, sashayed, rather, into the room, you almost dropped your fork gawking at her. You had flings here and there, left and right. But then you reasoned, you claimed, rather that a fling, was good for business. I couldn't see why though. I still don't understand why flings could be good for business. Unless they were there to give extra service to your clients? You know what I mean?

How can I ever make you believe how much I love you? You are my world, my sunshine, my happiness, the love of my life. I cannot imagine life without you. There is no other woman that can replace you.

Oh, there will be others after me as there have been others before me, right, Alex? I am sure you won't be lonely for long. You will find somebody else. I hope, however you wont comit the same mistakes you did when we were together..

The driver blew his horn again

That must be my driver. Gotta really go. Farewell Alexander.

Let me help carry your things.

No, thanks, I can manage. Goodbye, Alex. May the good Lord bless and keep you.

Peace, it's not too late, is it? We can stilll..

Alex, Alex, every morning we get a chance to be different. A chance to change. A chance to be better. Our past is our past. Let's leave it there. Get on with the future. Farewell.

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