we’ll always have Dubai

There was a man delegated to the other side of the world I left once on a starry Arizona night back in October.  He was home from Iraq for a “rest and recuperation” from KBR/Halliburton (worst company ever btw).   I had enough, enough of knowing that he’s not what I want and left on a shuttle the morning after a long drawn out night of back and forth going nowhere. In a fit of anger he told me to leave, when he woke the next morning my bags were packed, a shuttle service was booked, paid for and departed in four hours.  Stall tactics were set in place…we had to go get coffee, we had to go to the hardware store, we had to stop at the mall so he could buy cologne and I had to make sure I made the shuttle.

Days later we talked and apologized to one another knowing it would be four more months till we were able to meet again.  He was returning to Iraq and I to Houston, longing set in wishing the days in Arizona had played out differently. “I really want to see you again,” he’d say while sitting pool side at Saddam’s Palace, “I’m sorry the way things turned out and then he’d begin to blame me for causing a stir.  “Well had you not up and left, had we talked about it,” then he’d detail how he would have liked our past to play out.  After all, I had indeed passed the parent test with wings to spare.  “They really liked you,” he said, “and my Dad thinks I should hold on to you…..you’re not like the other girls I’ve dated.”  I’d take that in the literal sense not knowing if that was an insult or a sincere compliment.  We decided to give it another try, go another round, “I care a lot about you, so much it’s hard to be away.”  Plans were set to meet in Australia come February on his next R&R.  My sister of the Heart is there after all and it would be combining the best of both worlds, or so I was hoping.

 

  October breezed by and November hit hard, we began fighting and not fully understanding one another.  He was quitting smoking and I was making a career change, both proved too much to handle. He said wretched things and I let go. Hadn’t I already dated “the choker” and I wasn’t about to allow an abusive relationship again.  However, in typical stupid female fashion I rationalized his anger and used the displacement theory if only, because he is in a war zone.  I forgave him, in my heart but never forgave in my head.

 

Fast forward to February when the week arrives we were to travel to Australia together.  It was to be a reunion, me with my wit and wishful thinking and he armed with desire and wanting to right a wrong.  (**Sidenote – KBR flies all contract employees to Dubai as an entrance/exit point for their over sea contracts and he is fire fighter for KBR**).  After he arrived in Dubai, on his way to Australia, he texted, then called and we bantered back and forth yet again…not going anywhere.  I told him briefly of my travels and someone new I have been dating for quite some time now. “If you really cared you wouldn’t have met anyone else,” he said to me through a vodka induced reaction, “I was falling in love with you.”  I fought back laughter in a you don’t even know me sense and counteracted his pleading, “we stopped talking…and we did so for a reason.”   He’d get on the plane to leave for Australia and I’d go for a very  long run knowing he was “hooking up” with a girl in Australia. 

A week later, Wednesday morning, I woke to the below email

“Jessica-   please give me a call when you awake.  i’ll be out of touch from 8am – 1130am eastern, but will be available after.   on a quick note, we’re doing a trip from Dubai to bahrain to london and london to new york.  the trip begins on friday, and you’d have to leave today..  please let me know by email prior to your call.”  

After I accepted the trip a text was sent haphazardly not knowing how it would be percieved.  The universe was indeed playing a cruel joke on me and I was inclined to beat it to the punch line.

 

“Are you in Australia still, Dubai or on your way back to Iraq?”

“In Sydney, I get to Dubai Friday morning.”

“Really…. I’ll be in Dubai Thursday night through Sunday.”

 

…To be continued