Earlier in April

“I love you!” , I had shouted into the phone. Partly because I was frustrated from constantly having to assert this fact and actually because I needed him to feel the force of my words this time and allow them to sink.

“I know you do, babe. And I love you too. More than I have ever loved any girl. Just calm. This is not something we can’t work out by talking, you know? Just calm, ok?” , He had replied.

” You Know this! Yet you act like you don’t. Act like.. like I don’t show it enough! ” , I said back. Without hiding my dejection.

“ I do. I really do. It’s just.. You know, I can’t begin to think of how you merely stand aside and watch each time your brother treats me like dump. It has began to frustrate me! I am sick of forever trying to get in his good book. What’s a bro gon do, huh? He treats me like I can’t ever in all of the years I would live on earth work hard enough to deserve you! And babe, you know this is not true. You know how I would do anything to keep you happy. It has just began to get to me, his behaviour, these days. Really” , He had said.

I had felt his pain over the phone. Henderson never spoke about things that bothered him. Nothing ever bothers him. It hadn’t been the first time he would talk about my brother’s attitude. It had been the first time he had been so bitter about it. And I knew he spoke the truth. We had tried to avoid rows about sensitive subjects. Stayed clear of issues relating to any form of hinderances in the relationship. Anytime we spoke about it, it had always ended on a light note. So, on that night, I really hadn’t been able to relate with how to deal with the situation.

The last straw for him must had been at his last visit to the house. My brother had been home. He had been denied entry into the house.

The night of that day, we had had a row. First of many after. One which I had thought would surely end the relationship.

I hadn’t been really sure what the deal had been between my brother and Henderson. I only knew they never saw eye to eye. And that my brother would not have me get involved with Henderson.

For reasons which I had yet to find out about at the time.