The Forgotten Bond

SONG

"No, I'm still working here." Out of sheer confusion she spun in a circle. Her head was too occupied by his sudden appearance that for a moment she was unable to function.

"Um, good morning." She added embarrassedly and composed herself.

He smiled, "Good morning Song."

His name was Go. And they had a date. That was all she knew. And surely all she cared about for now. She had a date with her actual crush from work. Who would have thought that would happen within her lifetime? She was on the subway on her way to a date with Go. While checking her make-up on the inner camera of her phone, it suddenly occurred to her that he could very well be a sociopath. What spoke for it? Better: What spoke against it? Wasn't it usually the ones you least expected? 'Nobody saw it coming. He was such a nice and accommodating neighbor...' Isn't that what they used to say? Song shook her head resolutely and put the phone in his pocket. And if so. It wasn't like he was the first nutcase she met, after all. If he even turns out to be one. She sincerely hoped that wasn't the case.

She exited the subway and stepped out of the underground station into the rain. She quickly walked across the street in her heels to the bar where they had agreed to meet. She stepped on a puddle just outside the door and water splashed up her leg. Song sighed. What if he was a serial killer after all?

She crossed the hallway and turned a corner. The smell of cigarettes and alcohol met her nose and she liked the choice of the place right away. She had never been here, but when Go described the bar to her, she had already guessed that it would be right up her alley. Song looked around the room and spotted Go in a niche as agreed. She wanted to sit in a corner so they could talk privately.

He made that possible.

That, too, was a strategically stupid idea if he really was Hannibal Lecter.

After a short conversation at the bar, she ordered a beer at the table and then went over to meet him. She had made it a habit early on to get her drinks from the bar. At least the first. Especially when her date has been waiting for her for some time. You never knew. The nut job-jury was still out.

He greeted her with a warm smile and stood up. "Do you like it here?"

"A lot. I know everyone is kind of against smoking in bars these days, but for me it's kind of a part of it."

"Do you smoke yourself?" he asked and took the jacket from her, which she had just taken off. Song shook his head. "Not really."

"What kind of answer is 'not really'? In that regard I think it should either be 'yes' or 'no'. I mean, which box do you tick at the doctor's office?" They sat down and the waiter brought their beer. She took a sip and said, shrugging: "That's the way it is. I don't smoke every day, and not enough in a year to be mentioned. But do smoke from time to time."

"And when are you going to do it then?" Go raised an eyebrow.

"In times of crisis. When I'm feeling lonely. Then I buy the brand my mother used to smoke and have one."

He smiled at her. "That sounds like something out of one of those old Russian novels."

Song took a sip and nodded. "True. It has a certain symbolism."

"Why don't you just call her when you're feeling lonely? Don't you guys have a good relationship?" For a moment she debated whether or not to tell him. She hadn't expected the conversation between them to turn to more serious topics so quickly. She eyed him and decided that wasn't a bad sign in general. So why not?

"That's not it." she said casually, looking straight at Go. "She is dead."

For a moment, they looked deep into each other's eyes. His dark eyes seemed like bottomless pits of black but for some reason it didn't unsettle her the slightest. Quite the opposite. Song studied every emotion on the other's face. It couldn't quite seem to decide whether to express sympathy or embarrassment. His glasses had slid down the tip of his nose as the muscles of his face searched for an appropriate emotion. After a few long seconds, it was Song who laughed, putting Go out of his misery. "It's okay." she said. "That's a long time ago."