ITL: ER/AWTR - Chap 3
Standard disclaimers applied. See Prologue for further details.
Chapter 3: A Little Heart to Heart
That night with the telescope brought them closer together. Rarely, do people see the Ray Barnett that was passionate about the stars and the heavens. Once again, Neela realized how little she actually knew their roommate. There was a level of cautiousness that they maintained, an unspoken accord that neither of them would admit to. However, it wasn’t all bad with their routine and all. Through the months of living together, they knew each other’s quirks, peeves and ever-so-gullible traits.
Ray was messy. Most of the time, his stuff would be all over the couch, the dining room table, by the TV and every conceivable corner of their apartment. He was passionate about his music, though that passion took a whole new meaning when his bandmates showed up with a case of beer and a bunch of amplifiers. He had a thing for cars and would let out his stress by working under the hood. Then, there were the quiet moments, when he would be caught surfing the channels which had a perchance to show religious programs on Sunday mornings.
Likewise, she herself had something of a habit. She had a weak spot for strawberries and whip cream. Ray knew first hand that Neela was absolutely livid about keeping the apartment clean and the bills paid on time. She was constantly worried about making too much noise and disturbing the neighbours. Although Ray would secretly argue that Neela was much louder when England was playing against Brazil during Euro Cup.
Of course, like any other pair of roommates, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. They fought for the hot water in the mornings, cried over the last pot of coffee after pulling a double shift. They bickered over who should wash the dishes, who should cook, and even the ridiculousness of who should get up to get the remote control to turn on the TV! Most of their banter were on impersonal mundane subjects.
However, once or twice, Ray would notice that Neela’s demeanor would stiffen at the news of Iraq and the fighting in the Middle East. Often, she would leave the room altogether. At the moments of solitude, he would hear the tattletale signs of sniffling and crying coming from her room. She would not say, and he did not push. After all, who wasn’t hurting in one way or another?
-o-o-
There was one week where Chicago suffered through a series of torrential downpour. The two roommates had worked the late-night shift. They were both craving for warm baths and comfortable beds. However, they had to stop at the Jumbomart first to stock up on everything. They did this systematically as Neela already had a mental list of things to buy. The only thing that Ray was concerned about was adding a case of cold beer into the cart as they were waiting to pay. Neela frowned slightly but she knew her roommate long enough to comment.
By the time they reached the apartment, everything was soaked and their dripping coats left puddles on the floor. Ray promptly dropped the case of beer and the bag that he was holding to turn on the lights. Nothing happened as the apartment remained dark. “Bummer. The storm probably knock out the power.”
“Oh bloody wonderful. This is exactly what I needed.” was Neela’s only reply.
Ray raised an eyebrow at his roommate but wisely kept his mouth shut. The only source of lighting in the apartment came from the windows. The few flashes of lightning in the distance helped them find their way to the kitchen. Most of the stuff didn’t need to be frozen, so they settled for a box of salted crackers and beer instead.
When Ray saw Neela popping open a can, she merely answered his gaze by saying, “Hey, that’s why we bought it, right? We aren’t staring at it all night.”
Taking her can with her, she rummaged the drawers for candles, matches and flashlights. Ray shuffled his way to his room for some fresh clothes and a towel. When he returned to the kitchen, Neela indicated to the stuff and said, “Light those, will ya? I’m going to change.”
Can in one hand and flashlight in the other, Neela made her way to her room. Ray strategically placed a few candles around the apartment, before grabbing the crackers and the beer, collapsed onto the couch. Closing his eyes briefly, he let himself be comforted by the roaring thunder and rain.
A slight shift in the couch alerted him to Neela’s presence. There was only silence until it was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing. Neela cursed when she saw the name displayed on the caller ID. She spoke in rapid Punjabi, while Ray tried to discern the look on her face using the minimal lighting. Her tone was cheerful before alternating to frustration. She ended the conversation by saying in English, “Parama, you never needed luck from me.”
Slamming the phone shut and then turning it off, Ray was surprised that the contraption didn’t break from the force. Neela made her way over to the couch and cursed again. “That’s not how I want to spend my night.”
“Aw, Neela. You don’t mean that. You love spending time with me.”
