Chapter 5 - Sarah

I enter the staff room and scan the room to see who’s already there. I see Kali sitting at a table by herself. Feeling like a chat I get some food before sitting down opposite her.

‘Hi, how was your weekend?’

‘You don’t want to know. I hope you had a better one than I did.’ Kali responds, her face downcast.

‘I had a lovely weekend thank you. Sorry you didn’t.’ I suspect Kali needs cheering up. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

‘I’d rather listen to a nice weekend, what did you get up to?’

‘I spent it with my lovely husband. Friday evening we ate dinner together, then cuddled on the couch as we watched TV. I then took Will up to bed and we made love before falling asleep together. On Saturday...’

I stumble in my recounting as I see the look on my friend’s face. She is now focusing on eating her lunch. Shit, I’ve got carried away and I’m making her feel worse.

I re-gather, ‘Saturday we did some shopping. I spent most of Sunday doing some work and Will did jobs around the house.’ I edit the romance out and pretty much anything too positive.

 ‘I wish mine had been a fraction of that. I cooked dinner, cleaned up, did housework all day Saturday and then on Sunday Adam went to a friend’s house and came home late after drinking.’ Kali says and then starts to rant, I’ve opened a flood gate, ‘I wanted some romance and got nothing instead. To add to that, while he was out Tracey was ill, and wouldn’t let me out of her sight. It was a crap weekend.’

 ‘Was Adam being a bit of a typical man, thinking about himself?’ I can guess the answer, but it would be good to hear it confirmed.

 ‘Yes. Why do they all have to be so focused on what they want? I love just a cuddle, but no, a cuddle means he wants sex.’ The disgust of her situation clearly evident in her voice.

 ‘I know exactly what you’re saying.’ It’s not my current situation but I can remember what it was like.

 ‘I thought you said Will is a lovely husband.’ Kali’s face a picture of puzzlement at what I’ve said.

 ‘He is, but he wasn’t always. You have to commit to the relationship and work at it. (Though I’d say working with Will is bliss.)’ A smile comes across my face as I consider for a moment the work Will and I do to keep our relationship so wonderful.

‘Oh god, if you’re going all lovey dovey I’m going back to work.’ Kali picks up the remnants of her lunch and clears things away.

I watch her leave the staff room without saying anymore. I sit at the table with my fork in my hand lost in thoughts of my amazing husband. After a minute something snaps me back to reality and back to eating lunch. I worry about Kali - something or, more likely, someone is upsetting her.