A Place to Belong

"It's not far now. I can see it...my end."  

"Oh! Stop being so dramatic."  

"Seriously! Two beers and you turn into a drama queen. It's not the end of the world" 

"Easy to say when you are not staring at your impending doom."  

"There we go again."  

"What happened at that party tonight? " 

"They all forgot me. It was like I was not even there. It started at the door. Miguel said - Meet Julia, wife of Josh. Wife of Josh! Wife of? Wife of!" 

The peanuts acrobatted into the air and most fell back in the bowl as Apostrophe banged the empty bottle down on the table.  

"Oh come on! Miguel is Spanish. For him you don't even exist."  

"Oh ya? But, he's been living in the land of the Queen's English for 15 years now. That's enough time to notice me. Anyways, it didn't stop with him! Suddenly it was wife of Tim and husband of Anna and mother of so-and-so and father of...! It spread faster than a virus."  

"Well you know...it's the SMS age. We all have to evolve with the change."  

"Don't start your pop psychology with me. Of course you like this change. It's made you more popular. They remember you, not once, not twice but thrice. And sometimes you come along without any real reason. I mean, what is '?!' for God's sake? Are you confused or surprised - make up your mind. Me, they omit even in the most obvious places, what the hell are - dint and dont? Evolve, my ass!"  

"Calm down. There is no reason to get nasty with Exclamation. She's just trying to help."  

"I know. But you guys don't get it. As it is English is pretty much the only language I exist in and if I can't hold on to my place here, then..."  

"Look, look at this menu. The name of the pub..."  

"What? Oh, Howard's Inn. That's because it's like 100 years old, when they still knew how to speak English. Look there, across the street - House of Fraser."  

"Ok, I stop here. There is no reasoning with you."  

"I have decided, I am the master of me. I am not going to wait for these people to eliminate me. I am going to move. Maybe then they'll realise how important I was. I know Howard will miss me," she trailed her index finger on the name on the menu.

"Move? Move where?"  

"To India. I hear they are still loyal to the Queen's English. They hold me dear, use me even when it doesn't make sense to. Yes sometimes they get confused especially when an 's' is involved. But, that's okay. I'll get used to it. I'll evolve..."