Meredith

When she got back to Maryland following her trip her supervisor was waiting. She was given one hour to clear out. She'd lost an important account, and she'd lost her job. She knew what she had to do; she had to get home and straighten things out with George.

Late that afternoon she was standing in the center of their bedroom. All her husband's clothes were gone. He'd even taken his favorite cds. There was no note, no message, and no forwarding address. Luckily she had his professional information. She called the school and reached his secretary, a very nice, polite, older lady named Mildred Offenbach. Mildred answered on the second ring, "Hello. How may I help you Mrs. Mason?"

Meredith was abashed. Of course, the school had a phone monitoring service. She responded, "Good day Mildred. Is my husband there? May I speak with him?"

Mrs. Offenbach replied, "Sorry Mrs. Mason, but Mr. Mason is in conference and is not to be disturbed."

Meredith insisted, "This is important. Please tell him his wife is on the line."

Mrs. Offenbach politely responded, "I'm sorry Mrs. Mason, but Mr. Mason left word he wasn't to be disturbed, especially by you."

Desperate Meredith pleaded, "Mrs. Offenbach. Mildred. Please. Get my husband."

Mrs. Offenbach answered again, "I'm so sorry Mrs. Mason, but I have my instructions. Mr. Mason specifically said he was not to receive any calls or messages from you. I'm sorry. I have to hang up now." The phone went dead.

Meredith started to shiver; it was like someone had walked over her grave. This couldn't be happening. What had she done?

Indeed, George had moved out. He found a small apartment outside the county where he worked and settled in. For the first several days he felt like a rudderless ship adrift in stormy seas, but he knew that would fade. Would he miss Meredith? That was a given. Could he go back? That was out of the question.

For the next several days he did what he always did best, he researched. He read everything he could about infidelity: its causes, consequences, and most of all its repetitious characteristics. He discovered what he already knew; marriages aren't based on sexual attractiveness or the personable nature of its partners. The basis of all marriages was trust. He could love Meredith. He could continue to enjoy the little they did in bed. He and she could be like two peas in a pod on every issue. None of it would matter; her behavior had broken that one indelible bond, that single indispensable link. He might be miserable. He probably would never find another woman. It didn't matter. With regard to Meredith he could never go back.

He knew he didn't want to quit his job; 'turn tail and run', as his father might say. Besides he enjoyed what he did, and he liked his prospects. The county of his employ was considered the wealthiest in the nation, and was well connected not only with the Maryland State Board of Education, but with several Federal agencies. Without Meredith he'd be lonely, but being without Meredith meant he could devote all his energies to his career.

He was going to move on. One morning he got up, checked the Internet, then the Yellow Pages, found a law firm, and made a call.

Meredith was desperate. Why had she hugged that man? She didn't even know him! What was she trying to prove? She sort of understood George's misgivings; she'd been terribly busy. Regarding her career she'd been making real headway, and George just didn't fit in with her crowd. Other men were always looking at her, some had tried to get her to go out. A few even had made some disparaging remarks about George. Had she bought any of it? Well, had she? She thought back on the things she'd been saying to George. Maybe she had said a few things he didn't like? Maybe she had been a little critical, a little off putting, but he should've known he was the only one. Jiminy, she loved the silly boy! That was it. He wasn't a boy. He was a man, a man full grown, a man with a career, a man people respected, smart people respected. She guessed she just wasn't as smart as she thought she was.

What was she going to do? He'd moved. She didn't know where he lived! When she called his office his secretary, none of the secretaries, let her talk to him. If she could just talk to him. She needed to see him. If she could talk to him she was sure she could straighten the whole mess out. It was a good time now. She'd lost her job. They could start that family they'd talked about. She wanted to be a mom, she'd always wanted to be a mother. She bet she'd be a good one too. They could do all the things George liked to do. Heck, who cared about a few mosquitoes, a handful of ticks, or a snake or two. She'd put up with it. She had to see him. She just had to talk to him, get him to understand.

Meredith talked to her mom and dad. They sympathized, but beyond that they had little to offer. Her dad offered to keep up the payments on their house. She agreed. If she got George back, they could start their family right away.

