The Landlady
Facing Cairo alone – symbolic actions of a woman scorned
It’s a week down the line since I discovered The Ex Boyfriend has been cheating on me. Although I initially evaded his numerous, guiltridden texts and calls, I did go and see him regarding the money he owes me for our trip to Cairo, which he is being very evasive about handing over. Beyond that small matter, I don’t have anything to say to him that I didn’t say the last, horrible time I spoke to him and I certainly don’t want to make him feel better. I have even thrown his toothbrush away, which is a pretty resolute and symbolic action as far as I’m concerned.
“Even if I was looking for a New Boyfriend, I am unlikely to find one in time for the trip to Cairo”
Since we’ve been apart, I have realised he is actually not a very pleasant person. Without him keeping me dangling on a string, I might have an opportunity to meet someone who is actually nice to me. Not that I’m looking, nor shall I be for a long while after the way he treated me. Over the past few months, I have magically gone from thinking that he was the best Boyfriend in the world, to thinking any boyfriend is better than no boyfriend, to thinking that I would prefer to pick scabs off Satan’s bottom than be with him. I still haven’t considered getting a cat though. I’m simply not a cat kind of person.
Even if I was looking for a New Boyfriend, I am unlikely to find one in time for the trip to Cairo that The Ex Boyfriend and I booked a couple of weeks ago. We were supposed to leave two days from now and I am at a loss over what to do. I’m sure that Lastminute.com don’t have a secret sideline in emergency travel companions. Besides, anyone who wanted to go on holiday with a total stranger at the last minute would have to be some kind of weirdo or a sad sap who has no-one else to go on holiday with. Hmmm, sounds a bit like me then, really. I have long since eliminated the option of going with The Ex Boyfriend, as I cancelled his flight last week, just in case I should suffer a mental aberration and find myself sitting next to him on the runway. I would certainly need an extra sick bag in that instance.
Although I cancelled his flight, I somewhat tellingly, didn’t cancel my own, but I am still not sure whether or not I want to go alone. None of my friends can get the time off work, nor afford to pay for flights at the 11th hour, so I’m a bit stuffed. It is a terrible waste if I don’t go, as I bent over backwards to get days off work and make sure all the kids were okay. I have even learned all the Arabic numbers so that I can tell the time at train stations and read the train numbers, as we’d intended to travel around a bit. I’ve travelled alone before – twice to Spain, where on the first trip I couldn’t speak Spanish and almost fried to death in the 50 degree heat. On my second outing two years ago, I had learned Spanish, but it poured with torrential rain the whole time I was there, so I spent the entire time sitting alone in empty bars with squelching feet and a good book.
If I do go to Cairo, it is fairly likely that I will fry to death alone in empty bars with a good book. But at least I haven’t got to find anyone to feed the cat…
