I went on a business trip with my best friend. After one tough day, we went to a bar and had some drinks. We have known each other since we were in college. We were very close. Almost inseparable that people would think we’re gay couple. but apparently, we’re not. In fact, I am married to a beautiful woman that I met in college and also a father of an 11-months old baby boy. Even though I met my wife in college, we just only started dating after we graduated.
My relationship with my best friend has ups and downs. There was a time when we acted like we didn’t know each other. Some time after we graduated, we had quite a clash. We didn’t talk to each other after he punched me and broke my nose. Broken real bad.
It was all because of something that related to my wife. Actually, my wife was my best friend’s ex-girlfriend in college. I had betrayed him somehow, because when he tried to get back to my wife, he found out that his trusted mate (which was me) was currently dating her. He was furious because he told me of his plan and how he was still in love with her and how miserable he was after the break up while I just listened and nodded and kept silent hoping he wouldn’t find out (stupid, I know). Then, the day he found out was the day I got a nose job. Anyway, I still remember exactly the pain of a broken nose.
I might sound inconsiderate that I dated my best friend’s ex after they broke up. I mean, what kind of best friend I was, after all that we have been through together and we’ve considered each other as brothers. In my defense, I have fallen in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her. But it turned out that he had, too. He made the first move, left me unable to do anything. For heads up, my best friend was a jog with a pretty face. On the other hand I was this awkward kid with horrible pimples and braces. Against him in dating, I wouldn’t stand a chance! I thought that I would be over her through times and with her being my friend would make my feeling for her subside. But the truth was the opposite. Witnessing them together was the worse feeling that I have ever experienced. No matter how uncomfortable it might sound, I stayed on being a loyal companion to my best friend. Because, I couldn’t deny that he was the best person that I could connect with and be very comfortable with. I, then, avoided him only when he was together with her. I did wish that they would break up, though, and I just waited and waited in agony of envy and jealousy. Mind you, I never once made a move on her while she was with my best friend. Technically, I wasn’t cheating. I was clean.
Anyway, I didn’t mean to defend myself further, but things got better in the end. We made up, the three of us. He was a real gentleman. He forgave everything, put the past behind, moved on, continued to be my best friend and in good terms with my wife. I was also relieved that I got my brother back. Then, some opportunity brought us here. We end up working for the same company that led us to this business trip together.
Actually we went on this trip with our boss, but since he obviously looked exhausted, we decided to let him rest and go to the bar alone. We had cold beers which was very satisfying after one exhausting day. We talked about our jobs, a little bit about politics, English football clubs, and about our families. My best friend hasn’t been married, but he is currently dating this beautiful co-worker. I know her, too. She is nice and she seems to fit my best friend’s need in a partner. He’s been asking me a lot about married life and having a son. He hasn’t openly mentioned it, but I got a hint that he’s close to planning a wedding. Well, I thought that marriage will be best for him, since he seemed more mature and gentler, lately. He weirdly seems more fatherly. Maybe because I just had a son and he somehow grew his fatherly instinct, too. I seriously hope he will get married soon and have children so that he could experience, first hand, how great it feels to be a father.
After a while chatting, my phone buzzed. My wife sent me a video of our son. Nothing unusual, it was just my little son being cute and babbling some words that sounded like ‘ba na na’. I have only been away for two nights and I still have another night to go, but I already couldn’t wait to be home. I showed the video to my best friend and he smiled, looking as proud as me. Seeing him like that made want to say to him: go get married and have children, too!
“Darwin is a big boy now.” He said.
My son’s name is Darwin, partly based on his suggestion. Well, I was going to name him Spock after my favorite character in Star Trek, but everyone was against me (which was understandable).
I replayed the video a few times. I paid attention to every little detail of his features. It’s funny that another human being possessed a copy of my gene and a share of my blood. I couldn’t explain why but I was swelling with pride. Was this how every father feeling? I knew I didn’t have the look but my son was luckily took after my wife. He was a beautiful adorable baby boy. Not that I was biased that he was my son, but unlike me, he was actually good-looking. He could grow up as handsome as my best friend, maybe. I seriously hope that he wouldn’t grow up as an awkward kid like me.
“He’s getting more and more handsome every time. Like a little man” I said. My best friend leaned to look at the video again. “I wonder” I said.
“You wonder, what?” my best friend’s face was starting to get reddish. Maybe the alcohol was working on him. I silently prayed for him not to get drunk. He could be handful when he’s drunk.
“What?” It was not that I didn’t catch him, I just didn’t understand what he was referring to.
“You wonder what?” he repeated the question. “Do you wonder why he looks like me?”
–Dessy Farhany
Out of Words 