THE SEED DOESN'T FALL FAR . . .
By Bea
After Mom died I got out of the village as
quickly as I could. Various interests
had to be taken care of and practicality demanded that I had to attend various
business activities on short notice, but I just felt that I had to get
away. Couldn't move as far away as I
wanted, but forty miles wasn't too bad.
It was wonderful! It was if I'd broken all ties to my previous life and started coming out of my shell. Gained confidence hand over fist. To my own surprise, I even found myself with a girl friend - Eunice. She was so quiet and shy! Worked in the local library and seemed truthfully awed by my self confidence – and wealth. Okay I wasn't that wealthy –but wealthy enough that I didn't have to work. (I knew I had to do something – but it was so wonderful; being free and my own master that I was taking my time). Got my hair cut and experimented with a new wardrobe. I even tried growing a mustache – but it was laughable. I mean, I've got lots of hair but other than the top of my head I'm extremely smooth. Gave that up as a lost cause.
Eunice was soft and lovely. As tall as me and much to her sorrow probably outweighed me – but I am truthfully small and light – and as she pointed out a number of times, my masculinity made me the boss of us two. Naturally I made protest at this, saying that I wasn't sexist and that we were a pair: but secretly I gloried in this. Could feel myself literally grow as she expanded on it.
She was not forthcoming about her family. Said she was orphaned and came from a different part of the country but would not go into details, Then, face afire, she admitted the week before we took off to Las Vegas and got married that she and her mother were estranged and that she didn't want anything to do with her – she just felt that I should know. This gave me pause, but I frankly figured that I wouldn't interfere – so we just had a quiet wedding. I wasn't the greatest in bed (I'm sure we were both virgins) but managed. If anything, it was her that apologized for any shortcomings we came across in bed.
We settled down again and life was wonderful. She kept her job at the library but, at my request, cut back on the hours she worked. She didn't quite understand my stated needs to cut social contact to a minimum, but accepted this as one of my male foibles. She didn't see the need for Edna our part time maid either, maintaining that she could do the housework herself – but I noticed that she wasn't that great. Could easily have taught her a few things myself, but desisted.
And, in a quiet way we were happy but in the way of the world, it was me that changed things. Cannot put the blame on Eunice by one iota. She was always quiet – dare I say 'mousy'? But always deferential to me and gradually I began to believe in myself. She would never talk about her mother, but I was sure that a large part of her sad demeanor was caused by their quarrel. Going through an old trunk one day I found a letter to her at an old address.
Curiosity got the better of me and I hired a private detective to check it out, It was surprisingly easy and nowhere near as expensive as I figured but in a few days I had a name and some background. I even had a photograph of her mother from some old newspaper – and a current telephone number. A nice looking woman who had something to do with real estate at that time.
I put the information away and mulled it over for a while. From some various hints and allusions, I had gathered from Eunice that the falling out she'd had with her mother wasn't really that serious – one of those family things that get out of hand. I think that my lack of activity was also creating a sense of complacency in me. The need to do 'something'?
Any way, I called her finally. As far as I could tell she had her own office – at least her secretary answered the phone. I didn't tell that lady who I was but Dorothy was thrilled when I told her who I was. Charming and sophisticated sounding. Not shy or quiet in the slightest. She may have even been a little bossy – but there again, I had got used to that with my mom, so I suppose that I may have allowed myself to fall into old habits. But I will admit that I wouldn't tell her where I was calling from. After all – as I told her – I had to respect my wife's need for privacy. That was the first time I heard her tinkling laugh – although I didn't understand at the time. We parted amicably, with me promising to think about setting up a reconciliation for them.
I was surprised about a week later to find Dorothy on the line. "Well?" She laughed. "You haven't called me – so I figured I'd maybe jog your memory a little? I figure that you're a typical male, needing to be forced into things. No?"
I'll admit to being thrilled at referred to as a 'typical' male but managed. "How did you find this number?"
"Oh come along dear!" she laughed.
"I own a real estate office. We
NEED to know who might be calling us. I
just took a note of your number when you called. Didn't take much checking for me to use that
to find other things." She then
reeled off my address and asked me if I'd thought about getting mother and
daughter together. I got a slight
feeling from her that she'd get together with Eunice whatever I decided and,
realizing how it would look if I declined to help – but had given her location
away in my ignorance – I surrendered, announcing that getting them together was
what I had in mind – a lie of course.
But why rock the boat when one didn't have to?
Dorothy had struck me as being somewhat the same as Eunice. Okay, she seemed far more gregarious and sure of herself, but I just figured that to be a sign that she'd learned to be tougher running her own business for years. After all – the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?
But I was due a couple of shocks the day she turned up. For one thing? Eunice has a sort of nondescript hair. Not mousy, understand. But definitely doesn't stand out either. I had Dorothy meet us at our house – more private, you know. Eunice was NOT expecting her and when I saw the well dressed blonde coming up the garden path I knew right away who it was. Naturally, I'd positioned Eunice so that she couldn't see visitors.
I greeted Dorothy at the door quietly and was surprise at the confidence with which she looked around and the strength of her grip. She knew that I was trying to keep it quiet so gave me a quick once over with her eyes – obviously wasn't overly impressed – then let me lead her into where Eunice and I were having lunch.
My second surprise was the lack of negative emotion when the two women met. I'd expected some kind of fireworks I guess, but it didn't happen. They simply looked calmly at each other then Dorothy moved forward to hug Eunice. They whispered in each other's ears for a fair moment – then drew back. Held each other at arms length and studied each other, then impulsively kissed – and that was that. From that point on it was as if they'd never quarreled. Any hopes I'd had of being an idolized person who'd brought them together died horribly. It was as if they'd never quarreled.
Somehow, I found that Dorothy had been invited to stay with us for a week. I discovered that she didn't care for men – though she made it a point to suffer me. My blood ran cold one night over dinner when Eunice laughingly described her father. "He was such a nice man! Used to take me shopping for clothes. Things like that."
Dorothy shrugged. "He was good at things
like that I guess. He started off in
our marriage like he was top dog or something.
Gave me some trouble too . ."
"Dad?" Eunice laughed. "C'mon
mom! He wouldn't say boo to a
goose! Especially wouldn't argue with
you." Then she paused. "Though
I do have memories of you taking him over your knees one time."
Dorothy shook her head. "That's because you were young. I had to spank him more than once until he finally agreed to do as I said. Plus? I didn't like you to see him all crying and sobbing. Felt that you should have some respect for adults. So I mostly put him over my knee when you weren't there. Frankly, he became very handy around the house. I missed him after the accident."
She turned to me. "You ever spanked Eunice here?"
I looked at her in shock. "Of course
not!" I said indignantly. "We
believe in equality here."
"Oh?" was all she said but the look on her face spoke volumes..
