| Bad Predictions I |
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Waiting for the elevator to take me from the lobby to her small apartment on the sixth floor. Rehearsing in my head what I'm going to tell her. Simulating the conversation. Trying to predict her answers. Not a prediction actually - I KNOW what she's going to say. I know she'll be shocked. "Why now all of a sudden?" "You mean - for good? Forever?" "Just like that? After all these years?" "In the middle of the semester? Just before the exams? Couldn't you pick a better time?" - I had all my answers ready - "It's not so sudden, I've been thinking about it for some time now," "Forever is a big word" and "There's never a good time for these kind of things. It always hurts."
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| Waiting for the elevator to take me to the lobby from her small apartment on the sixth floor. Trying to hold the tears inside, at least until I'm on the highway. If I didn't know her so well, I would think that she did it on purpose, that she was trying to maintain her dignity, to counterattack me. But I know her so well. And I know that she was serious. I immediately knew from her expression when she said, "Well, I'm glad you brought it up, I wanted to talk to you myself" that I was wrong. Terribly wrong... |
| Bad Predictions II |
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"It's common sense," he told me as he was turning his flashlight on and off, sending long light beams into the darkness that surrounded us. "That's the way they work, these people. You know - the good cop and the bad cop." "The sergeant will deny your request and send you to the lieutenant. The lieutenant will pretend that he has to consider it, to give it some thought, but you know what - he's just putting on a show. He will give you the OK." We were patrolling for the third hour on a cold Thursday night. I had received a phone call from my friend the night before and he had told me about this great party to which he had been invited. I was invited as well (if you consider "yeah, I guess it's ok if you bring him with you" an invitation), but I had to stay for duty on the military base where I was serving at the time. My companion went on - "It's all about reading people, knowing the types, penetrating inside their heads without them even knowing it, knowing how to approach, manipulate, get what you want, make them even WANT to give you what YOU want! - That's what it's all about basically." Looking at my doubtful expression he added "and the best thing about it is that I can teach you. I can prepare you. You'll be dancing and drinking Friday night. Trust me"
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The party was great! Lots of fun. At least that's what I heard from my friend... I didn't get to attend myself. In fact - the lieutenant was so upset by this unusual daring request (if he was putting on a show then he's a darn good actor - he was absolutely baffled...he even asked me to repeat what I said thinking that he might have not heard it right...). We were both punished with two additional hours for our Friday night patrol...
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| "Well, It's actually the tone that matters," he told me. "It's not really what you say. You have to use the right intonation..." |
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