Tuesday 24 July 2012

A MUST READ: THE SIDE PLATE


THE SIDE PLATE


Come on pick up. Please pick up. I’m begging you pick up. Kate paced frantically in her living room as she mentally willed and persuaded her boyfriend Nathaniel to answer his phone. Today was his birthday and she had gone through a lot to make it special for them, well him technically. The truth was,she secretly hoped and anticipated that he would propose to her today. They had been dating for two and half years now and it was time for him to step things up. At least in her mind.
She kept dialling as she wandered into the dining where she had prepared a sumptious candlelit dinner for two and she sighed, the candles were almost done melting. She had spent the entire day chopping, washing, cooking, grilling and then setting up. She moved further into the house to her bedroom, where she had poured petals all over the floor and on the new satin bedsheets just to spice the mood. The candles in here were almost burned out as well, she sighed again. The fragrance from the bath salts she had poured into the bath had long stopped diffusing and the water she speculated was now cold.
She had switched moods severally in the past four hours from anger, worry, and disappointment to rage. She had felt it all tonight. Sadly she knew that if he walked in that moment she would jump, scratch that, fly into his arms. She had it bad for Nathaniel Afinios and he knew it, heck the whole world that cared to notice knew it. He had grown on her like a tumor and she had no need to operate.
It was now 12 am and she curled on the sofa with a glass of Chateau La Mondotte Saint-Emilion reflecting on her life since she met Nathaniel. It was a 1996 edition, one of Nathaniel's tastes she had acquired. Kate never slept in the living room but somewhere in her subconscious she hoped he'd come that night. Even if he crawled in dirty, smelling and drunk she'd take him.
She had mustered up just enough strength to dump the dinner into the trash, take off her dress and grab her blanket before she crawled onto the sofa. Sipping slowing she delved into reminiscence.
"You dropped something, beautiful". Katherine Demarco twirled instantly and almost crashed into the broadest shoulders she had ever seen in all of her 27 years. What stunned her most she had no clue. It could have been his hazel eyes, broad shoulders, or his boldness. She managed to regain composure but it took all her will power to tear her eyes away from his lips. "Excuse me?" she replied and he pounced as though he were only waiting for her response. Over the next 2 months he persuaded, pleaded and pratically bamboozled her into accepting to go out with him for lunch. Like the popular cliche, 'the rest is history'.
Today she was his number one woman and she had no regrets. She enjoyed every minute of the chase, his undivided attention and doting character.
He had told her and showed her in more ways than she could remember that she was special to him.
As she turned on the sofa, already feeling the start of a back ache she wondered why he never spent a birthday with her. In their first year he had had to travel for business and last year she had to go home, her grandmother had passed away. She had begged him that she'd make it up year and she had out done herself. This sure sucked. She had planned the entire evening in her mind and this certainly was not how the night ended. She definitely was not meant to sleep alone, much less on the sofa!
By 5am after barely getting through the night, she jumped off the sofa and freshened up. It was 7am when she managed to stuff a health bar down and swallow her daily dose of Antacid. Grabbing her keys, wallet and phone she called in sick promising to be in the next morning. She drove off in the direction of Nathaniel's house, disobeying speed limits and leaving several red lights in her wake.
At his house, she applied some lipstick, straightened her shirt, opened a few buttons and took a deep breath.
The first thing she noticed was the third car in the garage. She noticed it because it was white, sleek, beautiful and had a bow around the hood. It was a white Audi R8 coupe and the plate number read 'marry me?'. She was beyond ecstatic. There must be a good reason he was not with me last night, she convinced herself.  She began to pray under her breath as she ran up the steps. Containing her excitement and saying one last prayer she unlocked the door and entered.
Putting on the lights in the corridor she cautiously walked in, afraid she'd see his lifeless body on the floor.
As she took in the scenery and with each step she took, she held onto the walls for support. There were plates in the kitchen sink and empty bottles of Nathaniel's favorite wine on the counter, signs of celebration.
As she stood outside his room, she felt the final stab of pain in her heart. The underwear and clothes scattered on the floor in addition to the entangled bodies on the bed, twisted the knife sharply and painfully.
The tears flowed unhindered down her cheeks and she made no move to stop them. Switching on the bedroom light, she moved closer to the bed slowly, praying the body that hung lazily on his side of the bed was not Nathaniels'.
"Nathaniel”? It was both a prayer and plea, so faint she had no idea she uttered it. The shock that registered on both their faces when he opened his eyes crushed her deeply. Shaking her head vigorously and crying profusley as he put his finger on his lips indicating the other sleeping figure.
Pleading with his eyes, he grabbed his jeans and ushered her out of the room.
"Why"? was all she could mutter as he stood facing her outside the house. Kate looked from the house, to the garage and finally to the man standing before her . She wished, hoped, prayed and begged for someone to pinch her, she could not even accept this. She wanted to know, she had to know, she must know. There had to be a reason why this man she had cooked, cleaned, catered to and loved beyond reason for the past two and half years decided to betray her.
As she drove home, she wept bitterly. She drove past her junction and turned around so fast almost denting her bumper on a stop sign.
Slowly, she began recollecting events in the past that could have served as warning signals but she overlooked because of love.
She remembered when his sister got married and she had wanted to go along with him, he had given her some lame excuse about principles. He had not introduced her officially to his family and it would be disrespectful if she just showed up. She had agreed because she did not want to upset her future in-laws so early in their relationship.
When his colleague had celebrated his birthday and invited everyone to come along with their partners, Nathaniel had turned down the invitation on a whim. She also remembered his last promotion and how he had decided not to celebrate, claiming they would spend the Christmas holiday in Aspen.
As she shut her room door and sank to the floor she was grateful for the day off. There was no way she could work efficiently after this but the repreive today provided would tide her over.







