My Entry - Breakup

         

Word Count: 894

BREAKUP

I was trying very hard not to get emotional over the breakup.  We had been going out for over a year, which was a record for me.  I was in the bathroom staring at his toothbrush.  He must have forgotten it in his rush to get out of the apartment. The fight had started over nothing but I guess things had been building and I didn’t even know it.  He’d had enough of me.  I wasn’t so sure that I was over him though.

I remember so clearly earlier that evening, standing in the kitchen and making chicken stir fry, one of our favorite dinners.  I had had a couple of glasses of wine while making dinner but nothing extreme.  He had come in and just grunted a hello.  I made some snide remark about him having the manners of a gorilla.  The next thing I know he is shoving everything that I had ever done wrong in our relationship down my throat.  I could only stand there in the steam of the cooking food, gripping the spoon.  What had brought this on?

I turned the stove off and walked back into the living room while he was ranting about how I had ruined his brother’s wedding.  I had no idea what he was talking about.

“What is going on with you?” I asked him, getting seriously upset.

“What do you care?  Just finish dinner and we’ll eat it, watch t.v., and go to bed just like we do every night.”

“Is that what this is about?  I’m boring you?  So sorry I let you have some time to relax after work.  Sorry I always cook your favorite meals.  I’m sorry I exist!” Then I tramped out of the room and slammed shut the bedroom door.  I walked over to the closet grabbed a jacket, stomped back out into the living room where my boyfriend was looking a little abashed.  Good, he should, the jerk.  I put on my jacket as I walked towards the door and slammed my way out of the front door as well. 

I needed time to think. Did I want to waste time with someone that would blow up over something as slight as worrying about getting in a rut?  You discussed those types of issues you didn’t lose your mind about them - at least not at first.  He had never acted this way and I couldn’t understand it.  I headed over to my girlfriend’s apartment which was only a ten minute walk.  By the time I got there she said.

“He already called and wants to talk to you?”

“I’m not ready to go down that path yet.  I don’t want to be yelled at anymore.  He’ll probably start to yell at me for breaking up his parents.”

“But you didn’t even know him then.  How can he blame you for that?”

“That small detail wouldn’t stop him, trust me. Right now I am the cause of everything bad that ever happened to him and his family.  The strange thing is he was so happy on the phone today.  He even wanted to make sure I was home when he got there.”

“Well, he sounded really down on the phone.  I think he realizes what a fool he has been.”

“I’m not ready to forgive him yet.”  Just then the phone rang and my girlfriend picked it up.

“Yes, she is here but no she doesn’t want to talk to you just yet.” She turned to me and asked, “Is that true?”

“Yep.”

“No she still doesn’t want to talk to you but give her time.  She’ll calm down and come home soon. What,” then there was a long pause as she listened to him talk. “I’ll tell her.  I don’t promise anything but I’ll do my best.”

She hung up the phone and looked at me.  “He is really sorry.  You should have heard him.  He wants you to come home now.  He says he is going to go to his brother’s house for the night so you don’t have to hide at my place.”

I thought about it. I would give him thirty minutes and then head back home.  I walked back into the apartment and went to the bedroom.  I saw he had taken more than a few clothes.  I guess he expected to stay away awhile.  I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth when I saw his toothbrush sitting there all alone.  I got ready for bed and walked over to the bed side table.  Right before I turned the lights out I saw it.

Sitting on the table was an engagement ring.  Underneath it was a note. 

I was afraid earlier, sorry for the bad behavior.  It was difficult for me to discover that I loved you and I never wanted to live without you again.  Guess I ruined that.  Forgive me?

I looked at the ring glittering in the light.  After being so angry only to realize that it was all because he was terrified of what was happening.  Of course he was terrified of marriage his parents had given him a terrible example. I was completely taken by surprise.

I leaned over and picked up the phone to call his cell and forgive him; after I told him never to do that to me again.