Preoccupied with last minute election details and a complicated short sale of family property I
was late getting to my wife’s little retirement get together after 30 plus years. A hundred familiar old faces showed up. I was in grubby jeans and a windbreaker.
One old employee and his wife drove three hundred miles to come. He had been hired by my wife when he was in his fifties and never thought he’d work again. I know my wife has been a shoulder to cry on and a sympathetic ear for many people and her empathy didn’t prevent her from rising to the top of the corporation. The people who saw her off were genuine in expressing their regret at seeing her leave. I was good for a few laughs and helped her a little with the ongoing process of emptying her office afterward.
Tonight, to give me a better night’s sleep, she took her stubborn cough to the room overlooking fourth street. She’s a light sleeper so it will be a miracle if she gets a good night’s shut eye. It will be a moderate Friday night with lots of college students strolling by speaking with the aid of liquid lubrication.
As I plunked away at some email a husky voice yelled out of his car in the direction of my wife. “Ef u Harry Welty u rotten piece of shit.”
One of the more frequent jokes at my expense at the noon celebration revolved around the increased supervision I would be under now that someone will be around to keep tabs of me. Depending on how its told it can be a very funny joke. Its not easy to be married to someone who is a such stickler for doing things the right way. Its not easy being my wife.
