Chapter 11

The first week after Lisa had left was hard. We missed each other but I also realised how much energy I had spent thinking about my problem. I was confident that we could beat it. The future looked much brighter.

The botanical garden became my favourite spot. If at all possible, I went there every afternoon and stayed until the sun went down around seven. For someone like me, used to the changing seasons up north, it was kind of strange that the sun rose and went down the exact same time every day. Their greenhouse was another funny difference. In Denmark, greenhouses are heated to get tender plants through the winter; in Singapore they are cooled to make plants from colder regions survive in the tropical climate.

I found another difference: When I asked the people I was training if they understood what I explained they always said yes, but I suddenly realised that sometimes they were just being polite. It was a waste of time asking. Instead, I had to give them practical tests and if I could see they were on the wrong track I guided them in the right direction. The result was easily recognisable, both because they learnt more, and they were happier, feeling confident about what they were doing.

One afternoon while I was walking around the botanical garden, it struck me that the technician's polite response to my questions was much like the way we acted towards each other when it came to sex. We pretended everything was fine even though we had doubts, desires, needs, and unanswered questions. The problem was the same. The solution I had worked out for my students was not immediately applicable. In a way it was. Communication was the key; communication and a mutual understanding of the situation. I was unable to formulate and turn it into a universal solution, but I was sure that if I ever did, it would be valuable to many couples.

The days passed surprisingly quickly. Before I knew it I only had a week left. Lisa had been on my mind constantly and even more so with only a week left, but thoughts about what I was going to do at work after I returned also forced themselves upon me. My colleagues back home had kept me up to date on the situation and although it sounded as if it had improved, it was still not like it used to be. Our new section manager had added up the overtime we had put in since our five colleagues had been laid off, and taken it to the management along with a stack of complaints from our customers and the salespeople. Apparently he had put his own job on the line and in the end they had agreed to take back two of the five. It was good but they were still busy. They hoped it would get close to normal when I returned.

I had hoped John was one of them, but he had found a new job as caretaker at the school. It paid less than his old job but he preferred the security and had declined the offer to return. I was happy for him and understood his decision.

I was sure I was going home but two days before I was due to return I had a tempting offer from the Singapore company. They wanted me to stay on. I was offered a manager job with a generous salary; much more than I could ever imagine earning in my present job, even considering the cost of living in Singapore. It would be a career move of a magnitude way beyond anything I had imagined possible. My spirits were high when I met Dave in the bar that afternoon.

"It is a great offer and you have earned it. They don't give out offers like yours just to be polite. You must be good, but you need to consider what you want to do with your life. If you take that job, it's bye-bye Lisa. If she stays back home you'll only see her a couple of times a year. She or you will eventually get bored and find something local. If you bring her out here it is unlikely she can get a job. It will be difficult for a ground schoolteacher with a major in Danish and German to get a job. She'll be even more bored than if you left her alone back home. Before you know it she'll be on her way home. Believe me, I've seen it before and I would hate to see it happen to you two."

I was glad when he said I had earned it, but the part about losing Lisa was depressing. In my mind she would just move with me to Singapore; I hadn't considered what she was going to do once she was here. There was some truth in his words but I refused to accept it. I could put it down to jealousy on his behalf, but he earned more in his present job than I was offered and he was sick and tired of living in Asia. He spoke from experience and was genuinely trying to help for my sake; maybe more for Lisa's sake. I'm sure he had a little crush on her. Still, I wanted to talk to Lisa about it before I gave it up. Maybe she liked the idea of expanding our horizon, living in Singapore for some years.

I told Lisa about it the next day. She congratulated me but the worried tone in her voice betrayed her when she asked me if I had accepted the offer.

"Of course not. I had to talk to you first."

Her end of the line went quiet.

"Singapore is awfully far away."

I was happy Dave had tried to pull me down from my cloud the day before. It had given me time to think about it and imagine what it would be like from Lisa's point of view.

"I know. I have thought about it and I'll politely turn them down. I might try to keep the door open in case it looks too bad when I get back to the factory, but for now you're much more important to me."

