XVII Smoke rings

Danny dozed off on the deck chair . A warm sun light was on him baking him orange. He was reading Pamuk that lay spread legged on his chest. Annie walked in taking efforts not to make a sound when she found Danny dozing, She knew Danny slept light and could wake up at the slightest sound, so she moved away and let him continue and walked towards another chair close by and decided to wait until Dan woke up. 

Meanwhile Annie thought she could catch up with her presentation on ‘Contemporary Philosophy and Neo Phenomenology’ which she had to get ready for Bernstein in the next 2 days. Prof. Bernstein and Annie were to travel to Oxford soon for a seminar. So she opened her mac and went about her work. People who might have watched Annie then would have probably seen a sleek, petit looking brown girl not more than 26, pretty to look at around 5’5” probably in her sophomore years, but in actuality Annie was going on 30 and moving into a potential motherhood. The other deceptive part of anyone looking at Annie would be a reading of her personality for all who cared to look at her would have thought her to be good, light hearted, out for fun , friendly kind of a person, while she could be all that, she could also be a fireball, oh! Yes! She could shred anyone into pieces if she wanted to.

Danny woke up soon, would have maybe slept for an hour or so, the baking sun had made sure he woke with a moderate sweat, as he tried shading his eyes from the sun he noticed Annie and smiled at her and said Hi ! Annie looked up from her work and returned the greetings Hey! I almost thought you will be out for another few hours at least and trailed off to look back at her mac. Dan stood up without noticing the book on his chest and dropped it but did not bother to pick it up and instead stretched a bit, just then Annie asked ‘ Dan, can you smoke here? Dan made a negative sign and then gestured to her drawing her attention to a board that gave direction to the smokers park , a simple open arena under old oak wood trees and manicured plants and several wooden park benches pretty idealistic for a de-addiction rehab. Annie, got the message and quickly shut her mac and asked without actually asking if she could leave the mac on the chair Dan nodded and then they started walking with a familiarity that can only come between two old friends, they were easy, playful, light and pretty happy in each others company.

As they passed through the neat corridor of the rehab Danny noticed there was absolutely no soul to be seen and that always seemed so every time he landed, at the rehab, he almost felt the rehab was some kinda of an unofficial home left to him through some dubious uncle and he was the only occupant. Of Course such fallacies were short lived once the rehab managers called for a group therapy session and suddenly you found face to face with quite of a few co inhabitants, many looking as if they had just returned from some near death experience. 

Danny also noticed how much American buildings used wood, wood on the panel, wood on the roof, wood on the floor, wooden furniture, doors, windows it was wood everywhere Dan thought America probably used more wood than they used steel. As they walked Dan and Annie made long shadows that seemed to be chasing them trying to catch up but always falling short.

Annie broke in through his thoughts she said in a plain matter of fact tone without looking at him for any effect ‘ I’ve broken up with Richard, we’ve decided to go our separate ways’, Dan did not say anything, just kept walking, Richard and Annie were living in partners, they were together for now about 6 months and were intending to marry soon, Dan knew she had also tested positive a few days ago. Richard was Assistant Professor at the Department of Quantum Physics at Harvard. They had met during one of her seminars on "the nature of symmetry in nature and how the laws of physics worked in shaping things on the planet" it was a research paper not directly related to Annie's subject of specialisation but yet Annie had approached the seminar lead Richard and he had consented to allow her a presentation once she showed him what she had. 

At the end of the seminar Annie had won quite a few admirers for her insight and as it turned out Annie and Richard hit it off quite well, Annie revered Physicists she always thought they knew more about the Universe than any other living humans, and soon the two started living together Richard was from New York but since the relationship started had moved into Annie's pad but now Danny felt that that chapter in Annie's life was over or at least so it seemed for now.

By then they had reached the Smoker park area inside the rehab and Dan sat on a bench, Annie decided to stand, she flicked open her cigarette pack, lit one with her zipper light pushed the lighter back onto her jeans inhaled deep and exhaled, while trying to kick some dry leaves around she asked Dan ‘So when are you out?’ Dan said that he just had 1 more day to go but then he also had a 10 day community service to complete. Annie, did not seem too keen to know any further details, she said ‘ I need your help I want to take away the seed inside before its too late’ again this was said with natural ease without much feelings or remorse, Dan nodded and said they could plan it the day after his release.

Annie stayed back and watched a movie with Dan, a Woody Allen film, somewhere in between She received a call and then she was off, giving Dan a quick, light hug indicating he needn't get up slipped a word reminding him to call her once he was out. 

At the rehab the bell rang - it was group therapy time. Dan was in no mood to join. Somewhere Danny heard someone singing 'hey Jude'.