Long Distance is a Bitch by shiprat

[Ramesh_Rocky]

I looked up and saw a vaguely familiar face belonging to a man slightly older than me. He had a mop of brown hair and a brown goatee surrounding a friendly smile. He wore a white Coldplay t-shirt and stonewashed jeans. I had a strong feeling I knew him from somewhere, but couldn't quite place him. But just to be on the safe side, I flashed him a polite smile and said,

"Hi! How're you doing?"

"I'm good." he said and paused. Then he said, "I was wondering....are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could.

"Okay....well...I was sitting on the next table and couldn't help overhearing....and since we see each other every day, I thought I'd just check up on you." he said.

I looked at him trying to keep a smile on my face, but trying really hard to figure out where I knew him from. He must have read my mind, because he said

"You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"I am sorry," I said feeling guilty. "You look familiar but I can't quite...."

"It's okay. I guess I look a lot different when I am not wearing a janitor's uniform." he said and smiled.

And then it dawned on me. He was one of the janitors in the department where I was a graduate student. He didn't work on the floor my office was in, but I did see him around the building on a daily basis. Especially when I went out of the building for a smoking break, and he was also there, silently puffing away at his Parliaments.

"Oh yeah! I am so sorry. I just didn't...."

"Don't be sorry. It's not like janitors and graduate students fraternize a lot. I only know you by sight cos I have seen you at the smoker's corner with your Camels. I don't know your name though."

"I am Anar." I said, extending a hand towards him. He took my hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"I am Dustin." He said and asked, "Say, do you mind if I join you at this table? I hate having coffee alone."

"Sure." I said. He seemed friendly enough. Dustin pulled up the chair in front of mine and sat down.

"So as I said, I couldn't help overhearing....."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to be so loud." I said apologetically.

"Oh no, that's fine. I was just wondering if I could be of any help. I've been in such situations a lot."

"What situations?"

"Well, long distance relationships. Troubled relationships. Fights. Arguments. So if you wanna talk about it with someone, feel free to unload on me."

I looked at him for a moment. Dustin seemed friendly enough but I barely knew him. I didn't feel comfortable sharing the problems in my love life with him. But he was just trying to be helpful. So I politely said,

"Oh it's okay. I don't wanna bore you. It's just the same old thing. Same old fight. Nothing too serious."

"My girlfriend and I also keep having reruns of our fights." Dustin said, as the waitress got his cup of coffee and put it in front of him. "There are two episodes that are on the rerun all the time. One is, why don't I give up trying to be a musician and get a real job. "

"A musician?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you don't think I am a career janitor, do you? I took this job just to pay the rent. I am part of a band. I am the bass guitarist."

"Wow, I had no idea!" I said, realizing that this janitor was a lot more interesting than he first appeared. "What kind of music do you play?"

"Oh we don't like to label ourselves. But it is kinda punk folksy alternative indie rock with underground and Brit-pop influences."

I chuckled at the complex but vague description.

"Yeah, I know. Sounds wishy-washy. But that's kinda our sound! When we make it big, we'll start our own genre." Dustin said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"And your girlfriend wants you to give it up?" I asked.

"Yeah, she does. She says I am about to turn 35. My band hasn't even landed decent gigs in Manhattan. Our time is done. Time to move on."

I was surprised to learn that Dustin was 35. As I said, he just looked a few years elder to me. I am 24. I guessed him to be in his late 20s. Maybe he looked younger because he had a small body frame. He wasn't more than 5 ft 8, and could not have weighed more than 160 pounds.