SPANISH TANGO UNCOUPLED

 SPANISH TANGO UNCOUPLED

 

SCENE: (A buzzing café in the heart of Barcelona, just a walking distance from La Sagrada Familia. The late afternoon sun beats down, casting long shadows, and the streets are abuzz with life. Dongmei and Hudson sit at a small table sipping sangria.)

 

HUDSON: (Nonchalantly with a hint of distance) “Barcelona’s superb. Every corner of the city feels as if Leonardo da Vinci or Pablo Picasso, for that matter, has painted it into a masterpiece work of art.”

 

DONGMEI: (Smiling softly, resting her hand on her belly.) “It is. Something is captivating about this place… maybe it’s how everything feels on the cusp of some remarkable transformation.”

 

(Hudson glances at her, the weight of her words hanging uncomfortably in the air.)

 

HUDSON’S INNER THOUGHTS: “Transformation…change. Yeah, that’s exactly what I desire. God, I need to end this before it gets even more messier. She deserves to be told the truth, but how do you tell someone it’s over when they can’t even fathom the damage they have caused you?”

 

DONGMEI: (Her voice, a little more tender) “We’ve been through so much together, haven’t we? I mean coming to Barcelona, where it all began for us. It was something we’ve both been waiting for.”

 

HUDSON: (Laughs nervously, trying to steer the conversation away from anything severe or dramatic). “Yeah, like an adventure. I remember the cathedral in Ceuta here in Spain. I didn’t think I’d like Spain so much.”

 

DONGMEI’S INNER THOUGHTS: “He’s avoiding it… I know he’s up to something. Maybe tonight…at dinner? Or perhaps when we go for that long walk at the beach. But why is he so distracted and seems so distant? Could he be nervous about popping the question? I hope he’s excited, even though he doesn’t show it the same way as I do. Well, he was never one for showing emotions.”

 

(She takes his hand in hers, hoping to warm up to him)

 

DONGMEI: “There’s something so romantic about Spain and this city… it feels like the perfect place for significant moments in one’s life. Don’t you think?”

 

HUDSON: (Avoiding her gaze, fiddling with his glass) “Yeah…yeah, sure. But sometimes big moments aren’t exactly the ones we expect.”

 

(His words hang in the air, more like a slap in the face that was long due than he intended. Dongmei’s eyes search his for any sign of what he means.)

 

DONGMEI: (Tentative, trying to gauge his mood.) “What do you mean? You’ve been acting strange these last few days. You seem so distant. I thought maybe it was the jet lag from our prior trip to Singapore and all that..or you are tired and distracted…there’s something on your mind, isn’t it?”

 

HUDSON: (Sighs, his chest tightening) “Dongmei, I… there’s something we need to talk about right here, right now.”

 

HUDSON’S INNER THOUGHTS: “God, how do I start this? She’s going to hate me. But I can’t drag this on forever. It’s not fair to either of us. I know I want out.”

 

(Dongmei’s heart races, but she tries to keep calm. She touches her stomach again, subtly, hoping he’ll notice. Her excitement and apprehension mix into an uneasy smile.)

 

DONGMEI: “I have something to tell you, too. (She takes a deep breath, her voice vibrant but filled with anticipation.) “I’ve been waiting for the right time… I don’t want to pressure you…but I’m pregnant, Hudson.”

 

(Hudson’s eyes widen in shock. For a moment, the world spins around him. The sounds of the city seem distant as he takes in her words and tries to process them.)

 

HUDSON: (Stammering) “Pregnant? How? We… I, for one, know that you can never be pregnant. What are you saying? How did this happen?”

 

DONGMEI (Smiling gently, tears beginning to form in her eyes) “I didn’t think I could either. But life… it surprises us when you least expect it.”

 

DONGMEI’S INNER THOUGHTS: “He looks scared. Why would he be scared? This should have been good news. He doesn’t believe it’s his? Doesn’t he want us?”

 

(Hudson’s mind races, a wave of bafflement and doubt crushing over him. He was so damn sure that he wanted a clean, clear break without any drama or fuss. They have always been at each other’s neck lately. He had helped her and her family, and now they revelled in hurting him. The relationship had become highly toxic right from the beginning. She and her family had grown comfortable in disrespecting and abusing him. For him to live in peace, the decision could no longer be put on the back burner. This was perhaps the best course of action for both of them. But she just stumped him by revealing she was pregnant. How could such a thing be when he knew Dongmei could never be pregnant? How could he now walk away from this tricky situation?”)

 

HUDSON’S INNER THOUGHTS: “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to end things cleanly and walk away without any baggage or unnecessary drama. How do you know she’s telling the truth? I didn’t sign up for this.”

 

HUDSON: (Softly, trying not to sound agitated.) “Dongmei, this is not what I expected. We never talked about having kids… and how could we? I know it can’t be. I thought both of us thought on the same lines.”

 

DONGMEI: (Hurt, her voice shaking) “Hudson, we’ve been together for years. I thought we were part of something. I thought we had a future. I know we didn’t plan this… but I thought you’d be happy.”

 

DONGMEI’S INNER THOUGHTS: “Why does he sound so unsure and tentative? He seems to have gone into deep contemplation. I thought this would be a moment of joy and reckoning for both of us—the ultimate closure. We would finally come together. Why is he pulling away?”

 

HUDSON: (Running his hands through his hair, frustrated with himself.) “I didn’t want to hurt you, but I’ve been thinking Dongmei. About us…about everything.”

HUDSON’S INNER THOUGHTS:  “ I need to tell her. I need to be honest. It’s over between us. But now she tells me she’s pregnant?”

 

DONGMEI: (Fear creeping into her voice.) “What are you saying? Hudson, what are you trying to tell me?”

 

(The air between them grows thick with strain. Dongmei’s heart pounds in her chest, and Hudson looks away, the weight of his unspoken words crushing him.)

 

HUDSON: (Quitely) “I don’t know… I don’t know that we’re even right for each other. I tried many times to tell you… before all this.”

(Dongmei’s face drains of colour as his words sink in. The world suddenly seems cold and distant. The city of Barcelona has stopped seeming alluring to her. It feels like a catastrophe.”)

 

DONGMEI: (Barely above a whisper) “You were going to break up with me? Here? Now? After everything?”

 

DONGMEI’S INNER THOUGHTS: “This can’t be happening. I can’t stand this humiliation. He wouldn’t… he couldn’t … not when we have come this far.”

 

HUDSON (His voice heavy): “I didn’t know about this. If I had known, I would have told you later. I need time to think.”

(Dongmei stands abruptly… her chair falling onto the café floor. Tears well in her eyes as she stares at him disbelievingly.)

 

DONGMEI: “Time to think? Hudson, I’m pregnant. We don’t have time for you to think. We need to decide together what happens next.”

 

HUDSON (Quietly): “I don’t know if I can do this.”

(The café feels suffocating. Dongmei’s hands tremble as she starts wailing, her world crumbling before her eyes.)

 

DONGMEI: (Angrily) “You don’t get to walk away from this. From us. Not after everything. Not now.”

 

(The silence between them is demeaning, and Hudson looks away as she storms away, leaving him sitting alone at the table, his heart heavy with the consequences of his indecision.)

 

HUDSON’S INNER THOUGHTS: “How did it come to this? I have tried to break the news to her several times before and get out of this relationship before it smothers me. I thought the ending would be simple…but now… God, I hate dramas.”

 

DONGMEI’S INNER THOUGHTS: “I thought we were meant to be. I took our relationship for granted. How could I be such an idiot? Now, where in the world will I be able to land another catch like him?”

 

(For all its beauty, Barcelona now feels like a city of broken dreams.)