Ghosts of Boyfriends' Past

I've been having this dream lately where I successively date a few of my ex-boyfriends. Ghosts of boyfriends' past, if you will.

In my dreams time has elapsed since I've dated them. It's present day in my alternate universe. We indeed broke up like we did in real life, but for some reason we are getting back together.

***

My first love is fat. He's severely overweight, just as he was in high school before we had started dating. He may be even heavier. The reason he's so fat is because he's eating his feelings. He's not happy and I'm not happy with him. We know we aren't right for each other, which is a shame.

It really is a shame that we didn't make it. He was a pretty thoughtful boyfriend until he joined a fraternity and started drinking so much in college. He and alcohol were a bad mix, as his father was an alcoholic. It was hard watching the descent into alcoholism watching him transform from someone I loved into someone I didn't.

I didn't start drinking until we broke up, and he told me I had finally become the person he wanted: drunk. Obviously there are lingering issues there. But the beginning—the person he used to be—there was no reason why we couldn't have lasted.

But here he is in my dreams fat and unhappy. Whatever the reason is, we just aren't right for each other. He's not quitting on me though, he's just eating, eating, eating. Containers of icing. Raw cake batter. And it's up to me to pull the plug and let the relationship die.

***

Mark, the reason I started this blog and the person whose existence I forget about the most (seriously, my parents mention him and I'm like who?), is back. I usually call him up after all of these years. Seven years, to be exact. And I call him up after seven years, not knowing a thing about him or where he is in life, and I ask to get back together with him. He sighs. He's reluctant. But he agrees.

Apparently he still has his old job and he's holding a training with the sales staff. Then he's on the road for work. Then he's visiting his parents. He never has time for me. I never see him in my dream: he's always on the other end of the phone line, very similar to our relationship. Finally I wised up to realize that he's not seeing me because he doesn't want to see me. He's back with me, but not the way I wanted him to be. I call him up and break up with him on the phone without ever seeing him.

***

Valdosta looks at his phone. "My favorite bartender is serving tonight," he says as he makes a grab for his coat.

"But you just got here," I protest. He literally just got here. I was cutting vegetables for dinner.

Valdosta shrugs. He'd rather be drinking with his friends.

I'm disappointed. I'm beyond disappointed. This is the first time I've seen him in two weeks and it lasted less than 10 minutes.

I look down at the white laminated counter. "You don't like me anymore, do you." It wasn't a question.

"No," he says quietly. This isn't like the first breakup where he tells me he cherishes me. This is cold. If I had left things alone with him, I could have had nice memories, but I had to drag it out.

It's awkward in the kitchen. Valdosta leaves and I feel empty and ashamed.

***

I begin to slowly wake. I'm cognizant enough to know I'm laying on someone's shoulder—my boyfriend's shoulder—but I'm not cognizant enough to know who that is.

I open my eyes like Christmas morning. It's Abe. I sigh with relief. I like this boyfriend. This is a good boyfriend.

Although, I'm tangled up in him in a curious way. My head is on his shoulder, and my hands are digging into his sides as if I'm trying to grab his ribs. My face is smooshed into his neck. He's snoring, which is really, really loud with my face pressed into him.

I shake him awake. I'm not gentle about it. I wanted the snoring to stop and I wanted to interact with him to prove he was real.

Abraham wakes up. I watch him cautiously. He looks at me and he smiles. He didn't question why I abruptly shook him; he just smiled.

I don't think I was ever so happy to see someone in my life.

Interview with Abraham

What did you think of me when we first met? You didn't get that home run in kickball.

I thought, I'm so awesome, I just kicked it over everyone's heads and I'm about to score, oh wait, why is this chick standing on home plate, oh crap, I can't stop, I'm gonna run her over...and BAM.

Did you know I was The One when I was throwing up in your bathroom?

I had my doubts, but you were in the top five for sure.

What are you most looking forward to when I move in? I bet it's getting rid of half of your stuff. You can admit it. This is a safe place.

 I'm looking forward to spending your rent (errrr love) money on upgrades for my condo!

(Edit: I refuse to let him call it rent because he's my lover, not my landlord.)

Anything that I didn't ask that you want to address?

