The Room Mates

     She calls me TT, my darling TT. No! It’s not the short form of “Tantrum Thrower”. It’s time teller. Tonight my hood is up that means I need to “TRRRIIIIIING” at; hmmm let me see; six in the morning. See she turns a knob on my back so that the tiny yellow needle in my tummy points to my tattoo in the shape of “6”. I am a cool guy I have a lot of tattoos, all numbers!

     Oh! My prima donna, half her time she taps away on her Laptop. I don’t know what; but I guess it’s her job. At times she smiles at Laptop. I hate him for that. All I get is a tight slap on my hood when I “TRRRIIIIIING” in the morning. But I know she loves me the best. Why? Because she wakes up in between and checks out my tattoos. I think she finds me cute.

    “She loves me the best”, I declare aloud to others. Lamp knocks her flexi hood in a mock. ”You? No way, it’s got to be me. I’m the last thing she touches when she goes sleep. That’s how important I am to her. And even though it’s dark I’ve seen her slap you on the hood in the mornings.”

     Not to be left behind sleepy Miss Mirror chimed vigorously.” I’m her best friend. I tell her how pretty she is. As a woman I know how important it is to maintain ones looks. And I tell her clearly (like a good friend) it’s time for exercise or a quick trip to salon.” I don’t like Mirror either even with her smooth and luminous skin.

     That’s when the curling Iron put his head out of the drawer and seethed. ”Hey!! Don’t you dare to say so. I make her look the prettiest in a room. I add a shine to her lanky hair. I curl her mane and add a bounce to it. And then when she walks on her stilettos, head turn.” He stops and we all imagine the sight and a collective gasp escapes us. ”If you say she likes anyone better, I’ll burn you.” He tucks back in to the draw. There is a minute of silence. He is an angry young man with smoldering rage.

     Silence continues only to be broken by a gracious intonation. That’s her bottle of pills. ” Sorry fellas, I’m the one she loves the best. Because it’s me who is going to make her biggest dream come true.” Mr. Pill scratches his head and smiles triumphantly.” I’m going to help her have a baby!!” And he sits back with the expression of cat who has just gulped a bowl of milk.

     There are murmers. I’m a little crest fallen. Now that was being helpful. Does that mean she would love Mr. Pill more?

     “No. Mr. Pill you are just being an aid and nothing more. I’m her best friend. I’ve been with her for the past eight years. I’ve known her for more time than any of you.” That was Mickey. He was gifted by her friends when she was in a place College. He keeps saying he used to live with a bunch of girls in a room. Like we are dumb heads to believe that, Phew! He keeps telling tales like that. But one thing is true; she keeps him close to her when she sleeps and keeps talking to him low voices. He says she confides everything to him.

    “I’m her confidante. That means I’m more important than a lover.” Mr. Mickey snaps at all of us and adds contemptuously, “Morons!”...

    I simmer in rage and open my mouth to retort. Suddenly the door opens and a sliver of light enters from the living room. It’s her; we all know. The black needle points to my tattoo 10.She looks tired. Her hair is disarray. She sits down on the bed stares at the Wall for a long time. My heart is ticking louder and louder. I try hard to keep its beating less noisy. She lies down on her side and curls up in to a ball. She is crying now. Loud. Louder than my ticking heart.

    It’s getting queasy for all of us. She switches on Lamp and puts down my hood. No “TRRRIIIIIING” tomorrow? I wonder. She wipes her face and pulls out Mr.Pill. She swallows all of them. She kisses Mickey good night and switches off Lamp.