"But if you want the job I'll go with you to Singapore. We'll still be together."

"I don't think I really want it, I'm just happy that they asked me. We have all our friends and relatives in Denmark. It might become lonely out here for both of us."

Lisa sounded relieved. I had been a little depressed after talking with Dave about the job, but strangely, talking to Lisa about it had made me feel a lot better about it, even though it had convinced me that I had to turn it down. I was content with the fact that they had given me a fine offer.

After we had talked about it I carefully thought over the options I had. The job in Singapore was a great opportunity, but I risked my marriage if I accepted. That excluded that option. The second possibility was to find another job back home. This meant that either we sold the house and moved or I would have to commute for several hours every day. Selling the house could take time and Lisa would have to find another job as well. Even if we could sell the house fast, and Lisa found a job in the city, buying a new house closer to the city was much more expensive than where we lived now. While my brother lived in Copenhagen, his tiny, two room flat cost more than our house. We had planned to have children in the not too distant future, and doing so in a small flat compared to our present house convinced me that moving was a bad idea. If I was going to commute for several hours every day I might as well get paid overtime and work a little longer.

All in all, my options were limited. Either way I looked at it, I had to stay where I was.

I carefully planned how to turn down their offer in the most polite way, making sure they understood how happy I was that they wanted me. I used Lisa as part of the excuse for not accepting, saying that she was very close to her family and was reluctant to move. They understood but asked me to considered it again and talk to my wife when I got home. In case I changed my mind, the offer would stay open for two months. I promised them I would.

Dave was sad that I was going home. At first I thought he was just being polite, but he drove me to the airport and made me promise to keep in touch. There was something in his voice when he said goodbye. He was old enough to be my father, but a wife and children had never fitted in. I wondered what option he had considered when he chose that life. I knew his father worked in the mines. Staying might never have been a real option for him.

I was flying home on the night flight and would land in the morning in Copenhagen. Dave had told me everything about how to avoid jetlag. I should stay awake until it was time to sleep in Denmark. I set my wristwatch to Danish time when I boarded and I was lucky that the seat next to me was empty. That meant a little more room to spread.

I began to read but it was hard to concentrate. Being close to home it became almost unbearable to wait another fourteen hours to see Lisa. Time moved slowly, but suddenly the plot in my book caught me and a couple of hours passed quickly. I had just finished the book when they turned the cabin light off and asked the passengers in the window seats to pull down the curtains. It was easier to sleep on the way home, even though I still woke several times to get some water.

I dreamt about Lisa all the way home. An hour before we landed, breakfast was served. It's incredible how much food they can carry and prepare on a plane. Not all of it tastes fantastic but the breakfast was good and made the time pass. Suddenly the captain announced that we were approaching and had to fasten our seatbelts.

When I stood by the luggage band I could almost smell Lisa. My suitcase was one of the first and I went straight through customs. The customs officers were probably having breakfast. She was right in front of me when I came out and I hurried to her. It was the best hug ever. I was torn between "never leave again" and "I have to do this more often". I was home.

I had a crisis around three in the afternoon but apart from that I was surprisingly awake, but around ten I began to feel a little sleepy again. I suddenly realised how long it had been since I showered and decided to take a bath before I went to bed.

"Do you want me to join you?" Lisa asked.

"I hope you will."

When Lisa slipped into the shower she smiled shyly. "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh?"

"You know, you always complain that you get hair in your mouth. I've trimmed it a little."

I looked down but I couldn't see much difference from above and reached down to feel. When my fingers touched her I knew what she meant. All traces of hair on her lips were gone. I could hardly wait to see what it looked like.

I had considered asking Lisa if she wanted to shave her pussy, but merely because I always got hair in my mouth. Now that she had done it I found it arousing as well. I think it was the thought of her doing it, because the first thought I had was: what did she use? I asked her.

"My electric shaver, you know, the one I use for my legs."

"Was it fun? It vibrates some, doesn't it? My shaver does."

Lisa blushed and smiled timidly. "I think it was mostly because I thought of you."