That got him a weak smile. “Ray, don’t inflate your ego so much now. I wouldn’t know what to do with you afterwards.”
They fell into a companionable silence. Neela had finished her can of beer and was reaching for another when Ray asked, “You wanna talk about it, Roomie?”
“About what?”
“You know what got you so upset.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing when you’re drinking beer like it’s water.”
His comment was a hypocritical one, as he too reached for another can. Neela was quick to point this out, but she quickly swallowed her tongue as Ray boldly rested his head on her lap. He would later wonder whether or that there was something else in that can of beer.
Neela made a mock move to push him off as she leaned backwards onto the couch. “That was my younger sister, Parama who was calling to see how I was. Every time she calls, it turns to a session of how great everything is going with her and what a poor substitute mine is.”
Ray interjected into her tirade, “But you’re one heck of a doctor. That should count for something.”
“You don’t know my sister. She’s Parama. Did you know her name means ‘the best?’ She is two years younger than me but she’s already married to a perfect family who speaks the same language, follows the same religion. She is a stay-at-home wife with my nephew, Mandeep and is now expecting a second son. I’m going to be thirty soon. I’m single and unmarried and working as a lowly resident.”
Ray got up from this position on Neela’s lap and straightened himself. “To heck with that, Neela. You’re better than that. You’re a doctor. You should be proud of yourself every time you put on that lab coat and wear that stethoscope. You see the worst and the best of people of Chicago who come into the ER, looking for help. Don’t ever forget that!”
His voice resonated in the apartment. This time, it was she who set down her drink onto the counter and cuddled in his lap. “Thanks, Ray. I needed that.”
They sat liked this to the backdrop of lightning and thunder until Neela spoke again, “You have any siblings, Ray?”
“Nope, I’m an only child.”
“In a way, you’re lucky then.”
“But, my buddy Eric is as close to being a brother as anybody can get. I’ve known him since kindergarten. He probably knows as much blackmail material about me as I do him, but we’re tight down to that last secret handshake that we made up back in fourth grade.”
“Oh really, how come you never mentioned him before?”
Ray ignored the question for a moment and instead took another swig from his drink, finishing off the can before tossing it onto the counter. “Then, there were Dean. We weren’t as close as me and Eric but no less a brother to a certain extent. Although, I did give him one in the jaw back in high school.”
“Why, what happened?”
Here, there was a pause. He never really wanted to approach the subject of Beaufort and his days back in high school. Although, the atmosphere in the apartment was lightened and he knew that he could trust Neela. He wasn’t ready, so he pushed the topic out of his mind. Instead, he said, “It was all part of another life.”
Neela was quiet and Ray glanced down at her thoughtful expression. Neela had a weird habit of biting her bottom lip when she was concentrating on something. “So, tell me about you growing up,” she coaxed when she caught him staring.
“There’s not much to tell.”
“Don’t lie, because we both know that’s rubbish.”
He wanted to steer the topic to something more mundane but seeing her look, he indulged her slightly, “I was a bit of a troublemaker ...”
“A bit? You’re still a troublemaker.”
“Hey, I can push you off my lap and onto the floor right now, Ms. Ragostra.”
“If I am going down, you’re coming with me, Ray,” she cheekily remarked.
He rolled his eyes at her smug expression. “Soooo, do you want to hear about it or not?”
“Sorry, carry on,” she said with a wave of her hand.
He told her a couple of the classic pranks that he had pulled along with Eric. Most of them are in the name of harmless fun, although their punishment spoke otherwise. Neela was thoroughly amused to say the least. “I would have love to grow up with you, in ... eh, where were you from again?” she asked.
“Beaufort, North Carolina.”
“Beaufort,” she repeated, “it sounds like a beautiful place.”
“It has its quaint little charm.”
She laughed at his poor-attempt at a fake British accent. “You sound like a drunken wanker, Ray.”
He stared indignantly before smacking her playfully with a pillow from the couch. She retaliated by jabbing him slightly in the ribs. With that, their conversation was dropped. They playfully poked and tickled each other mercilessly throughout the rest of night, until they fell asleep blissfully on the couch in the comfort of each other’s embrace.
