The Refilling

It was midnight, and the gas station seemed almost deserted.

“Give me 10 minutes, Lydia. I’ll come and talk to you!” I told my woman over the phone, as I got out of my car. “Please don’t push me away like that! If you leave me, I will fall apart. I’ll do anything to make you love me again!”

I kept talking frantically until I realized that she had already hung up on me. 

I was just about to redial her number, when an old man came up to me, asking for a lift. He was in a completely tasteless, shining, white outfit with no contrast what-so-ever. He seemed too feeble to hurt and was so deficient of energy that even though he said he was in a rush, I sensed not a speck of adrenaline. 

I politely nodded my head with a slight smile and then, just helplessly waited for the gas to fill. There was no point in calling Lydia, anymore. I couldn’t have talked freely with her, now that I had company. And she was just not ready to make things okay!

I was still lost in my own thoughts when I realized that it was time to pay for the gas, which I quickly did after pulling myself together. Then, I requested the old man to get into the car and I drove off.

We were not even well on our way when the old man whispered, ‘Lydia?’ queerly twisting his mustache.

I gave him a quick glance, realizing he had been eavesdropping! 

“Frustrated because she doesn’t give you happiness, anymore?” He asked.

I didn’t really want to answer him. But somewhere in my mind, I knew he was never going to meet me again and I did not fear being judged. I could be as honest as ever, and make use of the wisdom his grays were reflecting! 

“Well, ” I said, taking a deep breath, “Lydia used to be my beautiful escape at the end of each exasperating day. She used to refill me with happiness and give me the courage to begin again the next day. All the crazy chases, the achievements, the hard work but it was she who satisfied my soul! But, she doesn’t seem interested anymore! I caught her cheating, a day before I was about to propose to her! I forgave her but she doesn’t seem to mend her ways! ”

And, as I said the last few words, I aggressively drove the car into a dingy tunnel with a sharp turn. 

Reflective silence.

“Would you buy gas from the station, if you could refuel your car on your own?” he asked, strangely twisting his mustache again as he posed the question.

Each turn my wheels took, was time passing by, and this old man was nowhere near reflecting his wisdom to me. Anyone younger than him wouldn’t have changed such a sensitive topic with a completely irrelevant question. 

“Definitely not!”, I replied with a frown, driving through the middle of the tunnel. It was so dark that I could see only as far as my headlights guided me and I had to put up with an outrageous man!

“Stop, leave me right here!” he shouted, so loud, that I suddenly slammed the brakes!

“But it is the middle of the tunnel and you have nowhere to go from here! I don’t mind dropping you at the end.” I argued, with the senseless lunatic.

“No, son, I’m good.” He said, “Just remember, stop taking the trouble to pay for and get from someone else what you have with yourself - even your own happiness.” And, he stepped out of my car.

For a moment, I could feel the paralyzing moment of realization that I had experienced after finding out that Lydia was cheating. 

But, I cautiously gathered myself together and drove to a comfortable distance from where I wasn’t visible but, could see where he would head next. 

I saw him stop another car, asking for a lift like he had asked me and as the driver drove past my car, I saw him typically twisting his mustache again - dropping a question to answer all of ours.