✔️ Body and Mind 3

Deal

-Are you really sure you don't wanna attend?

David asked, frowning as he watched Anya hunching her back over dozens of papers and writing down her notes with almost aggressive movements of her hand.
Glued to the sofa the same way she was already for the past several weeks and getting more agitated each day.

-You already asked me that. I am not gonna repeat it, Dave. I have no chance of winning.

-Well, true there are more probable winners for this year, but it's still a huge deal. And it will be an evening with literally the smartest people in the world.

-Yeah, and with media and people stuffed in fancy dresses and finger food made of creatures that live only in the deepest parts of the ocean. No thanks. Unless I think I can win, I won't go.

-So next year you will go?

-Depends on what they nominate me for. To be honest I am surprised this research even made it there.

Anya made a circle around a number she just calculated and then began circling it over and over again until the pen began to pierce through the paper.

-Is everything okay, Anya?

-Yeah. I just wanna be done with this project and go back to Switzerland. I hate it here.

-India?

-Yeah.

Anya tossed the pen on the table and leaned into the sofa, wiping the sweat from her forehead before she crossed her arms on her chest.

-It's so unbearably hot here. All the fucking time. I can't wear my hoodies, just these stupid shorts and----

-I like those shorts on you.

---- and the people, so many people everywhere. You need to squeeze yourself everywhere just to go to the market .... it's hell.

-Ha! You are saying it as if you ever left the office or this flat.

-I did go to get us lunch.

-That was three weeks ago. And you came back with a panic attack, blowing into a paper bag for good ten minutes, and didn't leave since then. Let's go, some fresh air would clear your mind----

-Silence clears my mind. And everything is loud here. Everyone yelling over each other, cars honking, donkeys.....doing whatever sounds donkeys do.

-Braying?

-Yeah, that.

David raised his eyebrow and went to collect the papers from the table.
Once they were all on a neat pile, he sat on the wooden desk in front of her, trying to get her to look at him but she was still annoyed at the world and looking at the wall on her side.

-Fun fact. Unlike you, I am leaving the flat daily and I didn't see a single donkey anywhere. But since you already managed to offend over one billion people with that little speech of yours, which I believe is a pile of crap anyway, would you care to tell me what is the real problem?

Anya rolled her eyes and kept staring at the wall, but after a moment of the angry silence, she exhaled in exasperation and looked at the ceiling instead.

-Why did they nominate me for that, Dave? I did so much more, I am so much better than that. I should have had at least three more researches up there for consideration.

-It does take years before the researches are tested and accepted widely enough to---

-I know, I just.....

She stomped with her foot in annoyance but David saw it was rather to stop herself from crying.
He leaned forward, placed both of his hands on her knees, and patiently waited until she looked down at him.

-Anya. I release you from our deal.

-What?! No!!

-Yes. You will probably not win this year, but in the past five years, you were practically spitting out scientific thesis's and papers. And I am sure that from now on you will be nominated for something every single year until you finally get the medal. And I don't wanna go through this every year.

-I am just annoyed that they nominated me for---

-No, you are annoyed because you are slowly but surely approaching thirty and are scared that your plan A won't work out in time.

-But if you cancel the deal.....and I don't win....then....I will have nothing.

-You will still have me, and your friends and your science, and maybe until then Yuzuru will land that silly jump and finally get the guts to contact you.

-B-But what about you?

-What about me? I am the same as you. I am just with you until I would find something better....and I need to say that I am beginning to quite like that Pari girl....

-The astronomist?

-Yeah, she laughs at my jokes much more than you do.

-That's cause her English is bad. She probably doesn't---

-Hey, hey, hey.... don't ruin my dreams!

A faint smile finally crossed Anya's face and she leaned forward, putting both of her hands on his that were still resting on her knees.

-Maybe it was a stupid plan B all along since our hearts were not in it. I am sorry, Dave.

-Don't be. But I still think we would be great parents.

-But not together.

-Probably.

David stood up and instead moved next to her, sitting down on the sofa and putting his arm over her shoulder.

-Can you please do me a favor?

-Sure, anything.

-Could you stop following every single thing Yuzuru does?

-What? Why?

-Because it's only keeping you distracted from your work, constantly getting anxious over his happiness and forgetting about your own. You should want to win the medal for yourself, not him.

-I am---

-You know I am right, Anya. Yes, you do want the medal so bad for yourself but he is still constantly in the back of your mind anyway. Just focus solely on yourself, stop letting his achievements distract you from your own.

-But what if something happens to him and----

-He is a big boy. You can't be constantly in his shadow, trying to solve his problems for him. You have other problems to solve if you want the medal.

With that, he let go of her and tapped on the pile of papers on the table and Anya leaned back into the sofa and closed her eyes, slowly rubbing her forehead.
He watched her contemplate for several minutes and then she finally opened her eyes and grabbed the pile of papers, spreading them again over the table.

-So? Will you keep just one obsession?

Anya stared at him for a short moment, one last time mulling over everything he said and knowing that he is, as always, right. She then gave him a resolute nod and reached for her pen and a new blank sheet of paper.