Its not fun being second fiddle, being the next best thing. Whether as a man or woman, there's no greater feeling than knowing that to someone you're all that matters. If you have commitment issues or cannot stick to one partner, please stay single and mingle do not subject someone's heart to unnecessary pain and heartache.
The side plate/side chick is often referred to as the mistress, booty call or the plan b. It is simply someone that is not the main chick.  Permit me to indulge you further.
The side chick primary responsibility is to do all the things the main chick would agree to do (by choice or force).
The side chick gets lied to and manipulated into believing if she stays long enough she might be the main chick.
The side chick often convinces herself that what she has is better than nothing. The fear of being alone keeps her grounded.
The side chick is surrounded by secrecy, her identity is not known, and her presence is not recognized. She is kept in the dark from important events or activities happening in the life of the person she is involved with.
The side chick would always remain a side chick, eventually get replaced by another side chick.
As long as the person you are involved with romantically is dating someone and the person is not you, honey you are the side chick.
For those in relationships, please please please, ask questions! Ask till you are satisfied and sure and do NOT accept second-class treatment for any reason. Everyone deserves 100% love, attention and devotion, do not accept less! I'm not asking you to be paranoid, just be interested in knowing your stand in a relationship. If they don't love you, they should leave you, simple!
People are so good at faking love, they could win Oscars. 'I love you' is no guarantee for anything futuristic. As long as there is no ring on 'it', you got nothing. Until you can certify your partners devotion, you could be the 'other chic'. Ofcourse, there are broken engagements that does not mean you should encourage your status as the everlasting boy/girl friend with that.

Keep your partner on their toes always!




4 comments:

  1. Paranoia has just set in..

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  2. May we not be side plates...Amen

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  3. People always get that 'sidechic/guy' feeling but they choose to stay most times....... i'll never understand why!

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  4. Fear is what makes things like this happen, fear of being ryt, fear of being alone, so we accept and settle for the next best thing,by law becoming the next best thing ourselves.

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