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“Come
to yer senses, lass,” he said to me. “He luvs ya. Really luvs.” I
turned back to see him again – that wandering spirit that was always
watching over me. Lately he had been silent, but he just wouldn’t miss the
chance to turn my life upside down when I was in trouble. What
I wouldn’t wish for an ordinary guardian angel! But no, I was stuck with
him – and he wasn’t even an angel, or so he informed me. A Scouse speaker,
weirdly dressed, with those funny eyes, that long hair and that mean temper.
He was good to me, even nice, most of the time. But he drove me insane when
he thought he was right and I was wrong, and he wouldn’t leave me alone
until I gave in to his ideas – usually by screaming or throwing things
aimlessly at him. That
night, I was in trouble. My boyfriend and I had had this terrible argument,
and I’d left him, fuming and wondering whether we’d still have a
relationship after all those bitter words we yelled at each other. I was
alone at my house, hating him and hating myself for life, and then he
came around. My wandering spirit. He
entered the room without being asked, sat on the carpet in front of my sofa
without asking a word of permission. He was like that. “He’s
just mad, he won’ give in. He’s jealous, but he luvs ya. Give ‘im a
secon’ chance,” he told me “No
way in hell.” I replied. “And you can scream away like Yoko Ono for all
I care, I’m not forgiving him”. “Oy,
leave Yoko alone!” “Caught
you off guard, didn’t I?” “Did
not!” “Aw,
just leave me alone.” I turned onto my side on the sofa. He pushed me back
to face him. “Ya
listen to me. Jus’ listen. I oughta know what a man is like. He’s just
jealous. Bet he’s regrettin’ all he said to ya right now. Eatin’
himself alive.” “Would
he?” “Oh
aye. ‘Cos, ya know, he really fancies ya. Whatever love should be,
that’s what he feels for ya. An’ all he said, was just the spur o’ th’
moment, like they say”. “Spur
of the moment, all right!” I snapped. “Like he didn’t mean anything he
said! Like he didn’t want to hurt me like he did!” “Did
not.” he replied, serious and stubborn as always. “Then
how come he doesn’t say he’s
sorry? Why do I have to crawl back to him? I’m not the one who’s wrong,
he is. I didn’t have a jealousy attack and hurt his feelings, he
did. So why should I crawl to him? Doesn’t that sound unfair to you?” He
grew silent, strangely silent. Sat in front of me, those wire glasses on the
verge of falling on the ground. He seemed to be thinking. “Hey,
are you all right?” I asked, when the silence stretched on for five long
minutes. “I
was thinkin’,” he said. “You’re right.” “Took
me a lifetime to hear those words from you.” I chuckled. “Took
me a lifetime to think about it,” he said, with subtle pain in his voice. “So
what do you think I should do?” “Nuthin’.
Leave that to me” “But...” “I
know what I’m doin’,” he said, disappearing from the room as quickly
as he had entered – and I could do nothing to stop him. So I just sat back
and waited, until I drifted to sleep. When
I was a child, he used to lull me to sleep with his singing. Sometimes I can
still feel him around, watching over me as I drift off. I don’t know why
he does it, but I thanked him anyway for doing it. I had a very lonely,
secluded life before my boyfriend came along, and before that, I had only my
spirit friend to help me. Next
day, my boyfriend was there at my doorstep with a bunch of roses, a small
card in his hand. I just took it from him, unsure of what to do. “Read
it,” he said, ashamed. I
took the card in my hands, and there it said: I
didn’t mean to hurt you
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Anna Carolina Fagundes was born in Săo Paulo, Brazil in
January 1981, |
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