It was a Monday, the first Monday of the month, and Meredith was parked on George's school lot. She would wait. He'd come out. They'd talk and the whole thing would be fixed.

George looked out his office window and saw Meredith's dark brown Lexus. He waited until the entire school cleared. There were only two cars left on the lot. He stepped out and strode directly to his vehicle.

Meredith saw him. She climbed out of her car and started toward her husband. "George," she said. She was sure he'd stop. He was a polite and considerate man.

He didn't stop. He kept walking. He walked right by her. He didn't even look, and she was wearing his favorite dress, a pale green slip-over that matched the color of her eyes. "George," she said again.

He kept walking.

She followed, "George stop. You've got to listen to me. It isn't what you think."

George heard her; 'it isn't what you think', the classic line of a guilty person. He kept walking.

She followed, "George please stop. Please listen to me. George please."

George silently got in the minivan and drove away. He looked back through his rearview mirror. She was still standing there. Damn it, she looked so pretty. Maybe he should stop? No, it was over. He kept driving.

Meredith watched as he drove down the lane and out of sight. What should she do? If she had any money she could hire someone to follow him and find out where he lived. She could ask her father to do it. No, he wouldn't.

The next day, Tuesday, Meredith was outside again. George had taken his Wrangler. She always liked riding in the Wrangler; the windows out, both doors in the garage, the wind cascading through her red hair. George liked to ride around in the countryside. He liked Western Maryland, West Virginia, the mountains, the streams. There was a town out in the center of West Virginia, Buchanan. Nearby was a small state park, Audra. They used to camp there. He'd talk about maybe getting a job in the area. There was a college there, a religious school, West Virginia Wesleyan, a small Protestant school, she thought Methodist.

Meredith remembered George talked about applying and getting a job teaching there. He was always so confident. She remembered she thought he was dreaming. He'd never get anything like that there. How stupid she was, how silly she was. George was smart, he never bragged or made foolish claims, but when he set his mind on something he got it. Why hadn't she listened to him? Why hadn't she been paying attention?

She got out of her car and went to the Wrangler. She got in and sat down. There weren't any doors or side windows, he'd have to listen to her.

From inside George watched Meredith climb in the Wrangler. He pulled out his I-Phone and called a cab. He gave them the address for the back of the school. He went out back and waited.

In the Wrangler Meredith waited too. George had disabled the GPS on his cell. She had no idea where he was, but his car was outside.

George's cab arrived. He got in and they drove away. As they drove along he checked his I-Phone. Meredith was still waiting at the school. He let the cabbie drop him off at a Denny's where he ordered a meal. He sat and ate his eggs, sausage, and hotcakes, while Meredith sat waiting on the parking lot. Once finished his meal he walked the short distance to his apartment. Before he took his evening shower he checked. She was still waiting. He felt bad. Too bad.

Shortly after 9:00 p.m. Meredith realized he wasn't coming out. He'd left by another way. She broke down in tears. She climbed out of the Wrangler, walked to her Lexus, her all-important prestige car, and drove home. It would be another night alone, another night of unrelenting tears. She had to talk to hm. She had to do something.

Wednesday morning came and Meredith was ready. This time he'd have to talk to her. She got out of bed, got dressed in her slinkiest outfit, and drove over to his school. It was a large school for an elementary, more than three hundred kids. She walked up to the front, right to the front door, got out a pair of handcuffs, and cuffed herself to the door. 'Now,' she thought, 'he'll have to talk to her.'

George pulled in the lot. He liked to be early; it was shortly after 7:00 a.m. He got out of his Jeep and saw her, and saw what she'd done. He reached in his pocket for his phone, and called the police. The first squad car arrived within five minutes. This was an elementary school after all.

The first policeman walked up to Meredith, and saw what she was doing. "Sorry ma'am," he said. "You can't do this. So please unlock yourself and leave."

Meredith was defiant, "Certainly not officer. I intend to stay here until my husband agrees to see me."

The policeman, now joined by two others, looked back to the parking lot and at the old Wrangler. Very politely he said, "I think he does see you ma'am. Won't you please do as I ask?"

She scoffed, "Not until he comes up here and talks to me."

She was loud enough for George to hear. When the policemen looked back at him, he shook his head no.

