100 Days With Mr Romero

“What do you want? ” Emma yelled at Sam after she opened her door and met him standing there motionless. He had called and texted her severally but Emma wasn’t willing to listen so he showed up at her door even after she had warned him never to step foot in her apartment especially after his previous violent reaction. He was looking tensed. Emma immediately tried to slam her door at his face but luck wasn’t on her side that morning. Sam quickly held the door and forced himself into her home. Emma groaned in frustration. Sam went inside and stood beside her TV set looking at her.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“I am sorry I forced myself in. ” he apologized.

“Have a seat. ” Emma said after all he was already in and there was nothing she could do about it.

When Mike revealed to Emma Sam’s mental condition. There was no denying that she felt sorry for him. No one deserves such a fate she thought. However, she was mad at Sam for hiding such information from her. She sure didn’t expect him to walk up to her saying ‘Hi Emma I have bipolar.’ but a little hint could have been just fine. She wasn’t expecting too much, was she? More so, she was still mad at him for lying about his professional status. She knew bipolar couldn’t have made him that secretive. She was also mad at him for harassing the new bar tender the other day.

Sam sat on her big sofa and Emma went to the refrigerator and pulled a bottle of water. She poured the cold water in a little glass cup and handed it to Sam who took it immediately and gulped the water as if his life depended on it.

“I am sorry. ” he said while placing the empty glass on the table by his side. “I am deeply sorry Emma. I just couldn’t control myself… It happens all the time… ” he was saying.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were bipolar?” Emma asked, clear hurt in her voice. Sam lowered his head and began swinging his head from left to right mumbling “I am so sorry.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you owned the bar? ” she queried further.

“I thought if I told you I was your boss then you would see me differently. ” replied Sam looking at Emma. “Differently? ” she asked even though she knew what he meant.

“I thought maybe you wouldn’t be comfortable around me or be my friend anymore if I was your superior. ” Sam said.

“Or maybe you wanted to toy with me huh? ” she said and smiled immediately. Sam chuckled and replied “Never. ”

“We started on a foot I was very comfortable on so I didn’t want to ruin the flow. ” Sam said. Emma noticed that he was now more relaxed and his back was resting on the sofa and his earlier tied fists were loosen. She smiled inwardly.

“What you did to that bar tender ant the other day was wrong. ” she said. He couldn’t blame his display of inhumanity on bipolar at the moment and Sam knew it.

“I am a business man and I think being a businessman has made me to forget my manners. ” Sam said.

“I was concerned over loosing a valuable customer like Austin Mc Bryan. ” said Sam.

“I was wrong. ” he quickly added. Emma smiled because she could see how sorry he was and to her surprise, he said

“I have apologized to the little guy. We are cool now. ”

“Wow! ” exclaimed Emma.

“It won’t happen again. ” he promised.

“I hope so. ” replied Emma. She knew it was an impossible endeavor for a bipolar victim to swear allegiance to orderliness.

“You need to apologize to Mike too. ” Emma told Sam who nodded even though he wasn’t sure if he would really do that. Emma didn’t want their whole conversation at the moment to dwell on apologies but Sam had something in mind. “I inherited it from my father. ” he blurted. “I have generic bipolar. ” he quickly added leaving Emma dumbfounded.

“I am so sorry.” was all she could tell him. “As a child.” began Sam looking at the blank wall.

“I had terrible mood swings. I will be happy right now and few minutes later I am sad and devastated. ” he said with tears welling in his eyes.

“What did you do to feel better? ” Emma asked him.

“I went to therapy. Series and series of therapy.” he said.

“Did it help? ” Emma asked with her eyes downcast to avoid his teary eyes.

“It did help but you know bipolar can’t be treated right? ” he told Emma and she nodded in understanding.

“As a child, I was bullied for being violent. Kids will leave the playground the moment I walked him. Their parents told them I was a manic and they fled from me.” revealed Sam with tears streaming down his cheeks. Emma didn’t utter a word. “I tried Emma. I am always trying to overcome this eternal damnation but” he said crying out loud. Emma quickly went to his side, placed her right hand on his back in a bid to calm him down.

“It’s okay Sam. ” she consoled him while he nodded cleaning his eyes with his palms.

“I didn’t want this… I can’t Keep hurting people. I just can’t strike a balance between my highs and lows. ” said a broken Sam.

“You’ll be fine. ” Emma assured him. “Please forgive me Emma. ” beckoned Emma.

“It’s okay Sam. ” she said.

Few minutes later, Sam had managed to stay put and Emma had served him coffee. His eyes were dried though his voice was shaking.

“Thank You Emma.” he said after drinking the coffee.

“I want to ask for a favor. ” he said.

“Sure” replied Emma sharply.

“Will You please resume work at the bar”? he pleaded.

“I… ” stammered Emma.

“Please Emma.” he begged.

“I’m sorry Sam. I already took a job at the restaurant down the street.” she replied. “Can you leave the job please? I’m not saying you must but I will feel better and forgiven if you return to my club.” He said.

“I’ll think about it.” Emma said to him.