Dorie

She called out his name in her usual abrupt manner from the room she was in. It was early in the morning, it was unusual for them to be in the same house, and he not be underfoot like a big furry thing waiting to be petted. Oh yes there was time he went to work early or took the children out to give her a day to herself, but to be gone with out a word ,a note a kiss on the forehead normally meant trouble. It normally meant he was total immerse in some deep dark abyss of his own. He had changed a lot. People who were hard on their marriage in the beginn-ing had grudgingly admitted that she had made a civil person out of him. Yes, they still felt that she had married beneath her station but agreed he hadn’t tuned out to be the disaster they thought he would. She felt a sense of pride rise in her when she thought of how much he had changed. Oh, she knew it was his love for her combined with the things that were already there that had truly made the difference. But people are people as her mother used to say, they only will believe what they want to believe so best to leave the changing to the good Lord and go on with your life. He was a good man, sill is. He spoiled her rotten and gave her a life others, women like her self dreamed of. You know the ones who enjoy-ed being a mother and a wife: Who thought clipping coupons were an art form and loved going to children sporting events, musical recitals and P.T.A. meetings. Now Caroldene had went away to college and moved to New York and back again. She and Carrie as she fondly called her was the best of friends. Carrie had a job career nice car and a big empty house. She rally hated thinking about the empty part but she always did. She and Carrie had made an agreement on her wedding day that when she came to her senses she would have a place for he in her firm. But he was faithful to his promise of giving her everything she desired and more. They had six homes in three states, the choice of twelve vehicles to drive. She smiled as she thought of why she said vehicles. He constantly reminded her that a SUV was a truck and not an automobile. Frederick she called out in her strong contralto voice that had made her the pride of her church choir. His answer brought her back to the real world. He would always answer her like an obedient child in that soft whisper of a voice. Even when they argued or rather should she say when she argued his voice might have rose in volume but never in anger. She used to think so but time had changed all that. Of course it too years to recog-nized the difference. He was never angry with her anymore then he would argue with her. Sure his volume would swell as he got excited trying to prove his point, but in the end he would relent and let her have her way. Now other people never learned the difference and always assumed he was angry or upset. How wrong they were; he wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of a nod much less an argument if he were really truly umbrageous. That quick and brilliant mind of his would close down like a gate so tight and final that it would take all the coercion at her command to get him to lift it again. But again, you had to know him to tell the difference and few people really knew him; and most of them were dead. Yes, it seemed just her and the good Lord was left alive to understand him. It was that he was complex just that he did not let people in and tended not to care what other people thought of him. It came drifting up from the lower level of their two-story house. He was in the den she thought. As she walked down the stairs his cologne brought her out of her musing He only went in there when he wanted to be truly alone or truly comfortable. He always smelt of fresh lemons and other citrus fruits. Not like in the beginning when he thought, a bath was for special occasions. But she had persevered and won. It was a hard fought battle that had almost capsized their relationship before it could get started. She doggedly defended him when her family called him turdpucker be-hind his back. They would never intentionally offend him but being of a close and impish family, they teased each other unmercifully. When lying next to him made her almost want to gag, she bit her lip and remained firm that she would see him through this quandary. Oh, she had her moments, but she kept them few and far between. She let it be known that se would only kiss him if he was brushed flossed and his mouth was squeaky clean. Many a day or night, she would bathe him lovingly. He loved the attention