One of the policemen, the oldest and obviously the one with the most rank stepped toward the belligerent, "Ma'am," he said, "If you don't un-cuff yourself we'll have to do it, and if we do, we'll have to take you in."

Meredith replied by kneeling on the cement.

The ranking police officer signaled to one of his men who promptly pulled out a key and stepped toward Meredith.

Meredith yelled down to George, "George are you going to let them to do this? George I'm your wife! George you have to let me talk to you! George!"

By then the cuffs were off.

The oldest policeman pleaded, "Won't you please leave now ma'am?"

She shouted at him, "I will not! Not until I see my husband!"

The policeman said nothing. He signaled with a wave of his hand and two other officers lifted Meredith by her arms and started to lead her to one of the squad cars.

She struggled.

The ranking policeman looked back toward George.

George turned his back.

The ranking policeman cryptically said, "Take her in."

At the station Meredith used her one phone call to reach her father. She got her mother. "Mom, I'm in jail. You've got to come and get me."

Her mother asked, "What are you doing in jail?"

After Meredith explained how she got where she was her mother answered, "I don't know what to tell you. Your father is out of town, and I have an appointment at the beauty parlor in less than an hour. Couldn't you just stay there a little while?"

Meredith collapsed. First George, now her mother. What was she to do? Didn't anyone want to help her? Didn't anyone care? She hung up the phone and turned to the policeman attending her, "My mom won't come get me. Can't I just go home?"

The policeman smiled sympathetically, "Sorry ma'am, it doesn't work that way."

She asked, "May I make another call? Please."

The policeman looked back toward the desk and the officer in charge. The officer nodded. The officer with Meredith nodded, "Just one more."

She looked in her purse but found no money. "I'm out of money. May I use my cell phone?"

He nodded affirmatively.

Now who was she going to call? By then she knew George was out of the question. She didn't know who to call. Finally she settled on one of her former friends from work, a good friend, someone she trusted, a girl named Megan. She called her up.

When Megan opened her I-Phone and saw who it was she turned it off. Meredith had become "persona non grata".

Meredith burst into tears. No one cared. No one wanted to help her. She looked at the policeman, "My girlfriend wouldn't answer her phone. I don't know what to do."

The officer at the desk asked, "Isn't there anyone?"

Meredith hiccoughed, "You could call my husband at his work."

The officer got George's number and called his school. "Mr. Mason we have your wife here at the station. She made several calls, but no one seems to be available to come get her. What do you want us to do?"

George listened. He felt horrible. He said, "No one has pressed any charges. Why don't you just let her go, but tell her she's not to come back to the school."

The officer smiled softly at Meredith. "No one has pressed any charges. Your husband said no one will, but you mustn't go back to his place of work. Will you promise us not to do anything foolish?"

Through bleary tear filled eyes Meredith nodded, "Yes officer. I promise, but my car is still at the school."

The policeman smiled, "Someone will take you home. You'll have to make arrangements about your car, but remember you're not to go near the school."

There was a matron who was about to get off duty who'd been listening to the interchanges. She volunteered, "I'll see that she gets home."

The officer in charge thanked her, and the matron led Meredith to her Chevrolet. On the drive home the matron explained to Meredith how fortunate she was. She'd been at a public school. She'd created a public disturbance. She didn't know how fortunate she truly was. The matron explained how none of the local television stations had shown up. If they had, in lieu of New Town and Columbine she would have been locked up, no questions asked.

Meredith finally did realize how much trouble she could have been in. She also realized she still hadn't been able to see her husband. When she got home she went to bed and had another good cry. She didn't get up again until well after lunch; just in time to receive two messengers. First she opened her mail. There was a registered letter inside. It was something called a "protective order". She read it and didn't exactly understand it. She was a smart woman, but she'd had no real experience with the law. What she had in her grasp, was to her anyway, a restraining order. George had called in the law to keep her away from him. She broke into tears again.

Later that after she was napping on George's lazy boy watching some old black and white movie when there was a knock on the door. She went to the window and looked outside where she saw a smartly dressed younger woman holding some sort of package. She went to the door and opened it.

The young lady asked, "Are you Mrs. Meredith Mason?"

