imagine him scrawling out something like, “Obstinate, defiant and loony to boot.”
He stared straight at me again. I supposed he believed his gaze to be a “penetrating stare”, and perhaps he was hoping to disarm me with it. I only stared back, as oblivious to his hints as a fly.
“So, ah, Annasuya Rose. If you don’t feel like talking about it, what do you feel like talking about? In other words, why are you here?”
I shrugged again. I wondered if there was any way I could increment my short arsenal of gestures beyond shrugging, shrugging and more shrugs.
“I guess I came because my boyfriend told me to,” I mumbled.
Dr. Rheinhardt seized upon that.
“Ah, your boyfriend. So, you could talk about your boyfriend instead. What’s he like? How is your relationship?”
I shrugged for the third or fourth time.
“He’s okay. After all, he’s paying so I can come here. He’s gotta be pretty cool, right?”
Dr. Rheinhardt jotted some more notes.
“Okay. So he’s cool. How would you compare him to the man who attacked you?”
I glared at him.
“Are you kidding me? You’re kidding, right? There’s no way you can compare the two.”
I slashed through the air in front of me with my hands flat, palms down and fingers extended.
“They’re like night and day. Why do you ask?”
It was the good psychologist’s turn to shrug.
“Do you believe in synchronicities? That means that nothing ever happens by chance. That means there must have been some reason why your... attacker... showed up in your life at this point. Perhaps there’s some similarity between him and the men you like to go out with. Perhaps he even knows your boyfriend.”
My head shot up.
“There is no way Calvin could possibly have ever met Bruno! That’s impossible,” I cried out.
More note-taking.
“Bruno. You say your attacker’s name was Bruno.”
I nodded.
“Okay. If you’re that curious, his name was Bruno Jarvas. Happy now? Hope you don’t just happen to know him and he’s your bosom buddy or something.”
Dr. Rheinhardt sighed.
“Although you might find it hard to believe, ah, Annasuya Rose, I’m actually on your side.” His voice sounded weary. “I want to help you.”
He leaned over his desk and handed me a card.
“Call me night or day if you need me.”
*
My life was starting to return to normal. The rivers flowing back to their habitual course. The wind blowing where it was supposed to. You could almost pretend that nothing had ever happened, and Bruno Jarvas had never existed.
But I knew he existed. As long as I lived I would never, could never, forget him. What he did to me wasn’t something anyone could ever forget.
Calvin picked up a new project and now I rarely saw him. I had to start hustling to get back in to pick Romeo up at school on time again. When he was between projects, Calvin usually picked him up. I was grateful I had at least signed Romeo up to every after-school activity imaginable, thus giving me time to rush in from downtown after the late nights I was often asked to work.
In fact, the one thing I still hadn’t faced yet was returning to work. Walking into a totally unfamiliar and unknown environment again, and sharing an office with complete strangers. I had done this for ten years. It was part and parcel of my working life.
But that was before Bruno Jarvas.
So now, when Geri called me one day out of the blue with a new offer for me, I was terrified.
“How are you doing, Annasuya?” Her voice stumbled slightly over the words.
“I’m fine,” I told her succinctly.
“I’m sorry I hadn’t called up sooner.” Her words tumbled out in a rush. “I meant to. Really I did. I always meant to find out how you were doing. I’m sorry. I should’ve stayed more in touch with you.”
“Why?” I couldn’t help bursting out. “It’s not like you’re my older sister or something.”
There was a long, embarrassed silence on the line. I realized I’d been too
He stared straight at me again. I supposed he believed his gaze to be a “penetrating stare”, and perhaps he was hoping to disarm me with it. I only stared back, as oblivious to his hints as a fly.
“So, ah, Annasuya Rose. If you don’t feel like talking about it, what do you feel like talking about? In other words, why are you here?”
I shrugged again. I wondered if there was any way I could increment my short arsenal of gestures beyond shrugging, shrugging and more shrugs.
“I guess I came because my boyfriend told me to,” I mumbled.
Dr. Rheinhardt seized upon that.
“Ah, your boyfriend. So, you could talk about your boyfriend instead. What’s he like? How is your relationship?”
I shrugged for the third or fourth time.
“He’s okay. After all, he’s paying so I can come here. He’s gotta be pretty cool, right?”
Dr. Rheinhardt jotted some more notes.
“Okay. So he’s cool. How would you compare him to the man who attacked you?”
I glared at him.
“Are you kidding me? You’re kidding, right? There’s no way you can compare the two.”
I slashed through the air in front of me with my hands flat, palms down and fingers extended.
“They’re like night and day. Why do you ask?”
It was the good psychologist’s turn to shrug.
“Do you believe in synchronicities? That means that nothing ever happens by chance. That means there must have been some reason why your... attacker... showed up in your life at this point. Perhaps there’s some similarity between him and the men you like to go out with. Perhaps he even knows your boyfriend.”
My head shot up.
“There is no way Calvin could possibly have ever met Bruno! That’s impossible,” I cried out.
More note-taking.
“Bruno. You say your attacker’s name was Bruno.”
I nodded.
“Okay. If you’re that curious, his name was Bruno Jarvas. Happy now? Hope you don’t just happen to know him and he’s your bosom buddy or something.”
Dr. Rheinhardt sighed.
“Although you might find it hard to believe, ah, Annasuya Rose, I’m actually on your side.” His voice sounded weary. “I want to help you.”
He leaned over his desk and handed me a card.
“Call me night or day if you need me.”
*
My life was starting to return to normal. The rivers flowing back to their habitual course. The wind blowing where it was supposed to. You could almost pretend that nothing had ever happened, and Bruno Jarvas had never existed.
But I knew he existed. As long as I lived I would never, could never, forget him. What he did to me wasn’t something anyone could ever forget.
Calvin picked up a new project and now I rarely saw him. I had to start hustling to get back in to pick Romeo up at school on time again. When he was between projects, Calvin usually picked him up. I was grateful I had at least signed Romeo up to every after-school activity imaginable, thus giving me time to rush in from downtown after the late nights I was often asked to work.
In fact, the one thing I still hadn’t faced yet was returning to work. Walking into a totally unfamiliar and unknown environment again, and sharing an office with complete strangers. I had done this for ten years. It was part and parcel of my working life.
But that was before Bruno Jarvas.
So now, when Geri called me one day out of the blue with a new offer for me, I was terrified.
“How are you doing, Annasuya?” Her voice stumbled slightly over the words.
“I’m fine,” I told her succinctly.
“I’m sorry I hadn’t called up sooner.” Her words tumbled out in a rush. “I meant to. Really I did. I always meant to find out how you were doing. I’m sorry. I should’ve stayed more in touch with you.”
“Why?” I couldn’t help bursting out. “It’s not like you’re my older sister or something.”
There was a long, embarrassed silence on the line. I realized I’d been too
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