End of Chapter 3
Chapter 3: A Little Heart to Heart
That night with the telescope brought them closer together. Rarely, do people see the Ray Barnett that was passionate about the stars and the heavens. Once again, Neela realized how little she actually knew their roommate. There was a level of cautiousness that they maintained, an unspoken accord that neither of them would admit to. However, it wasn’t all bad with their routine and all. Through the months of living together, they knew each other’s quirks, peeves and ever-so-gullible traits.
Ray was messy. Most of the time, his stuff would be all over the couch, the dining room table, by the TV and every conceivable corner of their apartment. He was passionate about his music, though that passion took a whole new meaning when his bandmates showed up with a case of beer and a bunch of amplifiers. He had a thing for cars and would let out his stress by working under the hood. Then, there were the quiet moments, when he would be caught surfing the channels which had a perchance to show religious programs on Sunday mornings.
Likewise, she herself had something of a habit. She had a weak spot for strawberries and whip cream. Ray knew first hand that Neela was absolutely livid about keeping the apartment clean and the bills paid on time. She was constantly worried about making too much noise and disturbing the neighbours. Although Ray would secretly argue that Neela was much louder when England was playing against Brazil during Euro Cup.
Of course, like any other pair of roommates, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. They fought for the hot water in the mornings, cried over the last pot of coffee after pulling a double shift. They bickered over who should wash the dishes, who should cook, and even the ridiculousness of who should get up to get the remote control to turn on the TV! Most of their banter were on impersonal mundane subjects.
However, once or twice, Ray would notice that Neela’s demeanor would stiffen at the news of Iraq and the fighting in the Middle East. Often, she would leave the room altogether. At the moments of solitude, he would hear the tattletale signs of sniffling and crying coming from her room. She would not say, and he did not push. After all, who wasn’t hurting in one way or another?
-o-o-
There was one week where Chicago suffered through a series of torrential downpour. The two roommates had worked the late-night shift. They were both craving for warm baths and comfortable beds. However, they had to stop at the Jumbomart first to stock up on everything. They did this systematically as Neela already had a mental list of things to buy. The only thing that Ray was concerned about was adding a case of cold beer into the cart as they were waiting to pay. Neela frowned slightly but she knew her roommate long enough to comment.
By the time they reached the apartment, everything was soaked and their dripping coats left puddles on the floor. Ray promptly dropped the case of beer and the bag that he was holding to turn on the lights. Nothing happened as the apartment remained dark. “Bummer. The storm probably knock out the power.”
“Oh bloody wonderful. This is exactly what I needed.” was Neela’s only reply.
Ray raised an eyebrow at his roommate but wisely kept his mouth shut. The only source of lighting in the apartment came from the windows. The few flashes of lightning in the distance helped them find their way to the kitchen. Most of the stuff didn’t need to be frozen, so they settled for a box of salted crackers and beer instead.
When Ray saw Neela popping open a can, she merely answered his gaze by saying, “Hey, that’s why we bought it, right? We aren’t staring at it all night.”
Taking her can with her, she rummaged the drawers for candles, matches and flashlights. Ray shuffled his way to his room for some fresh clothes and a towel. When he returned to the kitchen, Neela indicated to the stuff and said, “Light those, will ya? I’m going to change.”
Can in one hand and flashlight in the other, Neela made her way to her room. Ray strategically placed a few candles around the apartment, before grabbing the crackers and the beer, collapsed onto the couch. Closing his eyes briefly, he let himself be comforted by the roaring thunder and rain.
A slight shift in the couch alerted him to Neela’s presence. There was only silence until it was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing. Neela cursed when she saw the name displayed on the caller ID. She spoke in rapid Punjabi, while Ray tried to discern the look on her face using the minimal lighting. Her tone was cheerful before alternating to frustration. She ended the conversation by saying in English, “Parama, you never needed luck from me.”
Slamming the phone shut and then turning it off, Ray was surprised that the contraption didn’t break from the force. Neela made her way over to the couch and cursed again. “That’s not how I want to spend my night.”
“Aw, Neela. You don’t mean that. You love spending time with me.”
