The Beginning of Distance
760 Words
Love changes quietly.
Not in one dramatic moment.
Not with warning signs flashing in bright colors.
Sometimes it changes through delayed replies.
Missed calls.
Heavy sighs.
Tired eyes.
And Kenneth didn’t even realize it was happening.
Monday morning started badly.
Kenneth sat inside his office staring at unpaid invoices scattered across his desk while his phone buzzed nonstop beside him.
Clients demanding updates.
Suppliers asking for payments.
Workers expecting salaries.
Pressure surrounded him from every direction.
He rubbed his forehead slowly, exhaustion already settling into his body even though the day had barely started.
His business was sinking.
And for the first time in years… Kenneth was scared.
Not of failure alone.
But of disappointing everyone depending on him.
His phone lit up again.
Bertha Calling.
A faint smile appeared on his face despite the stress.
He answered immediately.
“Hey, baby.”
Bertha’s voice sounded cheerful at first.
“Have you eaten?”
Kenneth leaned back tiredly.
“Not yet.”
“You said that yesterday too.”
“I know. I’ve just been busy.”
There was a short silence.
“You’ve been busy every day lately.”
Kenneth closed his eyes briefly.
The tension in her voice didn’t escape him.
“I’m trying to fix some things, Bertha.”
“I understand that, Kenneth, but you barely talk to me anymore.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is.”
Her tone softened slightly.
“You used to call me during the day. You used to ask how I was doing. Now it feels like I’m disturbing you every time I call.”
Kenneth sighed quietly.
He wanted to explain.
Wanted to tell her how badly things were falling apart around him.
But his mind was too exhausted to find the right words.
“I’m just under pressure right now.”
“And what about me?” Bertha asked softly. “Am I supposed to pretend I don’t feel the difference?”
Kenneth stayed silent.
Not because he didn’t care.
But because he genuinely didn’t know how to balance love and survival anymore.
Every part of his life demanded something from him.
And he was slowly drowning.
That evening, Bertha visited his apartment hoping things would feel normal again.
She wore one of Kenneth’s favorite dresses and even brought his favorite food.
But the moment she entered, she noticed the difference immediately.
Kenneth looked distracted.
His laptop remained open beside him. His phone kept vibrating nonstop. Even while hugging her, part of his attention seemed elsewhere.
Bertha tried not to let it bother her.
She really tried.
But women notice emotional distance long before men admit it exists.
“Can you at least stop working tonight?” she asked gently.
Kenneth looked up from his screen.
“I’m almost done.”
“You said that an hour ago.”
“I know, baby, just give me a little more time.”
Bertha forced a smile.
But inside, frustration was slowly building.
She sat quietly beside him while he typed continuously, barely noticing her silence growing heavier.
Minutes passed.
Then another hour.
Kenneth remained focused on work.
Bertha finally stood up.
“So this is what we are now?”
Kenneth looked confused.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re here physically, but mentally you’re somewhere else.”
Kenneth sighed.
“Bertha, please don’t start.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Don’t start?”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Then how did you mean it?”
Kenneth rubbed his face tiredly.
“I’m stressed.”
“And I’m lonely.”
The words hit harder than Kenneth expected.
For a moment, guilt crossed his face.
He walked toward her slowly and held her waist gently.
“I’m doing all this for our future.”
Bertha looked away.
“But I miss you now.”
That sentence nearly broke him.
Because Kenneth missed her too.
He missed laughing with her.
Holding her without thinking about bills.
Loving her without pressure sitting on his shoulders.
But life was pulling him away faster than he could stop it.
That night, Bertha left earlier than usual.
And for the first time since they started dating…
Kenneth watched her leave without running after her.
Not because he stopped loving her.
But because he was too emotionally exhausted to fight for peace anymore.
And Bertha noticed that too.
As she sat alone inside the taxi heading home, one painful thought kept repeating in her mind:
What if I’m slowly losing him?
And sadly…
that fear was only the beginning.
- Writer
