Friday, October 7, 2011

Web of Lies

Today is my roommate H's birthday. Last night she invited me to go to a movie with her and her boyfriend and my other roommate S. Fortunately I was able to avoid this awkward social situation because I had an institute class.
Around 11:30 pm, decked out in my pj's, with a head full of soft purple curlers, H knocked on my door. Embarrassed because of my appearanc I reluctantly opened the door. H informed me that her family was coming over, and that she was going to tell them that I had gone with her and S to the movie instead of H's boyfriend. This is odd, but not as odd as it may seem, as H is an international student from India and is secretly dating a man whom her family would not approve of. Actually they are quite traditional, and would not approve of dating anyone.
I stared confusedly at H as she informed me of this and wondered if she really thought that I would rush out to the living room as soon as her family arrived (unexpectedly, and unwelcomed) that late at night and tell her family all about the wonderful night H had enjoyed with her secret boyfriend. I felt like her informing me of this was unncessary becauseI don't particularly like my roommates and have resorted to living as a hermit in my room to avoid them. Thus I am the last person who is going to go out in the living room and chat up her family and drop the boyfriend bomb on them. And yet she felt the need to search me out, afraid that I might reveal her secret.
She really needn't have worried though, and not just because I've become a hermit, but also because I'm really an eighty year old at heart and go to bed really early (and when she informed me that her family was coming over it was all I could do to keep my crotchety 'but its so late' remarks to myself).
I also wondered why I had to be dragged into the web of lies at all? Why not just omit the boyfriend and just tell them she had gone to the movie with S? Why did my name have to be brought up at all? Actually I've been wondering ever since I was first informed of her secret boyfriend why she didn't just rip off the metaphorical band-aid and save herself all the grief that it takes her to conceal her boyfriend. Especially since her family tends to drop by unexpectedly and her boyfriend apparently dislikes having to hide when the family shows up at H's door (which I find completely odd....NOT!). I understand that it would make her family upset, but she told me that she has no intention of ever having an arranged marriage like her mother and sister would like her to have, and she flat out told me that she doesn't like Indian guys. I doubt that these prefences are likely to change, and as it has started to adversely affect my life, I really think she should just tell the truth and let the cards fall where they may.
I was too tired to give any sort of intelligent response to H when she knocked on my door last night, so my people-pleasing pathology forced out an "ok" and I slowly closed the door on her. We haven't really discussed it, but I'm not going to lie for her. I'm not going to purposely reveal her secret, but I am definitely not comfortable with all the subterfuge, especially if she wants to use me as an alibi, or even worse if she decides to ask me to hide her boyfriend in my room like apparently the last roommate did for her (um, that is NOT going to happen EVER!!).
H just seems to have a special talent for making me feel like a jerk, because I feel like a huge one now, and I didn't do anything except for cower under my sexy curlers and gawp at her strange request.
Move out date t-minus four months. Sigh. I only hope I last that long, she is driving my crazy!

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