One evening with her

Mostly, I have a good measure of control over my social life. Mostly, I can decide who I see, when, where and why.

Then there are the rare occasions when I know I will totally detest the company but am somewhat obliged to humour the host and tolerate her choice of friends.

So I mentally prepared for the inevitably l-o-n-g evening when I will be trapped with her under the same roof, in the same room, at the same table, dangerously within spitting distance of each other.

I was surprisingly unruffled as I listened to her boast and brag about various aspects of her life:
- she has blackberry, iphone, huge telco bills, all paid for by her employer.
- her two near grown sons are in Australia. One working as a tax something, the other finishing uni.
- she looks to "activate" her Australian PR sometime in the next 5 years because Australia is ultimately the place to retire in.
- her near grown adopted daughter (still living at home) she describes as stupid and promiscuous. Her sons agree with her assessment and gleefully joins her in tormenting the girl with vicious name calling.
- her partying weekends in Singapore which starts with drinks and karaoke on Friday night, and ends at 7 am on Saturday at a dive that has open mike. Sleeps through Saturday and starts over Saturday night. Leaves for Bangkok sometime on Sunday to be there to start the workweek.
- her life chock-a-block with travel and holidays with friends, friends, friends!

I did ask early in the evening where's the husband. She played like she never heard me, and started on her tales of her life according to her.

Sigh. Alright. I was only curious about what happened, not concerned or saddened. I certainly wasn't interested in everything else she spilled out that evening.

And, at the end of the evening, we said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways.

Afterwards, I realised how strange that I felt nothing upon seeing her again. Really, truly, nothing. Followed by a fleeting vague sense of feeling sorry I could feel nothing for her. Then - nothing again.