This Old House

"God forgive me, I said yes. It was just what I had been dreaming of for six months. Did I think about George, and how this would hurt him? I'm sorry to say, not a bit. Did I feel guilty? Not in the least. I had been cheating on George in my job for years and exclusively with Ron for six months. I was way beyond feeling guilty about it."

"When George got home at his usual time, he saw my car in the driveway. That was unusual since he normally got home before I did. When he came in, I was waiting for him in the hallway, dressed in my usual business attire. There were several suitcases sitting in the living room where they weren't blocking the hall. Barbara was standing behind me, also dressed in her best clothes, as if she was ready for church."

"I had told Barbara that I was leaving her father for another man. He was rich, and we were going to live with him in his big house in Florida. He had a pool, a yacht, and his own airplane. We were going to spend a month on his yacht in the Caribbean. She was upset about leaving her father, but agreed to go with me."

"I had been rehearsing my speech to George all day, and I had to get it said before I lost my nerve. I started right in as soon as he came in the door."

"George, I'm leaving you for another man. I've have been having an affair with him for the past six months, I'm in love with him, and he has asked me to marry him. I said yes. I am getting a divorce so I can marry him. He is rich and you could never be able to give me the kind of lifestyle I want. I quit my job, and we are going to spend a month on his yacht in the Caribbean. I am taking Barbara with me."

"I had a taxi waiting, so the driver loaded our luggage and we left. George was still standing there in the door as we pulled away. I never saw him again. The taxi took us to the Royale Plaza, where I spent one more night with my lover, now my fiancée. Since Barbara was with us, we cooled it on the sexual gymnastics. It was more of an old married couple's night. The next morning, after breakfast, we flew to Palm Beach on Ron's plane."

"George signed the papers, and six months later we were divorced. Ron and I were married by a judge in a small private ceremony. Barbara was my maid of honor. Ron and I discussed it with Barbara, and we decided that Ron would not try to adopt Barbara. She would forever be her father's daughter."

"In stories like this, it always follows that cheaters are always cheaters. That wasn't the case with us. Ron and I were faithful to each other, and lived happy lives for many years thereafter. Then came the fateful day I got a phone call from Ron's office. He had a heart attack at work, and had been taken by ambulance to the hospital. He didn't make it in time."

"So, there I was, at the age of 65, a very wealthy widow. Ron had a one million dollar life insurance policy. All of the hotels and commercial properties were owned by his corporation, but I now held sixty percent of the stock, and it paid very good dividends. I owned a plane I couldn't fly, and a boat I couldn't sail, and a house that was way too big for just me."

"Barbara married and had two children, Melody and Joshua. She lives in Memphis, with her husband Randy. Randy has his own insurance agency, with State Farm, and Barbara works there as his secretary/receptionist. Randy is doing well, but let's face it; his mother-in-law might have helped out a little here and there. I set up college funds for my grandchildren which put Melody through nursing school. Josh plans to go to Memphis State this fall."

"Barbara stayed in touch with my parents in Clarksdale. After I divorced George, they disowned me and would never talk to me. They loved George, and they continued to consider him their son, until their passing. Dad continued to take George deer hunting every fall, and fishing in the summer. Barbara never talked to her father, his choice not hers, but her grandpa would tell her about him. George never forgave Barbara for leaving him to go with her mother."

"George never remarried, nor even dated anyone. When he retired, he bought a little house, and commenced to renovate it himself. Then he got sick, and he hasn't been able to do much since. When I heard George was sick, I set up a trust fund, with Barbara as the administrator, to be sure he was taken care of. He doesn't know that, and he doesn't know his granddaughter is one of his care givers. He doesn't know his grandson mows his yard and looks after the house."

"Now, I'm sick too. I won't be around much longer to see that George is taken care of, but Barbara and Melody will keep on after I'm gone."

"Thank you Beverly for listening to an old woman rambling on. You are such a sweetheart. I'm tired now, I think I'm going to sleep awhile."

---

"I'm on a hill looking down at a garden party. There are a lot of people dressed in nice clothes, standing around with drinks in their hands. My wife is there, in a yellow chiffon dress, talking to Ronald Mueller, smiling and laughing at his jokes. I've never seen Ronald Mueller, but I know that's him."

"I'm lying on the ground next to a tree. In my hands is my Remington .30 caliber deer rifle with a 4 power scope. I'm not more than 100 yards from the party. I can't tell you how many times I've bagged a buck from this range."

"I've got Ronald Mueller's left eye centered in the crosshairs of my sites. As he turns to his right to say something witty to my wife, I line up the crosshairs on a point just above and behind his left ear. The exit wound through his right eye will splatter my wife's new summer dress with his blood and brains."

"I start to slowly squeeze the trigger."

Everything goes black.

"Ugh. Daylight again."

"Thank you, God. Looks like I lived through another night." I said to myself as I took off my oxygen mask.

"I guess I'd better get up before I wet the bed. Susie won't want to clean that up again. "

The End