Love is not an easy game.

We were mere days away from getting married when Olga changed her mind and told me, “go to hell.” She had no good reason to do so, or at least I did not think so at that sad time. But later on, I was very grateful she’d saved us a kind of marriage situation that could lead only to trouble, fighting at the court, and a painful divorce.

However, the separation didn’t last, and while I’m writing these lines, Olga is driving our two kids to the school. And then she’ll have a space to spend time at the coiffeur salon and the nails spa. She wants to look tip-top at tonight’s party to celebrate our marriage’s 10th anniversary.

So, since Olga won’t be back before long hours, I have enough time to write why she broke off with me and why we got together again.

I know, it was not so lovely of Olga that time to tell me out of the blue, “go to hell.” If she wanted to break off, she should’ve learned how to break up without hurting the man who loves her. She should have broken the news, at least. But she had chosen the hard way and told me straight forward that I was a dull man. Yes, she hurt me badly, but unfortunately, she was right in what she said. I was unbelievably boring and deserved all the words in the dictionary that give this kind of meaning.

But even whatever Olga said about me. No one could deny I had been a good man. All my focus was on building up a successful business and having a good family. So, I felt miserable for a while; then, I had a new girlfriend, or better to say, a dull companion. She was a respectable Doctor of Philosophy and expected me to address her formally as Dr. Brown even if we were in bed. And in case I wrote her a note, I had to list Ph.D. after her name. She was like that – very proud to be a learned individual.

In one year time, I was with Dr. Brown having a drink in a quiet bar. I was in the mood for an active life. But Dr. Brown was more interested in her theory that kids would grow up emotionally secure when they learn to separate from their parents at their own pace.

I couldn’t stop myself from yawning. Dr. Brown’s monotone voice with a half-bottle of wine made me feel sleepy.

“Why don’t you sleep and let me speak alone.” Dr. Brown objected to my yawning and half-closed eyes.

“Sorry, but it was a long day,” I politely answered so we don’t fight.

“A long day… A long day. The same story always. You don’t care listening to me. I’m talking about kids’ emotional security, about how we’re going to raise our kids.

“I know.”

“You don’t like to know anymore. You’ve changed since day one when we met.”

“You do not need to exaggerate. I just need a little more outgoing life, some adventure to break the usual routine.”

“Like what?”

“ like taking a trip to St Thomas to enjoy Swimming with Sharks at Coral World Ocean Park.”

“Swimming with Sharks!” Dr. Brown raised her brows, “Are you sure you’re the same man I wanted once to live with him my all life?”

“Swimming with Sharks is the best way to prove our boldness. It would be a great experience to take a dip in the ocean with sharks so close that we feel the swish of their fins.”

“May you stop making nonsense!”

“You don’t need to worry, Dr. Brown. They do it safely. You’ll be inside a cage and can return to the boat at any time.”

“You want to put me inside a cage!” Dr. Brown said sarcastically and was about to get up and leave.

The last to be expected at that moment happened. Olga and her new boyfriend Roy showed up. Roy had been my best friend and the most adventurer boy of school’s time, and I always admired his talent to attract girls and keep them around him. Even Dr. Brown was happy to see Roy, so she decided not to leave and invited him and Olga to join us.

Roy and, as usual, talked mainly about adventure activities around the world - bridge climbing, rafting, Sandboarding, exotic car driving, and racing.

“Stop it, please stop it,” Olga complained. “I’m tired of all these activities, and I had enough.”

The night together ended early. And the following day, I was surprised to receive a call from Olga asking if we could meet to have coffee and chit-chat.

We met at Starbucks and talked about our old days together and laughed at how Olga told me the last day of our relation, “go to hell.”

“Are you happy with Roy?” I dared to ask Olga.

“It’s not about being happy. I’m tired of Roy. Today morning we had a big fight, he wants me to go Skydiving. I wouldn’t say I like it when it comes to adrenaline-pumping activities. I get scared from the thought of jumping out of an airplane. And then what- Ah, plummeting through the air on a breathtaking freefall.

“It sounds like you changed since the day we broke off.”

“I did, and I miss the days we were together.”

“And I changed as well and become less boring.”

“Good,” she laughed. “ should we come back together?”

“I love it.”

“I love it too,” Olga said and gave me a big kiss.

………..

………..

Ah, listen, it sounds like Olga came back home with kids. Oh, my goodness, she has cut her beautiful long hair. She looks awful.

“What is this?” I said, pointing to her head.

“A bowl cut. Don’t you like it! It reveals my face to the world. It makes a statement that I’ve nothing to hide.”

“Nothing to hide?”

“Look at this dress I bought,” she said happily and took out of a colorful box a dress that really hides nothing.

“Olga, are you going mad?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Olga, today is our marriage’s 10th anniversary.”

“Ten years with a boring man like you enough to make any woman go mad.”

“Today, we have a big party.”

“Fine, then dress well and pretend we’re a happy couple.”