Czech Mate

"But you had four children with Uncle...ah..." I interrupted.

"...Harold my dear, it was part of my wifely duty and I may add, I was fertile as hell. If we'd had sex on a regular basis, I might have had twice that number. But, I allowed him his mistresses and he turned a blind eye to my yearning to be in a woman's arms.

It's sad when I think about it but Harold loved me and you may find this surprising but I loved him too. We shared the same bed and I grew to enjoy his presence next to me. Every once in awhile, when the mood was just right..."

I gazed with wonder at my aged aunt.

"Surely you must realize that what you are experiencing is nothing unique, the times are different...I could say I was born eighty years too early but I don't feel that way. I grew up in my time and in spite of the heart ache with Daisy, they were extraordinary times. I've enjoyed the good life that money afforded my family, my children...all the perks of wealth..."

I embraced my aunt with a good deal of affection.

"Thank you dear, I needed that!" she stated forcefully.

At that moment a soft rap on the library door interrupted our tete-a-tete.

"Mother...mother...are you ok?" we heard Constance muffled voice.

The door opened a crack and a face appeared.

"Constance, I'm fine...I'm speaking with Jordan, I'll rejoin the party in a few minutes..."

"...but their bringing the cake out to sing "Happy Birthday..."

"Oh alright..." Auntie stated with exasperation.

Constance disappeared and Aunt Gertrude let out a chest rattling sigh.

"We'll continue our talk some other time...I swear, the older I get the more they treat me like a child...especially Constance!"

When we rejoined the party, Aunt Gertrude insisted that I sit next to her with Lenka by my side. But, something had changed. My aunt genuinely appeared to be enjoying herself and cast smiling glances at me and Lenka.

Her eightieth birthday was a milestone in her life but her revelation about her past had stirred something inside me. I vowed to write an account of her early years.

Sadly, that was the last time I saw Aunt Gertrude hale and hearty. Several months ago, she developed pneumonia during an Atlantic crossing on the new Queen Mary II. By the time the ship docked in New York, she was gravely ill and never recovered.

Auntie's funeral was difficult for me because she had opened up to me in a way that I would never have expected. She shared something with me that I doubt she discussed with her own children or closest friends. In that tiny amount of time I felt like we had bonded.

And, so dear Readers, my life with Lenka continues. Where will it lead? We are still very much in love and the hopefully the bond we have forged will last a lifetime.

All I know is that my heart beats faster when I'm with her and an overpowering feeling of love inhabits my soul. I hope I never lose that.