Ten Pin Gladiators

Stupid desk, stupid pot plant, stupid coworkers, Gaaaaawd
I’m missing Dbn. I wish I was back home.
Was definitely the most memorable trip back home in a long time, got to see my family again, and got to see my brand new out-of-the-box, state of the art nephew Solly (good solid name that). Tried carrying him, but didn’t really work out too good, he wriggling too much. And of course, got to spend time a good friend of mine, Qdee.
Saturday night pulls around and I take off to pick Q up for bowling, I surprise both Q and myself by managing to find her place on time, yes, I needed a lil help after going to the place next door (Q and her mum must have thought I’m such an idiot).
Ahem, moving on, I go up to see Q and finally, am greeted by a stunning smile. Q looks dazzling in her magic red jacket and perfect black jeans.
And after being wined and dined (milk tart and coke) I said adieu to her mum (who must’ve been thinking - that boy’s never gonna find his way to Pavilion, Hell, he couldn’t even find next door).

Finally we arrive at the Pavilion in one piece, and after taking a few wrong turns, we finally make it downstairs, while waiting to go bowling, we decided to indulge in a few arcade games. After some time, and a new obsession, I somehow managed to win an asexual teddy bear for her. We decided that arcade games weren’t working out (cos Q was hopeless lol, sorry Q) and decided to play easy games that give you tickets afterwards so that you can retrieve a prize of some sort. This was the first time I saw Q’s dark side consume her as she took out her unbridled aggression on an innocent basketball, the ball didn’t even see it coming.
Have to say though, we did much better with those games and after a few games we had enough tickets to get a few prizes. Q opted for two badges, one for me and one for her.
(Although I wanted the red Afro-comb, which I’m gonna get the next time I’m at Pavillion; mark my words I’ll get that Afro-comb one day……one day). Then the kid stuff was over and it was time to get to dangerous, ten pin bowling. The Great Winter Bowling Games - 2007. Weeks of trash talk about to be verified or discredited in an epic battle.

I remember it like it was just last Saturday night (16 June 2007).
Aaaah yes, (insert fuzzy dream fade-in here). The hustle and bustle of the pavilion shopping mall, the anticipation for the fight, like a matador before he enters the bull ring.
As we move to the shoe section, out comes her battle armour (“bowling” socks, inverted commas cos bowling’s the furthest thing away from what she did, shame, poor thing, she really didn’t back up the trash talk she did the week before). The gladiators enter the arena, the fans quiet , the concentration intensifies, the blood flows ever faster, adrenaline starts pumping, veins pop, muscles tense, sweat gleams; and with a deep breath before the plunge, the first blow was struck………straight into the bloody gutter. (Insert fuzzy dream fade-out here).

Bugger, really thought I’d do better with that first one, seems I was a bit rusty.
Have to admit was pretty close between me and Q in the beginning, but then, I started to pull away (or she started to fall back).
After a while poor Q didn’t really hit anything. Heck, she even stopped hitting on me. (n then she started physically hitting me, jus jokin).

It turned out, I won, and she lost, but to be fair, the standards were so low; I can safely say that we were both losers that night.

In order to drown our sorrows from a dismal performance in bowling; Q’s being worse than mine, (sorry Q had to rub it in), we decided to indulge in some hot chocolate.
So off we went to Milky Lane, and sat and ate and chatted till we lost track of time. Until of course Q looked at her watch and realized that if we didn’t leave now, she was sure to break her curfew (I swear, time some how disappears when talking to her, could talk to her for hours).
As all good things must come to and end, I dropped her off at her place, a lil bit after curfew, but did apologise to her mum, which earned me the valuable and ever elusive “brownie points”.

And so the night ended and I was left lonely and………all by myself (oh just go ahead and sing it, you know you want to). But it was decided that we would all go out the next night, unfortunately I couldn’t make it.
But did manage to meet Q for breakfast at Suncoast at Mug n’ Bean, table no. 43. We were hoping, well Q was hoping, for table no. 25. But I guess it was kinda cold that morning to be sitting there.
After a serving of some of the largest flapjacks I’ve ever seen and a small serving of ice cream that just looked disgusting after it had melted; we talked and talked and talked, ranging from school to friends to backpacking across Europe; and it was so warm and comfortable just being with her.
Unfortunately for me, the White stud-muffin of a waiter kept raining on my parade, all the while sending Q into bouts of smiles and giggles. By the way Q, we forgot to get his number for you :)

Time ran away from us again and it was time to drop Q off.

Wish it could have lasted longer though.
Now I'm back here in this corporate jungle.
Why does Jhb have to be so far away from Dbn?
I’m really starting to hate this place.

I’m missing Dbn. I wish I was back home.
Stupid desk, stupid pot plant, stupid coworkers, Gaaaaawd