Letters To Johnny - Two

Johnny,

Hey you! It was good to hear from you yesterday - I'm glad you had a safe journey, even if it is a bit rainy where you are (isn't it the end of the monsoon season?!). It's well sunny here, but I'm not really enjoying it. I was up all night being sick and there's no one here to look after me, boo! I hope you are well - I haven't heard from you today and it's getting late where you are. I know you are probably busy sorting everything out - are you down in the Tansen area now? You will have to send me sonnet photos of where you are staying. I bet there's a welcome party tonight; I remember you saying how much the locals love to entertain visitors (singing and dancing and home-brew?).

As I'm sick I'm just curled up on the sofa with a blanket watching some old Attenborough - it always reminds me of you and your slightly disturbing David Attenborough obsession. Although I will agree that his voice is good to fall asleep to, even if being woken up by monkey noises is a bit disturbing!

Again, I've been thinking about when we first became friends. I remember this one Monday morning; things had been pretty bad at home over the weekend and I was desperate to get back to uni. I arrived really early, as always, and just sort of loitered around the canteen. A few of the girls from EY1 turned up for a early-morning catch up, but it was you I was waiting for. I knew you had been with your girlfriend at the weekend and this was back in the times where I was too scared to text you every day to chat, so I hadn't spoken to you since Friday.

It was only as EY1 were eventually leaving for the lecture that you turned up, plugged into your MP3 player as usual, and looking somewhat disheveled. I stopped to talk to you as the rest of our group ambled on. You looked...sad. I waited for you as you paid for your tea. I remember how gutted I was when I asked if you'd had a nice weekend with your girlfriend and you gave a resolute 'no' in response. I guessed something had happened but I didn't know you well enough to push it.

Later that week, my nerves sending my heart into overdrive, pounding madly against my rib cage, I asked you (as casually as possible!) if you wanted to go and get something to eat after uni. I couldn't quite believe it when you agreed to enthusiastically, smiling. You wanted to hang out with me! Anyway, we went for a Nando's (disappointing as always) and after we went to Heroes bar for a drink. I was driving, unfortunately, so was on the diet cokes, but you were straight on the beer. It was good to get you alone, away from the hustle of uni, where we could talk and I could be myself. After a few drinks, your usual barriers lowered and you said you had something important to tell me. I had no idea what you were going to say. When you described your awful weekend, how Hannah had broken up with you, I just wanted to hug you and make it better. You were clearly gutted. I settled for slinging a friendly arm around your shoulder and trying to cheer you up with random conversations and tales of my own relationship problems. For the first time I felt like we really connected - like I was finally getting to know you. And I liked it.

Well, I'll leave it there for now. I know, I write as much as I talk, right?! Let me know how it's all going my lovely. Still missing you!

Love,
Kim
Xxx