Two Fifty For Lyssa And A Red Sweater (Part 2)

A Seat Next To Lyssa

Speaking now of Tuesday’s events, due to my taking a day off on Monday, my morning was a resplendent one. Having gone to sleep at 11:00 p.m. for what seemed to catch on with a trend of earlier nights, I woke up when my alarm rang without a hint of detention. Having had seven hours of sleep, I had my shower ate my usual small meal and upon preparations I did leave for the station. The only variance of interest in my trip to the City was having Lyssa sit next to me on the train.

Considering it was Tuesday and Lyssa had no one to sit next to, when arriving at Leumeah I kept an eye out for her as I usually do and not expecting anything special, I was surprised to find her walk up the stairs in search of me. Sitting in the middle three seaters and with some guy sitting on the corner as I sat next to the window, Lyssa looked at the space between us and urged me to jump up. Insisting that we head to the seat at the back of the carriage I jumped up to my weak will and pleased Lyssa’s heart, so close to the date of her birthday.

Past experiences should have made me realize that Lyssa only makes an effort when she wants something. Instead, I was my naïve self, not using my common sense when I should have known Lyssa had some questionable request up her sleeve. Regardless, we started briefly into conversation, chatting about her plans for the weekend and not even three sentences into conversation the reasoning as to why she sat next to me was exposed. Rather boldly and with no apprehension upon her voice she just bit her tongue and asked me “Have you got money you can lend me for lunch today”.

Lunch Money Please

Explaining to Lyssa that I only had enough money for my buses to and from work as well as my food money, I apologized for not being able to help her out. Tenaciously forward, she whined about how she had absolutely no money to which I noted she should have borrowed some off her mum, Penelope or someone else. What I don’t get is how Lyssa told me she was going to ask Penelope for money on Wednesday but she didn’t have that same idea for Tuesday, where she would rather bicker at me.

Whinging and moaning to my every apology, Lyssa didn’t take no for an answer, knowing that with some persistency she would definitely get what she wanted from me. I was being too soft, I should have clearly yelled out “Look, no, I can’t give you any money, I don’t have any”. However, Lyssa didn’t take my not having money for an answer, being rude enough to ask “Well, can’t you ask your mum for $5 tomorrow”. Feeling like saying “Well, can’t you ask your mum for that five dollars” I just sat there shaking my head at her plea.

From a woman who didn’t talk to me for the past week because she was angry at me, she certainly didn’t waste any time to use me after the situation was more malleable. Despite my not saying sorry for our last heated conversation where I wanted to know about Naqi’s secret, Lyssa made amends of the situation and also carved me up for favor the following day. I should definitely know now that when Lyssa calls me on the phone or she makes any sort of effort to talk or meet with me, it’s usually either for material, emotional or personal gain.

Take today’s conversation for example, emotional gain. There was a reason behind Lyssa calling me, to unleash her anger for my not calling her up over this weekend for the birthday. Lyssa just wanted to let me know how she was feeling and that effort is classes as an emotional gain. Then of course there is Lyssa’s meeting up with me on the train this Tuesday just gone. Probably even from the night before, Lyssa went to sleep with the thought that she could get money from me on the train that following morning and guess what, material and personal gain prevailed.

That whining persistency pissed me off to a degree that I flashed $2.50 in front of Lyssa’s face and she willingly took it off my hands. “I don’t have to pay you back for this do I” she asked to which I agreed considering Lyssa never pays back her dues anyway and with that, we began upon the latter of our trip to the City.

Lyssa Gets What She Wanted

With Lyssa having what she wanted, there was a short silence as Lyssa didn’t feel she had to put any more effort into the situation, after all, she had what she was yearning for all night. Figuring that I could have lunch with Lyssa so that we could both eat from the same meal to save some money and spend some time together, Lyssa rejected my offer. Now that Lyssa had what she wanted, she didn’t have to barter or make compromises and having lunch with me was definitely out of her way.

Lyssa’s reason not to have lunch with me had some credit however as she told me she was going on a jog with Shayma. However, what I couldn’t grasp was how Lyssa told me in those words that she was on a diet yet, she wanted five dollars to get something to eat. Nevertheless, to her credit, Lyssa has to eat something at work and my thoughts of her going hungry couldn’t be looming on my mind all day, I do have a conscience.