That got him a weak smile. “Ray, don’t inflate your ego so much now. I wouldn’t know what to do with you afterwards.”
They fell into a companionable silence. Neela had finished her can of beer and was reaching for another when Ray asked, “You wanna talk about it, Roomie?”
“About what?”
“You know what got you so upset.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing when you’re drinking beer like it’s water.”
His comment was a hypocritical one, as he too reached for another can. Neela was quick to point this out, but she quickly swallowed her tongue as Ray boldly rested his head on her lap. He would later wonder whether or that there was something else in that can of beer.
Neela made a mock move to push him off as she leaned backwards onto the couch. “That was my younger sister, Parama who was calling to see how I was. Every time she calls, it turns to a session of how great everything is going with her and what a poor substitute mine is.”
Ray interjected into her tirade, “But you’re one heck of a doctor. That should count for something.”
“You don’t know my sister. She’s Parama. Did you know her name means ‘the best?’ She is two years younger than me but she’s already married to a perfect family who speaks the same language, follows the same religion. She is a stay-at-home wife with my nephew, Mandeep and is now expecting a second son. I’m going to be thirty soon. I’m single and unmarried and working as a lowly resident.”
Ray got up from this position on Neela’s lap and straightened himself. “To heck with that, Neela. You’re better than that. You’re a doctor. You should be proud of yourself every time you put on that lab coat and wear that stethoscope. You see the worst and the best of people of Chicago who come into the ER, looking for help. Don’t ever forget that!”
His voice resonated in the apartment. This time, it was she who set down her drink onto the counter and cuddled in his lap. “Thanks, Ray. I needed that.”
They sat liked this to the backdrop of lightning and thunder until Neela spoke again, “You have any siblings, Ray?”
“Nope, I’m an only child.”
“In a way, you’re lucky then.”
“But, my buddy Eric is as close to being a brother as anybody can get. I’ve known him since kindergarten. He probably knows as much blackmail material about me as I do him, but we’re tight down to that last secret handshake that we made up back in fourth grade.”
“Oh really, how come you never mentioned him before?”
Ray ignored the question for a moment and instead took another swig from his drink, finishing off the can before tossing it onto the counter. “Then, there were Dean. We weren’t as close as me and Eric but no less a brother to a certain extent. Although, I did give him one in the jaw back in high school.”
“Why, what happened?”
Here, there was a pause. He never really wanted to approach the subject of Beaufort and his days back in high school. Although, the atmosphere in the apartment was lightened and he knew that he could trust Neela. He wasn’t ready, so he pushed the topic out of his mind. Instead, he said, “It was all part of another life.”
Neela was quiet and Ray glanced down at her thoughtful expression. Neela had a weird habit of biting her bottom lip when she was concentrating on something. “So, tell me about you growing up,” she coaxed when she caught him staring.
“There’s not much to tell.”
“Don’t lie, because we both know that’s rubbish.”
He wanted to steer the topic to something more mundane but seeing her look, he indulged her slightly, “I was a bit of a troublemaker ...”
“A bit? You’re still a troublemaker.”
“Hey, I can push you off my lap and onto the floor right now, Ms. Ragostra.”
“If I am going down, you’re coming with me, Ray,” she cheekily remarked.
He rolled his eyes at her smug expression. “Soooo, do you want to hear about it or not?”
“Sorry, carry on,” she said with a wave of her hand.
He told her a couple of the classic pranks that he had pulled along with Eric. Most of them are in the name of harmless fun, although their punishment spoke otherwise. Neela was thoroughly amused to say the least. “I would have love to grow up with you, in ... eh, where were you from again?” she asked.
“Beaufort, North Carolina.”
“Beaufort,” she repeated, “it sounds like a beautiful place.”
“It has its quaint little charm.”
She laughed at his poor-attempt at a fake British accent. “You sound like a drunken wanker, Ray.”
He stared indignantly before smacking her playfully with a pillow from the couch. She retaliated by jabbing him slightly in the ribs. With that, their conversation was dropped. They playfully poked and tickled each other mercilessly throughout the rest of night, until they fell asleep blissfully on the couch in the comfort of each other’s embrace.
End of Chapter 3