Round 5

“How was your weekend” she asked me as we sat across the table from one another?

“Great” I said, “I went fishing and it was relaxing.”

“Fishing?”

“Yeah” I said, “I do that from time to time…fish. You throw a hook in the water and you see what bites…or what doesn’t. It’s a lot like dating, which frankly I’m glad to be rid of.”

She sat in her chair and didn’t get the joke, and once again I knew I was in for a rough session with her.

“Why do people fish when they could just go to the store and buy fish?” she asked.

“Only people that haven’t fished in their life ask that question” I said. “If you tried fishing you might understand.”

“That’s stupid” she said, “to go out and kill things.”

“That’s the nature of life…you sustain yourself off the hierarchy of life that’s available for you.”

“What did you have to eat this morning?” I asked her.

“I had MacDonald’s.”

“And nothing died in that scenario?’ I responded.

“If you call an unfertilized egg dead” she said.

I had to laugh because it was the perfect comeback. She had me.

“I’ve never seen you laugh before” she said.

“Really, because I’m a pretty happy guy.”

“Not with me you’re not” she shot back.

“I suppose that’s the truth” I said” but truth be told…I have never been as angry with anyone in my life as I am with you. You should have known better. You should not be here sitting in front of me. You’re smarter than this, and I can tell.”

“I’m a good student, a good person and you should see that” she said as the tears started to flow.

“That’s what I don’t understand” I told her, “How you could put yourself in this position, and why we’re sitting here now. I don’t get it given the fact that you just made a biologically accurate egg joke.”

“I learned that in science class, and I know that you were a scientist once.”

“I appreciate that’ I told her “and thanks for thinking of me.”

“Can you really help me? Because you’re the only person that really takes the time to hear me anymore. My mother just yells or isn’t there, and the counselor at school has written me off already.”

“Its up to you” I said “but I’ll try to help if I can.”

We talked for a while longer about her options and about more importantly her baby’s options.

“I never thought I’d see you laugh” she said.

“Stranger things” I said. “Stranger things.”