With nothing in my request that Lyssa could gain from she stuck with her original game plan, failing to bend upon my requests as I always do for hers. On the same topic of exercise, Lyssa asked if I was still working out and explaining to her that I haven’t touched a weight for a while she uttered with a derisive smirk, “So you’re getting lazy again are you”. Lyssa must have felt so proud of herself to be power-walking with Shayma on her lunch breaks, putting me down to place herself up on that ever so promiscuous pedestal.

However, against her smug words I mentioned that it was way too difficult for me to head to the Gym after work and still have enough time to type in these memoirs and prepare myself for the next day. There seemed to be no ending to the haughtiness that seemed to turn to vulgarity at the sound of her voice. Lyssa loves herself, probably more than I ever did in our prime.

Buying A Car For Her Birthday

Digressing onto another subject, Lyssa started off by saying “Do you have any new goss”. Saying it in a way that begged me to think she was just bursting with secrets to reveal (To which she thinks I don’t know) I told her I had nothing new and then sat without words, waiting for Lyssa to just crack under her own pressure.

Figuring that Lyssa would reveal the so called secret of Naqi heading to Waratah House, I was quite surprised when Lyssa (seemingly out of the blue) uttered “Oh yeah, by the way, I’m buying a car this weekend”. Shocked slightly, I wasn’t sure what was behind her story or how careless Lyssa had been with money but I knew upon asking if she had taken out a loan what the answer would be. “St.

Imad approved a $4,000 loan for me and I’m buying a Charade on my birthday”. Explaining that it was an 84 model Charade and that she was buying it from a car-yard around the Macarthur district, I tried to reflect positive thoughts as Lyssa hates negativity, with a passion as she would say. “That’s a smart idea, four thousand dollars is manageable but not what you were originally going to take out”.

Speaking on this topic for a couple more minutes, we casually exchanged words for the length of our trip to the City and as Lyssa jumped off at St. James she thanked me for my generosity and was then off with her life. Once again, Lyssa interrupted my life, trying to taint my immune mind and emotional stability by forcing her requests upon me.

For money I couldn’t refuse her bickering but as the badgering bane had last hinted for a more personal remedy, I did cast my tortured lust to the four winds.

The Red Polo Neck Sweater

Having no sleep on my way to work on Tuesday, I was more than happy to stay awake and talk with Lyssa. Having shaved my goatee on Monday night before sleeping, I was in more ways than one ready for my official first day of the week. Surprisingly, as I jumped off my train to walk up the platform stairs, I noticed that gorgeous girl with the red polo neck sweater.

Wearing the same sweater this Tuesday, without making it obvious, I slowed down and sped up slightly trying to keep within a meter of her presence. Heading up the stairs, she seemed to get caught behind me in the corner and as I looked at her I was going to say something but I thought against it, saving it for another day. Swapping the lead in our bid to head out of the tunnel, she crossed the road early to which I kept walking upon the same path.

Glancing over in her direction every now and again, I noticed her stopping at the set of lights so I figured that she either worked near my office on the same street or she worked just past our building somewhere. From behind she looked so delicate but mastering, such a resplendent sight of maturity in such a small but vigorous body, she was the bomb, my bomb…

Carrying Kelsey’s Luggage

Sighting Kelsey over the street on the other set of lights, I also noticed that she had a small luggage bag by her side. Looking like this little carry bag could give her trouble I decided to extend my bids to National Kindness week and walk across the street like Eddy Murphy from the Holy Man. Not noticing me until I walked up right next to her, I picked up her luggage and noted that I would take it from there. “Oh thanks Tony” she praised, asking to at least take my small carry bag for my troubles.

This being a great start of a conversation, we talked for the rest of our trip upstairs about her heading to some court out in the sticks on the border of NSW and Melbourne. In all this commotion and good will, as I looked back to see where the girl with the red polo neck sweater had gone, I was at a loss to spot her. Slipping my fingers for that Tuesday, I vowed that next time around I would keenly appreciate the direction she took to work, maybe even find an opportunity to chat.