What takes a lifetime to build but a second to destroy? he asks. I look at him, we’ve been fidgety of late.

Of late means the past three days, four hours and thirty seven minutes.

He asks “what takes a lifetime to build but a second to destroy?”

I sip my coffee. 

I am unwell and I have been for the past two days but he’s not one to notice the difficulty in breathing or the fact that I am wearing mittens in this weather. He smiles and says “you are no fun.”

“I know, thank you,” I say.

He sips his Mocha and looks around the cafe. I know what he’s afraid of asking or saying but just because I see the smoke, does not mean that I will put out his fire or tell him he’s burning up. I think at this point, I will pour some diesel on him and watch as he burns.

He knows this.

Heavens bless my tender soul, he knows this and I sit and sip like the gentle soul that I am and say a polite prayer to God.

My mother always says when in doubt, pray- but when you are about to fight, pray harder.

So, I pray and I ask God nicely, if he could come between me and him because it’s just me and him and if God does not intervene, there’ll not be me and him but rather a mess of him and a whole lot of calm of me. I whisper a shaky ‘amen,’ and smile at him.

The fool smiles back and then says “So, look…”

Oh, heavens have mercy…