Puzzled, but hopeful. Maybe it was something from George after all? Maybe he was giving her a chance to see him? She replied, "Yes I am."

The young woman handed her a large manila envelope, "Mrs. Mason. You have been served." The young lady did a one-eighty and walked away.

Meredith held the envelope in her hand. She should have known. She closed the door, walked back inside, plopped back down on George's chair and started, once again, to cry.

Over in his Gaithersburg apartment George was notified his soon to be ex-wife had received the appropriate notifications. He derived no pleasure from the missives; he correctly believed something good and wonderful was in its final death throes. He wished he could go back. He kept thinking, 'What if he'd paid more attention to her, what if he'd been more demanding of her attention, what if he'd been more insightful, and what if he hadn't asked Frank to help him?'

Internally George shrugged his shoulders; if "what ifs" were chocolate candy everyone would be diabetic. He couldn't look back. He had to move on. He had a career. He'd buy a new house, get a big boat, cruise the Chesapeake and catch bigger fish. He'd travel. Did he need women? He still liked the idea of being married. He still believed he'd be a good father. He still liked the thought of raising his own kids. While all that was true, and probably would remain true, he knew he wouldn't let it get him down. He liked women. He liked sex. He liked good sex, something he believed he hadn't been getting, but did he need to get married to get that? No! Would he ever take the risk of getting married again? No! Never! Never again.

Meredith called her father. She needed help. "Daddy," she started. "George has filed for divorce. He's even gotten a restraining order out against me."

Her father listened and replied, "Have you read the documents?"

Meredith responded, "No, not yet."

Her father answered, "Read the divorce decree. See what it is he's after. I'll call around to get you a good lawyer. He might get his divorce, but he's not getting away with anything else."

Meredith whimpered, "I don't want a lawyer. I only want my George back."

Her father breathed a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone. "Look," he said, "there's not much of a chance." He paused, "Maybe if I went to see him."

Meredith brightened, "Would you daddy? Would you please?"

Her father answered, "I'll go, but don't expect anything."

Holding her phone, sheepishly grinning, Meredith suppressed a giggle. "Thank you daddy." She was convinced her dad would talk to George. He'd get him to see. She'd get him back.

George piled into his work with a vengeance. Day and night he worked tirelessly to find ways to improve his school and his own chances at progress. While he waited stoically for news from his lawyer, he put his wife and all the sadness and yearning behind him.

He did get a message from Meredith's father. He thought it over and agreed to meet with him. He chose a Bob Evans, a place he knew they'd both have to be respectful and discreet.

Mr. Sullivan arrived promptly at 5:00 p.m., their agreed upon time. George saw him and waved.

Mr. Sullivan sat down, "Have you ordered anything yet George?

"No sir, replied George. He gave a signal and a waitress came over. Both men gave their orders and the waitress left.

Mr. Sullivan had requested the meeting so he started the conversation, "I'm very sorry your marriage to my daughter has come to this."

"I am too," replied George.

"She's told me what happened. I was wondering, since you won't talk with her, if I might give you her version?"

"It won't mean anything," George said, "but I'll listen."

Mr. Sullivan took a deep breath and began, "George, she didn't cheat on you." Another deep breath, then, "I know it looks bad, but... I believe her. George... she loves you. She told me what she did up in Connecticut." Another sigh, "George... please. You know you were wrong too."

George knew he was wrong, wrong on two counts; he found out something he didn't want to know, and he'd used a good friend. He listened to Meredith's dad. He liked the man. He wished now he hadn't agreed to see him.

Mr. Sullivan looked at George more closely, "You're not going to change your mind are you?"

George replied, "Mr. Sullivan I like you. I love your daughter, but it's over."

Mr. Sullivan looked bad; he looked tired, he added, "You know she hardly knew the man. She'd only just met him. He was part of a deal. She only said what she did to make you mad."

George nodded, but made no comment.

Mr. Sullivan pleaded, "George she's lost her job. She's got no money. You're her health care. She's desperate George. You're all... she' got. I've never seen her this way." He gulped and took another deep breath, "Her mother and I... Meredith... she won't... you know..." He grabbed his chest, "George... I." He was white as a sheet.