Ever had someone lead you on? I have, oh boy, I have. As some of you may or may not know I really enjoy folk dancing. The most popular folk balls in Belgium are organized by Boombal. I almost always go to the balls in 'De Centrale' in Ghent and every year to Boombal Festival in Lovendegem. Two years ago you still had Boombal in Antwerp from time to time but apparently the organizer has moved abroad so that's why they don't have any Boombal's in Antwerp any longer. One evening I was at a Boombal in Antwerp and I had the pleasure to dance a very sensual Scottish with this girl named Laura. She was very into poetic texts and from time to time we texted each other some train of thoughts. I believe I saw her once or twice more at a Boombal in Antwerp but unfortunately the Boombals in Antwerp seized to exist and Laura stopped texting me.
(Picture by Bert Desmedt: https://www.instagram.com/bert_desmedt/)
About a year later I get a text from a strange number, a sensual and beautiful poem. I wondered who it was but I quickly rediscovered it was Laura who was texting me! I was quite excited to pick things up again. The things she wrote were very suggestive and I had the gal to ask her to go out in Antwerp. I recorded some vocals with my cousin at his place in Borgerhout and afterwards I took the metro towards Groenplaats. I met Laura near Café De Muze. We talked a few minutes and hit it off. We had some drinks and moved to the second café. She was talking about how she wanted to go to Australia for a year starting from December 2019. After about three hours of talking she casually mentioned her boyfriend and how we're quite similar and how we would probably get along fine. I was stumped, boyfriend? Why did she go out with me then? Why did she text me those suggestive poems? Anyway, I was able to compress my disdain to an invisible frown for about 0,2 seconds and tried to enjoy our time together. After she took her metro I sighed and took my own to my cousin's place. This wasn't the first time a girl went on a 'date' with me and failed to mention their relationship. I was quite angry actually. I wrote the song, recorded it and send it to her on Facebook saying that I was quite angry and stumped that she didn't mentioned she had a boyfriend. That the texts she sent me weren't the kind I would send any girl if I were to be in a relationship. She explained she never meant anything by it and saw the 'date' as just talking. Now a year further, I don't think she was that wrong by doing all this, the suggestive texts were unnecessary and I think she might have just been enjoying the attention she was getting. She had mention that she didn't think the relationship was going to last as she was planning on going to Australia, so maybe it was not that clear for her as well. Anyway, I bare no ill will against Laura. I am actually happy I got an extra song in my repertoire thanks to her. When I play the song I sometimes think of it as something ironic and satirical. A young man who's mad he couldn't get lucky just like Tame Impala's ''Cause I'm A Man'. It makes me realize men often make up excuses and live through their emotions in rage and pettiness. Realizing is growing and learning.