semi-fiction 10: Couples ?
I knew this woman, a beauty queen (a true beauty queen, not a child pageant winner) whose older husband could not comprehend why she was unhappy with boring him when he gave her everything she wanted. When she told him she wanted a separation and then a divorce, he was convinced she had a lover. She didn't. Which galled him even more because she was unhappy just on HIS own merits, so to speak. The gilded cage problem. And he was jealous as hell. He had her followed, never found anything, because there was nothing to find....
Until one day she realized his machismo and ego would never understand her need for independence, freedom, life, etc. And so she told him she did indeed have a lover. While he was stunned, as he had had her followed, tagged, stalked, etc., he just, as a true good (macho) man would, conceded defeat, and granted her a divorce. Because, he could understand losing his prized trophy wife to a younger man, more her age, you know, etc. A kind of fair and square duel which he lost, somehow. Even if she was never able, of course, to tell him who the man was. (She had thought of accusing the gardener --they did have a gardener, yes-- but realized the poor man would at least lose his job if not get roughed up or whatever by way of possible reprisals, as "real men" would inflict upon rivals, especially for their fair and legal better halves...)
On a somewhat related topic, I remember a long time ago being unable to shake off a girlfriend with whom I had, I soon discovered, not much in common, but who was convinced I was the man of her life. And she was a stalker. So, of course, when the "it's not you, it's me" spiel did not work, I moved to the notorious "there is another woman." Which was not true, I was just bored with her and she was not getting the message. Of course, she stalked me. I knew it, anyway. But I did not want a girlfriend, I just wanted some time alone, for myself, and to recover from HER, and her exhausting, cumbersome presence.
So, it did not really bother me that she played the real movie thing, scarf and dark glasses, following me to the grocery store, the movies, work, etc. I became adept at spotting her outside my apartment building, usually in her car (a nice, obvious way to do it, by the way...). And it so happened that one night, probably ten, twelve days into this insane business of following me, I saw that she had fallen asleep in her car down the street from me. I immediately crept out and managed to get a ride to her place since I still had the key (I knew I could safely sleep there, as she'd go look anywhere BUT there...). I got in her bed and slept a few hours (I knew she was tired from all those nights under my windows, and figured she would sleep in her car until daybreak).
I left her a nice note, telling her I was sorry I had missed her and was hereby returning her key ("here is your key"-period). Then I took the first bus back to my place, made sure to bang a trashcan, sang and coughed, as I was approaching her car, and when I saw her stir (it seemed she had not moved for hours), I knocked on her carwindow, and excitedly wished her a glorious morning. She was so disoriented, humiliated at having been found and asleep at that, mad at herself for having fallen asleep and having nothing to show for her hard work. I told her I stopped at her place "on my way back" to return her key. I told her she looked sick and should go see a doctor. She left and that was it. Self-humiliation does it... Sad, but efficient...
Until one day she realized his machismo and ego would never understand her need for independence, freedom, life, etc. And so she told him she did indeed have a lover. While he was stunned, as he had had her followed, tagged, stalked, etc., he just, as a true good (macho) man would, conceded defeat, and granted her a divorce. Because, he could understand losing his prized trophy wife to a younger man, more her age, you know, etc. A kind of fair and square duel which he lost, somehow. Even if she was never able, of course, to tell him who the man was. (She had thought of accusing the gardener --they did have a gardener, yes-- but realized the poor man would at least lose his job if not get roughed up or whatever by way of possible reprisals, as "real men" would inflict upon rivals, especially for their fair and legal better halves...)
On a somewhat related topic, I remember a long time ago being unable to shake off a girlfriend with whom I had, I soon discovered, not much in common, but who was convinced I was the man of her life. And she was a stalker. So, of course, when the "it's not you, it's me" spiel did not work, I moved to the notorious "there is another woman." Which was not true, I was just bored with her and she was not getting the message. Of course, she stalked me. I knew it, anyway. But I did not want a girlfriend, I just wanted some time alone, for myself, and to recover from HER, and her exhausting, cumbersome presence.
So, it did not really bother me that she played the real movie thing, scarf and dark glasses, following me to the grocery store, the movies, work, etc. I became adept at spotting her outside my apartment building, usually in her car (a nice, obvious way to do it, by the way...). And it so happened that one night, probably ten, twelve days into this insane business of following me, I saw that she had fallen asleep in her car down the street from me. I immediately crept out and managed to get a ride to her place since I still had the key (I knew I could safely sleep there, as she'd go look anywhere BUT there...). I got in her bed and slept a few hours (I knew she was tired from all those nights under my windows, and figured she would sleep in her car until daybreak).
I left her a nice note, telling her I was sorry I had missed her and was hereby returning her key ("here is your key"-period). Then I took the first bus back to my place, made sure to bang a trashcan, sang and coughed, as I was approaching her car, and when I saw her stir (it seemed she had not moved for hours), I knocked on her carwindow, and excitedly wished her a glorious morning. She was so disoriented, humiliated at having been found and asleep at that, mad at herself for having fallen asleep and having nothing to show for her hard work. I told her I stopped at her place "on my way back" to return her key. I told her she looked sick and should go see a doctor. She left and that was it. Self-humiliation does it... Sad, but efficient...
Labels: semi fiction 10
posted by kingba at 10:31 AM
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