Rejected by Claude

Next afternoon, Claude had returned back to their neighbouhood. I was quiet disappointed about all this but I couldn’t do anything further when something that was disappointing me was bringing happiness in Allison’s life on the other hand.

That evening, while Claude was out and up from his rest. Allison excitedly went to their common garden where he was found with his close friends and company. Allison took me along with her, I rather refused to be there at all but she wanted to introduce him to me. She asked me to stand afar until she would go and say hello to him.

I saw her going towards him and suddenly meeting him from behind, as he turned around to see he got absolutely delighted as he saw her and then they both hugged each other, as if two lovers were reuniting after a long holiday or vacation. I just couldn’t stand the sight of them adoring each other like this and that too openl and it made me hurtfully possessive. So I just turned away my face and looked aside for a couple of minutes.

After a couple of minutes, I saw them in a very different state altogether, sort of trapped in an argument. I could see tears in Allison’s eyes rolling down to her cheeks, so I went nearer to them to go and settle their problem. Allison cried angrily:

‘You can’t do this with me Claude, I won’t let you do this!’

‘Allison look here, you know that I never promised you about us getting married.’

‘But when I asked you about this, you said sure why not!’

‘Come on Allison, you can’t take my words seriously.’

‘Look, you gave me a word, you can’t cheat on me like this… I’ve been waiting for this day since a year.’

‘Allison get a grip,’ he said gently, ‘I do love you but I’m not prepared for this, and marriage is not always the result of every love.’

‘Shut up!’ she cried pushing him from the chest, ‘I hate you for what you just said, I hate you…’

‘Well, I honestly thank God for that,’ he said in attitude, leaving her.

‘Claude stop! Come back please! You know I was just…’

Claude left her and went to his home. She continued crying badly.

I came towards Allison and consoled her by touching her from both the shoulders from behind, taking her away.

‘Come on Allie, let’s go,’ I walked aside with her, ‘Allie, you said you hate him, did you really mean that?’

‘Of course not,’ she cried, ‘I still love him, I just angrily said that without any senses.’

I didn’t like hearing this.

‘What’s happening with me Kenny? Why doesn’t he love me anymore, why did I get rejected?’

‘It’s nothing Allie, he will accept you and you both will be same as before,’ I said comforting her.

I kept on comforting her, but for the first time in my life her tears didn’t depress me, instead I was happier with her sorrow this time.

A Sacrificing Promise

Later that evening, Allison and I were walking in her house,’ terrace, where she was only weeping and I was soaking her tears. I couldn’t see her cry too much so I was thinking of convincing Claude someway, but that would only give me loss.

As Allison stopped walking, she looked at me and said:

‘Kenny, you’ve always supported me, you’ve always shared my sorrows with yourself and made me comfortable. But why are you not supporting me now in a way that I would feel better?’

‘…Allie, I don’t know whether to say this,’ I replied after a break, ‘you are actually wasting your tears for someone who doesn’t really deserve you, you should prefer someone who is capable of your precious love.’

‘Kenny, I think you didn’t love Jenny as much any true lover does.’

‘You’re right, because I love someone else more than her, and as a true lover.’

‘Sorry?’

‘Forget it, I’ll try for you. I’ll go to Claude and convince him.’

‘Will he agree?’

‘I’ll keep on struggling for you, just like all the time.’

Allison kept her fore head on my shoulder and kept on weeping, feeling sort of nervous. We walked for a few minutes and later I dropped her st her home.

Next morning, as I left home, I went straight to Claude’s home on my friend’s bike. As I met Claude as his new neighbour, I persuaded him by making him realise about Allison’s emotions for him. He was rather convinced but he still not agreed, and instead he asked me to join him at lunch in his home. I left his home and finally decided to do something for Allison, which might be a last favour on her.

That afternoon after 2 o clock, I went to Claude’s home without any second proposal by him and knocked his door. He came out and seemed a little surprised,

‘Already?’

‘Yes, can I come in?’

‘Yeah, sure,’ he said by leaving a way for me to enter inside.

Few moments later, we both were seated at the dining table having pasta as the lunch. I started the conversation:

‘So, Claude what did you decide about her?’

‘I think I’m confused, I cannot make my decision.’

‘What is there to decide? You love Allison and she loves you. You both have been in a relationship. Now it’s time for you both to get together, before someone else offers a marriage proposal.’

‘You’re not getting it Kennedy, it’s not that simple she seems changed, before I left her she wasn’t so persevere sort of girl but…’

‘…Look, you’ve got to admit this,’ I interrupted, ‘you cannot find a girl absolutely perfect for you. Every one is defective in one way or another.’

