Kimberly did not know what to make of her mother’s unusual behaviour. Only one name came to mind though. Hussein. He must have said something extraordinary to her mother to have put her in that mood. She smiled and laid back on the bed. Her mother had said that Hussein was a nice man, but Kimberly knew personally that he was more than that. He was a wonderful man. Just thinking of him caused her heart to float lightly in her chest and she knew that she would miss him terribly when she left at the end of their vacation. But for the duration that she was here, she was going to enjoy his presence and his wit.
“I wish I had met you earlier,” she said aloud.
“Met whom earlier?” Ladipole was standing in her doorway.
“You knock before you enter a woman’s room, Ladipole. Has living with four women under one roof not taught you that?”
“I was not inside.” He walked in and flopped down on her bed.
“Nobody respects privacy these days.”
“Hey, what’s up with the attitude? I saw you running like all hell was let loose behind you and I got worried. What happened?”
“Nothing serious really. I was just in a bit of a rush.”
“So, where did you disappear to last night? Emma was not feeling well and it was just Jessica and I at supper. She was so moody I dared not ask her a single question. I think coming home has had a rather strange effect on her.”
“Are you here to gossip about Jessica to me, Ladipole?”
“I wouldn’t dare, but I do want to know where you disappeared to yesterday.”
“I had dinner with Hussein”
“Huh?”
“I had dinner with Hussein.”
“I heard you.” He sat up and looked at her with incredulity. “I don’t believe you,” he laughed. “What did you have for dessert? Swords and crossbows?”
“What do you mean?”
“A person would have to be dead to not notice all the tension between you two when you are both in the same room. It’s any wonder you haven’t taken to each other’s throats already.”
“We are not wild animals and there is no tension between Hussein and me.”
“Tell me another.”
“You’re impossible. I don’t even know why I’m talking to you right now.”
“Because you want to. You want to talk about how you had a good time and how you want to do it again and again. And how you wish you had met him earlier.” Ladipole grinned.
“Quite the sage tonight, aren’t you?” Kimberly chuckled, admitting to herself that Ladipole was not far from the truth.
“I have three sisters who get new boyfriends every three weeks, being sage is what I do,” Ladipole said simply and Kimberly burst into laughter.
“I am not shuffling boyfriends tri-weekly but you are right. I did have a good time.”
“And you want to have dinner with him again.”
“Yes. Am I crazy?”
“No, but you should know that long distance relationships just don’t last.”
“I’m not looking for a relationship.”
“What are you looking for?”
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. She had no idea what she wanted now. “I don’t have to want something to have dinner with someone.”
“No, you don’t, but life always has a way of making you want more.”
“Well, I’ll be out of here before that happens.”
“Because I care about you, Kimberly, I’ll ask you to be careful nonetheless. Hussein Mubarak does not strike me as a man to be toyed with. And he is definitely no Isaac Newton. You still haven’t told us why you broke up with Newton though I can guess a few reasons.”
“Get out of my room, Ladipole.” Kimberly laughed as she playfully pushed him off her bed. “You’re such a gossip.”
“Hey, I just wanted to know okay,” Ladipole laughed, “though I’m glad you broke up with him. He did not deserve a sweet thing like you.”
“Out! Out Ladipole!” Kimberly’s sides hurt from laughing so much. She managed to drag Ladipole outside before adding, “And never call me a sweet thing again, otherwise I’ll break all your front teeth.”
Ladipole guffawed and held his mouth in mock pain. Kimberly shut the door and collapsed with laughter against it. Even though he was so annoying at times, there were times too when she felt truly lucky to have Ladipole as a friend. Aside from Jessica, he and Emma were the only two that she could truly count as friends, and she hoped with all her heart that they would stay that way forever. She did not want to lose any more people in her life.
