An Exercise in Dialogue

"No, Jonathan, I'm not saying it's that easy.  In fact, this will probably be one of the most difficult things you will ever do, no matter which way it goes."

Daniel leaned back in his seat and sipped on his Italian cream soda.  The inside of the coffee shop was dimly lit, and the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls wafted through the air.  Jonathan sat across the table from him sipping on some kind of coffee, an espresso if today was like any other day. 

"Yeah, that's for sure.  I don't know what to think anymore."

Jonathan leaned forward and put his head into his hands, absentmindedly twisting a brown curl in his fingers.

"It's not as though there's a book you can read about it in.  Maybe you can write it later, eh Christina?  I can see the title now: how to win the heart of the guy you dumped!"

Daniel dodged the punches Christina threw at him, barely holding on to his perch. Even though most people don't find trees to be the most comfortable, Daniel never had any trouble relaxing on the branches of just about any tree.

"It's not funny!"

Christina crouched on a nearby branch, staring daggers at her obnoxious friend. 


"Well, I know this is ridiculous to say/impossible to do, but try not to think about it too much.  You'll give yourself a headache that way.  Besides, what this needs is a bit of time; maybe some sleep as well." 


"Ha.  I don't think you have anything to tell me about sleep."


"Touche.  Never-the-less, whatever decision you have to make, wait until your head clears.  Your emotions are confused now: they are probably unreliable.  If you act based on that, you may make a huge mistake.  This something that will affect the rest of your life: you obviously, can't take rush it or take it lightly."

Jonathan thought about it a moment, stirring his coffee halfheartedly.

"Look, Daniel, I don't see my head clearing any time soon.  I just barely got over her, and now she marches back into my life as though nothing happened?  What am I supposed to do with that?"

Daniel let out a sigh as he reclined and closed his eyes, as if sleeping.

"Look, you both screwed up, but probably both on accident too.   I think you may have just gotten tangled up in bad communication and stuff: you both misunderstood each other in the worst way.  With time and effort  from both of you, this could be fixed."

Christina dropped to the ground and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, fists clenched.

"Wa ga teru, but I've already apologized..."  the tears began to flow down her cheeks.  "What am I supposed to do now?"

"I don't have the answers.  Like I said before, there's no book for this.  Well, actually, you could probably find a book; but it would be just as likely to lead you astray as it would be to help you.  What works in one case is just as likely to fail in another.  Love is just that complicated and attempts to solve it logically usually end up in absurdities.  I tried to solve it with math once, and ended up with one plus one equals purple."

"Ha ha ha!  Daniel, you're hilarious."  Jonathan drained his coffee and crushed the cup in his hand.  "I just don't think I need to have my heart broken again.  I mean, I forgave her an' all, but that doesn't mean that I should act like it didn't happen."

"Look, Jonathan, you have no idea how fortunate you are.  I mean, the girl you fell in love with broke your heart, right?  Most guys never get a second chance like you're getting.  I've been in love twice, you know?  The first time didn't work out, but the scars on my heart will never go away.  I love Laura with all of my heart, but I think it would have been easier if I had been able to give her an undamaged heart.  You have a chance to heal in a way that I did not: to erase those scars and turn them into memories that add to your story.  I've known you for, what?  My whole life?  I think I know you pretty well.  The reasons you had for choosing her were good reasons, and they still apply.  She's still a good person, and flawed just like you.  If the two of you can make it through this, you can probably make it through anything." 

Daniel landed in front of Christina and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Look, I know this isn't easy; but life just isn't easy.  When it comes to love, you can only do so much yourself.  You're going to have to trust and hope in him; you've done everything you can for now.  But cheer up, I'm rooting for you." 

"I wish I had all the answers for you, but I suppose that would be too easy.  I will be praying for you guys, that's for sure.  Just remember: if there is anything I can do, let me know.  We can talk like this any time you want."