By Patrick Bruskiewich
Oh, Julia! Things boiled over just before Julia left for her residency back east. She had just graduated from med school had a few days off.
We had been seeing each other years, but I knew that I was just one boy among many others. For Julia, her career came first.
We didn’t have a complicated friendship. We were both very Catholic and went to church together. When she was at med school, I sat for her as her ersatz male patient, and there was no mystery left in me. Still, I loved her.
Early Sunday morning, Julia called to invite me over so that we go for a bicycle ride, then to church and dinner. When she called I did not think anything of it. She was, after all, leaving for residency in Ontario and I might not see her again for many months.
When I arrived Julia was glowing. Her parents were out. Instead of sitting in their living room she invited me into her bedroom for the first time.
I sat on the bed as she got ready. I watched her in the mirror. To my great surprise, she took off her blouse. She did not have a brassiere on.
She turned to me and asked, “Do you like what you see?”
Speechless, I blushed and turned my head away.
She huffed, put back on her blouse and stormed out. I dashed after her. As we stood on the porch she bitingly said, “I don’t want to see you anymore. I invited you into my bedroom and there you just sat speechlessly!”
She slammed the door in my face. That was the last time I saw her. Even after three decades, I am still scratching my head.
Oh, Julia!*
*This name has been changed to protect this individual.
Patrick Bruskiewich
Patrick is a Canadian born, Vancouver based writer.