The sentence.

It was evening again. Like every day, he entered the lounge. The corner seat was reserved for him. The manager and the waiters smiled at him as he walked by. He nodded his head in response to every smile that was flashed at him and headed straight for the seat. The beauty of this seat was that you had a great view of the whole place. The bar, the big screen television, the band that was playing and more importantly the door. The door!
He took his seat and switched off his cell phone. He didn’t want to be disturbed or distracted. He flipped open his cigarette case and lit a Marlboro. The smoke felt good. It soothed him. Calmed him.
“The usual sir?” his regular waiter was standing next to him.
He nodded his head in reply and within minutes a double scotch was placed in front of him. He took a sip and the neat scotch burned his throat. He could feel the warmth spreading in his body. He took a drag, stubbed out the cigarette and lit another one. A few more sips of the scotch and he was transported back in time.

------
“You have changed,” she said.

“What makes you feel so?” he asked her never once taking his eyes off the computer screen.

“You always had time for me earlier. Now, all you run after is money. Do you know how many days have passed since we even had a decent conversation?”

“I am doing all this for you. Remember the college days when I had to borrow money to take you out to dinner. I will make you so rich that we will never have to think twice about anything in life. ”

“When did you last take me out to dinner?”

“We are going to be together all our lives. I can take you to dinner every night once we get rich. We are already halfway there, but I want to earn more.”

“It’s been three years and this is all I am hearing. You never have time for me. I am running out of patience.”

He took his eyes off the screen and looked at her. “Patience! Don’t over react. I am doing all this for you. For us! What am I going to do with all the money? It is for you that I am slogging so hard.”

“I don’t need the money. Isn’t what we have now enough for us? Why don’t you understand? You are drifting away.”

“No, I am not. You are drifting away. You are always complaining. Now go to sleep and let me do my work.”

“Ok. But remember, you will regret this. You will be repentant about all the time that you have lost out on. We have lost out on! You will realize this when I am not around any longer.”

“Don’t preach! You are always going to be around. We will have the most luxurious life. You will love it.”

“It’s been eight years since you know me and sometimes I feel that you still don’t know me.”

He saw her walking out of the room. For a moment he thought of stopping her, but then decided against it. He was back to his computer screen. Back to money!

-----------


This was his sentence. He was living it every day. He was missing her. All the money he had was no good. He wiped his eyes and emptied his third drink of the night. As he got up to leave, he glanced at the door for the last time that night. He could still see her walking in through that door.

It was the same door where they had bumped into each other ten years ago.