it.
* * * *
The following day was a weird one. I had a couple meetings which went well, but the afternoon was blocked out in my schedule so I could research on premises and business use and all the new insane shit I had to learn about rules and regulations and city ordinance laws in the UK. I struggled to keep my mind on things.
Finally I called up Carlee. I hadn't spoken to her for so long, and I'd ignored her calls. But true friendship never dies, right?
Oh, it dies. I learned that within a few moments of our conversation.
"So what do you need?" was her opening line.
"Hey, how you doing?" I said. "What's the weather like?"
"Hitting the high eighties. Humidity like one hundred percent and all. So what do you want from me?"
"Just checking in." I had a bad feeling. "You know. It's been kinda crazy here but things are settling down and I thought it was about time I touched base. How's Craig?"
"He left me."
"Shit, no, when?"
"Oh, about two weeks ago. I called you. But, you know. You were busy. I get that."
"Hell, I'm sorry."
"S'okay."
The silence stretched out between us. I would have done anything to reach through and give her a hug across the miles. But it felt like there was more than an ocean separating us.
"I've been a terrible friend, haven't I?" I said.
"You've been busy."
"It's no excuse."
"No, it's not. Look, I've gotta go. I'm in the parking lot and sweating my ass off."
"Can I call you later?" I had to ask.
"I'm going out."
An excuse. "Right. Okay, well, have a good time."
"Sure. You too."
Then she was gone, just like that, and I felt more alone than ever.
* * * *
No. No. This was not me. This was not Jas. It was time I got ahold of the situation. So what if my old friends fell by the wayside? I could always make new ones. So what if my family didn't want to know me? You never got to choose your family anyhow.
Life was what you made of it, right?
I'd been working hard. It was time to make a real life for myself. I realized that living in the same city all my life had made me lazy. I needed to smarten myself up and learn to adapt. What about military kids who went from base to base? They didn't sit around whining about being all lonely, did they? Well, maybe some of them did. But they had skills of resilience and adaptation, and so would I.
Of course it was kinda hard from a standing start. Without even a set workplace, I was at a disadvantage. I needed to join a gym and start going to some exercise classes; that was obvious. What else could I do? I didn't want to go to bars or join some part time college classes.
So who else did I know in London?
Amjad.
I dug his contact card out. I'd kept it the way I kept any networking chance. You just never knew what would be useful. And though I had no burning desire to make a friend of him, I could only start from the position I was currently in. Perhaps he was married. I could ask his wife for advice about gyms, or nice cafes, or places to hang out.
It seemed improbable but I had to grasp opportunities and if there were no opportunity to grasp, then I'd goddamn make one.
I called him up, my heart beating hard, but I stood up while I spoke to him and mustered all my confidence.
"Hey, Amjad, it's Jasmine." Shit, he would remember me, wouldn't he? I hadn't spoken to him since he drove me home after that terrible night and he'd given me his card. He'd driven us around a little but he'd been silent, the proper English servant thing. "Uh, so, you said to call you if I … if I …"
"If you needed anything. Yes, of course. How may I help?"
He sounded so calm and pleasant. And actually happy to talk to me.
"Yeah, this is kinda a strange request, but I don't know anyone in London yet and I thought maybe I could talk to you about checking out places to go and that? You know, some local knowledge is super helpful."
"But yes. Would you like to come around for supper tonight?"
"I don't want to impose," I started to say. Then I realized
* * * *
The following day was a weird one. I had a couple meetings which went well, but the afternoon was blocked out in my schedule so I could research on premises and business use and all the new insane shit I had to learn about rules and regulations and city ordinance laws in the UK. I struggled to keep my mind on things.
Finally I called up Carlee. I hadn't spoken to her for so long, and I'd ignored her calls. But true friendship never dies, right?
Oh, it dies. I learned that within a few moments of our conversation.
"So what do you need?" was her opening line.
"Hey, how you doing?" I said. "What's the weather like?"
"Hitting the high eighties. Humidity like one hundred percent and all. So what do you want from me?"
"Just checking in." I had a bad feeling. "You know. It's been kinda crazy here but things are settling down and I thought it was about time I touched base. How's Craig?"
"He left me."
"Shit, no, when?"
"Oh, about two weeks ago. I called you. But, you know. You were busy. I get that."
"Hell, I'm sorry."
"S'okay."
The silence stretched out between us. I would have done anything to reach through and give her a hug across the miles. But it felt like there was more than an ocean separating us.
"I've been a terrible friend, haven't I?" I said.
"You've been busy."
"It's no excuse."
"No, it's not. Look, I've gotta go. I'm in the parking lot and sweating my ass off."
"Can I call you later?" I had to ask.
"I'm going out."
An excuse. "Right. Okay, well, have a good time."
"Sure. You too."
Then she was gone, just like that, and I felt more alone than ever.
* * * *
No. No. This was not me. This was not Jas. It was time I got ahold of the situation. So what if my old friends fell by the wayside? I could always make new ones. So what if my family didn't want to know me? You never got to choose your family anyhow.
Life was what you made of it, right?
I'd been working hard. It was time to make a real life for myself. I realized that living in the same city all my life had made me lazy. I needed to smarten myself up and learn to adapt. What about military kids who went from base to base? They didn't sit around whining about being all lonely, did they? Well, maybe some of them did. But they had skills of resilience and adaptation, and so would I.
Of course it was kinda hard from a standing start. Without even a set workplace, I was at a disadvantage. I needed to join a gym and start going to some exercise classes; that was obvious. What else could I do? I didn't want to go to bars or join some part time college classes.
So who else did I know in London?
Amjad.
I dug his contact card out. I'd kept it the way I kept any networking chance. You just never knew what would be useful. And though I had no burning desire to make a friend of him, I could only start from the position I was currently in. Perhaps he was married. I could ask his wife for advice about gyms, or nice cafes, or places to hang out.
It seemed improbable but I had to grasp opportunities and if there were no opportunity to grasp, then I'd goddamn make one.
I called him up, my heart beating hard, but I stood up while I spoke to him and mustered all my confidence.
"Hey, Amjad, it's Jasmine." Shit, he would remember me, wouldn't he? I hadn't spoken to him since he drove me home after that terrible night and he'd given me his card. He'd driven us around a little but he'd been silent, the proper English servant thing. "Uh, so, you said to call you if I … if I …"
"If you needed anything. Yes, of course. How may I help?"
He sounded so calm and pleasant. And actually happy to talk to me.
"Yeah, this is kinda a strange request, but I don't know anyone in London yet and I thought maybe I could talk to you about checking out places to go and that? You know, some local knowledge is super helpful."
"But yes. Would you like to come around for supper tonight?"
"I don't want to impose," I started to say. Then I realized
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