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Just Breathe
Relationships

By Neda Najibi
April 2001
The Iranian

Sonya and Darius - Part 1

Regardless of your nationality, race, status in life, everybody has a right to love and be loved. Some are blind to see it, some drown in it, others search and yearn for it. And some, like Darius, abuse it. The following poem sums up the way he felt about his last experience.

Why won't she just stop?!

I tried to be the man she deserved to have
Actually I didn't have to try
I was honest with her
I truly respect her and admire her
She is a woman unlike any other
I am unworthy of her

I had a few dates with another woman while I was with her
I don't know why
This woman was a little different and definitely not like her
I was attracted to this woman and pursued her
And it was exciting
Oh yeah, sure I regret it now
But I can't say I won't do it again
So maybe I only regret getting caught
That's it! I regret getting caught!

The man that ends up with this woman is a lucky man
I really messed up on a good thing
I know this
And my pride, my foolish pride will not allow me
To go back to her
If I wanted to go back, she'd take me
She's very forgiving
I know she loves me

I feel my image will be disrespected
I will pretend I've moved on and
I will pretend I want us to be friends
I will pretend I enjoy her dinner invitations when
All I really want
Is for her to stop calling me, writing me and inviting me
To these poor excuses of wanting to have dinner or lunch
All she really wants is to be with me
Why won't she just stop!

I won't end it because I'm afraid of what she'll do
She's a woman, after all
They're unpredictable

What I'm trying to say is
I love her but I'll never let her know!

It was hard for Darius to leave this woman but he felt he had no other choice. He found out several months later that a drunk driver smashed her car and killed her.

Then he met Sonya Gallo. They were both in the dermatology department at UCLA. Sonya was visiting her friend and Darius just completed a lecture. Sonya is multilingual -- she speaks Spanish and recently learned Persian. Darius heard her translation from English to Spanish and was very impressed.

Darius asked if she was Latin and Sonya said she was Irish American. He introduced himself and asked if she too was a dermatologist. Sonya replied in Persian and said she was a honarpisheh (actress). Darius was speechless, not because of her career, but by how she spoke Persian so perfectly . They continued the conversation and ended up late at night at the Crustaceans diner in Beverly Hills. It was very rare to see a blue-eyed, golden-brown-haired person speaking Persian.

A quick observation is necessary. Darius is obtrusive and selfish, unlike Sonya, who is rather quiet, content to be in a supporting role. She is humble. Both Sonya and Darius are perfectionists and have an eye for detail. They are hard to please and because of it their relationship goes up and down, as you will witness.

Dinner was wonderful. The ambiance of the restaurant was magical and his Obsession cologne added to the magic of the evening. Sonya was attracted to Darius' wealth as it complemented everything about him, which she also admired.

Sonya had ended an abusive marriage. The night that decided her fate was when her husband struck her in front of her friend. The beatings became painless but this shame, this embarrassment of being struck in the presence of her friend, was too much. He didn't care.

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