Not yet, ask me later.

What do you think your blog name is? Go on, take a guess. 

Brad

Do you have a question for Abraham? Perhaps one that he could answer when he's not busy at work?

The Bathtub

I don't know why Abraham laid against the bathtub awaiting the inevitable that drunken night. Perhaps because that's what I did. I was in unfamiliar surroundings and the toilet was too far away and I was running out of time.

I destroyed his bathmat only for it to be resurrected in the washing machine. The morning after Abe's birthday, I again lifted the bathmat off the floor and threw it in the wash.

Upon further inspection, Abraham had also taken out both shower curtains. I offered to wash these as well, but he said they were too old to salvage.

So we bought a shower curtain from Bed Bath and Beyond. And this shower curtain is the first thing that is ours.

Life Comes Full Circle Alright

This time last year Abraham and I would spend most of our time lying in bed together. We laid on his creaky hand-me-down mattress under the safety an ancient navy blue comforter. His flat, lumpy pillows left something to be desired. But the company was nice.

Every few days that we saw each other, he'd roll on his side and face me. "My birthday's coming up," he'd say "But it's not a big deal."

I knew by his frequent mentions that it was a big deal. Abraham knew he liked me--he thought of us as together by that point--and he wanted me there.

So I went. I sat at a table at our bar as friends approached him with shots. There were a lot of friends; there were a lot of shots. At the end of the night, he climbed into my car and I took him home and gave him his present.

He was less excited about his birthday this year. Thirty-six was older than he was ready to be. We pleaded with Abraham to make plans until he sighed and said we would just go to the same bar.

There were less people around this time as it wasn't one of our usual nights there. I asked the bartender to make Abraham the pinkest, fruitiest, girliest drink he knew. Someone else iced him, which is presenting him with Smirnoff Ice. But he mostly drank beer this night.

Abraham got drunk. Despite not having shots, he was drunker than he was last year. I think it was because we have calmed down quite a bit over the last year; we don't drink as heavily as we used to.

Abraham fell into my car and then kept telling me to drive slower. I was driving 35 mph. When we got to his house, he walked into his bathroom and plunked down by his bathrub.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Preparing myself."

Within a minute he had his dead in the tub, vomiting.

"That's good, baby, let it out. You'll feel better." I called from the other room.

Despite the hour, I picked up my phone and texted South Carolina Bestie: Guess who is lying on the bathmat and yakking in the bathtub. Hint: it's not me.

Within a few minutes I stopped hearing him throw up. "You okay?" I called.

No response.

I peeked in the bathroom. Abraham was snoring on top of his pile of dirty laundry.

Hahaha she replied. Life comes full circle alright :)

Vignettes

Clemson reappeared at kickball this season. He returned a little thinner and a little more reclusive. He says he's been working.

Abraham and I walked into the league bar in our matching kickball t-shirts. After I greeted Clemson and walked away, Abraham nudged him.

"Remember when you told me to stay away from her? I didn't listen to you," Abraham smiled.

Wait. So Clemson told Abraham to stay away from me? The news of this hurt. Yeah, we had a weird back-and-forth thing for a couple of months, but I didn't think it warranted telling other people to not be friends with me. I never would have said that of him.

Abraham, perhaps seeing my hurt, said he thought Clemson said that last year because he had unrequited feelings for me. I'm not so sure.

I no longer greet Clemson at the bar. I have nothing to say to him. Abraham still approaches him to talk football.

***

For Mel's birthday, a large group of friends met at the park to go to the food trucks. It was one of the last warm days of fall that didn't require a jacket.

As I waved and headed toward Harvey and Swayze, I heard my name being called. It was Schmoozer.

"How are you? How are things with Abe?"

"Good and good. We just picked a date to move in together."

Schmoozer sighed. "Man, I feel like I'm behind the curve on the relationship front."

He didn't realize the extent of Katie's relationship with the boy who came after him. That he moved in. That they are talking marriage. Mel's boyfriend was lost somewhere in the food-truck crowd. And now my news. He had a reason to feel that way. Maybe he'll treat girls a little more genuine now.

Schmoozer went to get food and his best friend joined me.

"I hear you're moving in with Abe," he said.

News travels fast.