Conversation With Temptation
By Herman Labuschagne

Glentana, 22 April 2013

Temptation: "Do it!"

She: "No. I know your kind. I'm not even going to listen."

Long silence

She: "Just as a matter of interest - what did you mean by that?"

Temptation: "You said you weren't going to listen."

She: "Of course. And I'm still not going to listen. I was just wandering what did you mean I should do?"

Temptation: "You wouldn't be interested."

She: "How would you know? You haven't even told me yet."

Temptation: "Yes and I'm not going to either."

She: "But if you did, what would it have been?"

Temptation: "I see you're really interested after all..."

She: "Don't be silly. I wouldn't have done it anyway."

Temptation: "Oh yes you would."

She: "You're out of your mind. There's no way."

Temptation: "Not if you knew what I had in mind.

She: "Well you can keep that to yourself. I'm not that interested anyway."

Long silence

She: "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

Temptation: "Like what?"

She: "I dunno. Anything."

Temptation: "You still want do know, don't you?"

She: "Don't start with me."

Long silence

She: "OK, so what is it?"

Temptation, smiling: "I really shouldn't be telling you this."

She: "You can trust me."

Temptation: "I dunno. Hmmm... I'll have to think about it..."

She: "Oh come on! You know me - We've been friends a long time, haven't we...?"

Temptation, smiling even wider: "Yes I suppose so. But if I tell you, you've got to promise not to tell anyone else, ok?"

She - without hesitation: "Of course! You can trust me!"

Temptation: "OK. So are you ready?"

She: "Yes, yes! Tell me now. I can't wait to hear!"

Temptation leans over and whispers into her ear, as her eyes widen.

She: "No, you can't be serious."

Temptation: "OK, I'm not..."

Short silence

She: "OK, but just this one time, OK?"

Temptation: "Of course - how could it be otherwise?"

She: "OK, but you've got to promise you won't look."

Temptation: "OK, I won't look."

She: "Double-promise?"

Temptation: "Cool. Double-promise."

For a moment she hesitates.

And then she reaches out. The Nestle Aero is still where she hid it away five minutes ago. She carefully breaks off one little piece and nibbles it, eyes closing softly at the old familiar luxury. "Just one little piece. Just once," she reminds herself. But even as the words echo in her mind, her hand is already reaching for another piece. "Two little pieces can't hurt," she's vaguely thinking. "They used to be bigger, after all - before inflation started." She's thinking about Temptation as the second one dissolves. She hardly hears the friendly sound as a third piece breaks off between her fingers. "Oops! That was an entire row. Auw too bad, I guess I'll just have to eat it..."

Three minutes later she wipes the last crumbs from her lips and crumples the wrapped slowly. Guiltily. "That was a little bit too much," the thinks. And then she catches sight of her figure's reflection in the sliding door's glass. A guilty feeling washes over her.

And then she hears a familiar voice: "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

For a moment she frowns.

And then angrily replies: "Go away. I shouldn't have listened to you. I'm never talking to you again...!"

Temptation: "Oh yes you will."

She: "Oh no I won't."

Temptation: "Oh yes you will."

She: "Oh no I WON'T! Why would I? All you ever do is get me in trouble!"

Temptation, smiling broadly as he runs his fingers slowly through her hair and walks out the room: "Oh yes you will. Because I'm your best friend in the whole wide world..."