Horsing Around

"How is the search going?" I asked very casually during one of those long pauses between things.

"What search?" He either was preoccupied and didn't hear me properly or didn't quite know what I was asking.

"You know, for a likeminded person."

"What likeminded person?"

I felt a little angry. Our conversation was so significant in my mind and it was so forgettable in his that he didn't even remember what we had discussed the last time.

"You know, a likeminded person of the opposite sex, who..." I tried to freshen his memory while leaving the sentence unfinished.

"Oh, that." He nodded. "Not so good. So far the only person of the opposite sex that I know who thinks like me is you."

"Well," I laughed, "That really is not good for you."

"You shouldn't be laughing," he said with what I assumed to be mock anger. "You are not any better off, if I were to guess. You see, the only person of the opposite sex that you know who thinks like you is me. So there."

"Yes, you are right." I said with seriousness. "And that's not good for me."

We both were quiet for a long time after that, just contemplating our fate. I was busy with my nails while he was busy flipping through channels again. The sound was low enough to almost be muted.

I mulled things over and over until I couldn't contain myself. I whispered, as if I was saying it more to myself than to him, "Maybe we should help each other out."

I don't know if he even heard me because his flipping of channels continued. I expected him to react with surprise if he did hear me but he didn't react at all.

I thought of repeating my words a little loudly but lost my courage and decided to just forget the whole thing, at least for the time being.

It must have been quite a few minutes before he looked at me and said, "You can't be serious."

"Serious about what?" I feigned ignorance as to what he was talking about.

"What you just suggested?"

"What did I suggest?" I continued with my ignorance play.

"You said, 'Maybe we should help each other out.'"

"Help each other out with what?"

"I guess you are not serious then," he decided to give up.

I waited a short while and then asked, "Well, what if I was?"

He sat up quickly. "If you were serious then I would say you were crazy."

"Why am I crazy? Doesn't it make the most sense to help each other out?"

"No, it doesn't. You are my sister. I can't...I mean we can't."

"But think Steven. Think carefully. You don't have to agree with me, but think with me at least for a second. Just humour me, if you will."

I waited for him to be fully attentive. He was looking at me when I spoke again.

"Here we are, looking for someone who is being safe, with whom we can then hook-up for mutual satisfaction. I mean we don't have to look any further. Here we are!"

"But...we are..."

I cut him short. "You know, Steven, we are in an extraordinary situation, which calls for an unconventional solution. If you are looking for a conformist way out of it, you'll be waiting for a long, long time. I don't know about you, but I seem to have needs and desires that require this approach before I can fulfil them."

He sat there stunned and bewildered. I said to him as I got up to leave, "Well, think about it, at least. What do you have to lose?"

(More to follow...)