‘I’m still not sure about her…’

‘There’s one thing you won’t find in any other girl but in her,’ I started lying, ‘She is hundred percent faithful, in your absence I asked her many times to make love with me, by saying that I would provide her with better luxuries and better romance. But she always said that she would never cheat you, in return of any cost.’

‘Really?’ he said looking surprised, ‘Well, I still need your opinion, like what you would have done if you were not ready for marriage, but still in relationship with a girl you love.’

‘You know a stitch in time saves nine. You’re in that sort of situation. If you will take the right decision now, then you won’t regret later. And secondly, no one is asking you to get married. She just wants you to get engaged.’

‘A stitch in time saves nine?’ he said admiring the phrase, ‘I liked it very much, we will get engaged and that’s my final decision.’

When he was finally convinced, I got a little satisfied for Allison, but for me this was like making myself suffer. Claude and I continued our lunch and had other conversations.

The Last and Unsatisfactory Conversation

Two weeks later, I was standing at the airport of San Diego with my luggage and suitcases. I was leaving San Diego for San Jose as I had decided to put my miserable romantic world and its memories behind. I was not feeling comfortable while leaving so I decided to at least tell Allison that I loved her, as she was coming for a farewell.

An hour later, I saw Allison coming alone with a bouquet of blue flowers, looking very disheartened. So I waved my hand to her so that she could see me. As she saw me and came closer, I said to her:

‘Allie, thanks for coming…’

‘Kenny, I don’t know why I feel as if I have not thanked you, because of you today I’m engaged to Claude. If it weren’t for you, I might never had…’

‘Well, there is something else I have to tell you today, but right now show me what you brought for me.’

‘Yeah sure,’ she said taking out a bouquet of blue tropical flowers, ‘These are for you, you love them right?’

‘Oh, thank you so much,’ I said taking them, ‘they are so beautiful and fragrant, but not as much as you are!’

She smiled feeling nervous. Then she took out a photograph of hers and mine, which was taken at the art gallery along with the portrait behind.

‘Wow!’ I claimed looking at the picture, ‘This picture will be worthier than my life itself…’

‘Anyways, you were going to tell me something….’

‘Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you that since long even before you told me about Claude, I’ve been in love. I’ve always loved you. More than anyone else, honestly speaking…’

‘Shut up,’ she said getting shockingly astonished, ‘you are lying… if you would have loved me you would never have allowed this engagement to take place.’

‘That’s no point Allie, I knew you would never have loved me if I had tried to propose you once Claude was in your life.’

‘You’re wrong!’ she exclaimed, ‘You should have given this a chance, at least should have tried once.’

‘Yes, you’re right’, I said making regretful expression, ‘I wish I had tried when I had the chance…’

‘What have you done Kenny?’ she said feeling bad for me, ‘Is this what you wanted? Now I’ll never be happy in my perfect life with Claude.’

‘No, please don’t say that, I had to leave you one day, I was nothing in your life. Fate had written yours and Claude’s name as husband and wife.’

‘I don’t believe it, there are still such selfless people like you.’

She held my hands calmly and said softly:

‘Kenny, please don’t leave stay here with me. You won’t be able to survive without me, if you’re really in love with me.’

‘Come on Allie,’ I said resisting my arms from her hands, ‘I’ll be okay, really… but there is one thing I would like to tell you, if there is anyone very lucky or at the top of all blessings in this world, then that person is not any royal luxurious king with entire wealth or power. But that person is Claude, only because he has a lover like you. If you love any person, that person is the most gifted person by God!’

‘Please stop it Kenny, you’re hurting me by such words.’

‘But these flowers and this photograph are going to be your beautiful memories, no matter what happens, I promise you I’ll always keep these precious gifts with myself, because when I’m going to miss you I’ll have these souvenirs with myself.’

‘Kenny, I’ll never forgive you for sacrificing your love without even letting me know.’

‘Allie, we can keep each other’s contact numbers, so that whenever one’s in need of other, a phone call communication can help.’

‘Kenny Kenny stop, please don’t go, we can still be friends…’

‘Allie my love, who said we are not friends?’ I said with tears coming in my eyes, ‘we are and will always be friends…’

Seeing me cry, Allison got even disheartened and went away on the opposite direction without even saying a final goodbye to me.

This was the last time I ever saw Allison in my life, the girl whom I purely loved with sacrificing emotions.

to be continued...