This is a rant. I want to get rid of something that has been annoying me since yesterday and I think that writing about it and sharing it with my readers may just be the thing to get it out of my system.
I have come across the term toxic people in various peoples’ lives but could not relate to that term till I came across one yesterday.
I was on the telephone talking to Padma and reminiscing with her about many other 4th Mays that we had seen together. Yes, it would have been her wedding anniversary and she would have celebrated it with great enthusiasm had only my friend Kashi been alive. I was trying to cheer her up and was telling her to have a grand do at home with Biriyani, Kheer etc just as Kashi would have liked when the door bell rang and when I opened the door it was a friend who was visiting, I waved him to sit down while I continued my conversation with Padma and was telling her that in my opinion, she should not go into mourning but must celebrate and so on and she responded quite well to my suggestions. I cut short the conversation bid Padma goodbye and went over to sit with my friend who immediately took off asking me about who I was talking to and what the Biriyani etc was all about.
When I explained what was going on, he literally exploded in anger calling me an insensitive animal etc and that I should have been more gentle with the recently widowed lady etc. All this, without ever having met either Kashi or Padma or my equation with the two of them. He would not allow me to explain all that and took off again that it is not human to react to death like that etc.
I simply got up, went to the door, opened it and told him to get out. Yes, those exact words but said very calmly and gently adding that he could come back when he was willing to be polite and behave like a guest. He huffed and he puffed but got the message and disappeared.
I doubt very much that I will have anything to do with him again though, I will not be surprised if he turned up again to apologise and resume our relationship.
Now I know what a toxic friend is.