Let Her Talk About Her Exes

"I saw my first college boyfriend the other day", she says, deadpan and deliberate.

As if describing the obvious and the mundane, like the weather, or the unmagnificent lives of adults.

"He was eating his fingers like they were just another meal."

I take note that she says he was her first college boyfriend.

I then say some random guy's name, enunciating only the last syllable.

"No, not him- " and she then proceeds to pronounce the guy's name in full, and a long train of thought follows her in pensive silence, a floodgate of memories is now opened, all her good ol' days of young.

We are stopped by the red light.

"So, how did you two hook up?"

She tells me about all of her exes. The ones in college and the ones in her first workplace. Those who broke her heart, and those whose heart she broke. The silly little complications that she could do without.

I let her walk down the memory lanes, as hard as it was for me to listen to all the nauseating lovesick details - so that she would always remember how she finally arrived at me, and then chose to stay.

I let her talk about her exes, because they are a part of her personal past that I will never be able to experience, a part of who she was that is no longer there, a part of her that I will never get to know.

A rustling sound is heard, and she interrupts herself to check on the baby, sleeping in the back seat.

She shoos her down and tucks the blanket. The baby rolls, rattles the cot, and then slowly snoozes.

She turns around, looks ahead, and says-

"You know, sayang, I really thought I was gonna end up marrying him."

She waits for my reply, but I have none.

Author's notes - This was written this year, sometime in mid January.

I got the idea after watching 500 Days of Summer, even though the movie is nothing like this story.

Events described here never took place, but I do believe you have to make peace with your exes.

The singing bride is Nurul Hazwani. Picture is taken and used here without her consent. Obviously.

I listened to Sufjan Stevens' indie folk album "Illinois'' all throughout the writing process.