by Meena Menezes

Created on: February 28, 2009

WEIGHT ON MY MIND

I am really upset! I have an unwelcome guest in my house and I don't know how to
get rid of her.
I was totally unprepared, when my husband brought her home and with a wide grin on his face he said: 'Surprise!'
Surprised, no! More like shocked, speechless. Was this his idea of a joke?
"I thought you would be happy!"
After 25 years of marriage you'd think a couple would know each other better, but obviously not, at least not in our case! There's no hope for us then, is there?

My husband just doesn't understand. He seems to think I am making a mountain out of a molehill and that I am paranoid about her being there. All I know is that I just don't want her in my house; her being there bothers me.
Our relationship goes back to when I was in my early 20s. Initially everything was fine and there was no problem, but then she started getting on my nerves.
We had what I would define as a love/hate relationship. Some days she made me feel good, but most times, she frustrated me and I just stayed as far away from her as possible.
When I realised that she was causing me more grief than joy, I figured it best to sever all ties. If the truth be told, what I didn't like about her was her outright honesty and yet I always instigated it.
I agree, it was not her fault, that's just the way she was, but did she always have to be so brutally blunt, when it came to showing me the outcome of my indulgences? It was more than I could handle.
Meeting her now unexpectedly had caught me off guard and made me feel vulnerable all over again. Although she had crossed my mind occasionally, I conveniently shrugged all thoughts of her.
Now here she was again to ruin my peace of mind. This was my house and I felt my privacy was being invaded!
I couldn't eat in peace anymore, I just felt guilty, with her there. She never said anything, but I felt like she was even watching every morsel I ate.
When I told my friends about her sudden appearance in my house, they found my reaction hilarious, but I failed to see the humour.
"How can you be afraid of her, she can't harm you?"
But I had to admit that to a certain degree I was.
They suggested that I either tell my husband she had to go or simply face the issues I had with her and overcome the fear once and for all.
I had reached a point where I was ready to give my husband the ultimatum... her or me!
That was a bit scary though, considering the way I had been ranting and raving for days about her presence; if I were him I would have chosen her over me.
Realising that I didn't need any more stress than I already had, I opted to face the enemy head on first thing the next morning.
So the next day, despite the edgy nerves I walked up to where she sat, took a deep sigh and closed my eyes for a few seconds.
It was indeed a moment of truth as, I finally took the plunge, stepped forward and then she spoke in that familiar tone that I had never forgotten... you weigh 55 kilos.
That darn electronic weighing scale - I still hate her!

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