salt, pepper, oil and vinegar so everything would fit. Ruth looked at the choice of platters as a montage of their life, foreplay for their discussion. Later.
Next door, Shirley wasnât digging any more. It looked like the hole was done, but the lilac bush wasnât yet in it, and Shirley was gone. The shovel was lying next to the hole, though.
David tasted a little bit of everything in sequence, sometimes combining two items in one bite. Ruth went through one item at a time. âDid you see anyone in town?â she asked.
As they ate, he filled her in on the goings-on. Who was running for mayor, who was resigning from the Town Board, who had had a face lift.
Out on the street, it turned out Shirley wasnât the only one teasing the season. The new family across the way was getting their yard ready, picking up twigs and pruning. It was their first spring in the house, and they were obviously raring to go, energized by the newness.
David had put down his silverware, had his elbows on the table, and was twirling his wedding ring. Ruth wondered why he was nervous. She was the one with the dilemma.
Ruth ate her beans, savoring and stalling.
They sat in silence for awhile. Without looking up from her plate, she said, âI have been thinking about what you said, honey, like I said I would. It was a shock, you know, and Iââ
âI guess it was crummy timing to drop it in your lap on the way to the concert. I did try talking about it before, but⦠â He bit his lip. âWhen you asked me what the meeting was about, I just didnât want toâ¦â
She cut the two dilled new-potatoes that remained on her plate into pieces, then into smaller pieces, then arranged them as a face. She dragged her eyes off the potatoes and looked up at David, wrinkled her forehead and frowned slightly, tilted her head, then looked out the window, into the middle distance, her eyes not focusing on anything in particular.
âI guess I can see how you might be ready to retire. Youâve done exactly what youâve always known you wanted to do, and youâve done a great job and youâve been fulfilled by it and so I guess youâre ready to let it go. And, besides, you love golf. Youâre lucky that way.â
He nodded slowly.
âRetired people become marginalized, hanging out around the edges of things, looking in to where itâs all happening. Like my folks. To the point where an exterminator visit became enough to plan a day around.â
âIt doesnât have to beââ
âAnd retirement is about endings,â she continued. âI hate endings, even the good ones. Iâll just torture myself about my choices. And besides, I just feel like Iâm not finished yet.â
âDo you suppose there might just be something in between Mimosa and retirement?â
âThen thereâs that whole thing about accounting for myself and realizing that all I ever did was sell makeup. I didnât cure cancer, I didnât wipe out poverty, I didnât teach children to be better human beings. Except for Josh, of course. I sold makeup, period, the end.â
David, with a gentle voice and a gentler touch, pointed out the obvious, that staying at Mimosa wouldnât help her cure cancer or come up with some other dramatic answer for the Grand Inquisitor. All it would do was put off the moment of questioning her choices. Which she shouldnât do anyway.
He shifted from compassionate to upbeat. âIâm just talking about the next chapter, a fun chapter.â
âIt may be âjust a chapter,â but itâs the last chapter, isnât it?â
Davidâs concessionânot the one sheâd been hoping forâwas that heâd retire before her and stop pressuring her to join him.
The clock ticked, a few cars crawled by, and a neighborhood dog barked.
âYouâre saying youâre going to do it whether I do or not? As
Next door, Shirley wasnât digging any more. It looked like the hole was done, but the lilac bush wasnât yet in it, and Shirley was gone. The shovel was lying next to the hole, though.
David tasted a little bit of everything in sequence, sometimes combining two items in one bite. Ruth went through one item at a time. âDid you see anyone in town?â she asked.
As they ate, he filled her in on the goings-on. Who was running for mayor, who was resigning from the Town Board, who had had a face lift.
Out on the street, it turned out Shirley wasnât the only one teasing the season. The new family across the way was getting their yard ready, picking up twigs and pruning. It was their first spring in the house, and they were obviously raring to go, energized by the newness.
David had put down his silverware, had his elbows on the table, and was twirling his wedding ring. Ruth wondered why he was nervous. She was the one with the dilemma.
Ruth ate her beans, savoring and stalling.
They sat in silence for awhile. Without looking up from her plate, she said, âI have been thinking about what you said, honey, like I said I would. It was a shock, you know, and Iââ
âI guess it was crummy timing to drop it in your lap on the way to the concert. I did try talking about it before, but⦠â He bit his lip. âWhen you asked me what the meeting was about, I just didnât want toâ¦â
She cut the two dilled new-potatoes that remained on her plate into pieces, then into smaller pieces, then arranged them as a face. She dragged her eyes off the potatoes and looked up at David, wrinkled her forehead and frowned slightly, tilted her head, then looked out the window, into the middle distance, her eyes not focusing on anything in particular.
âI guess I can see how you might be ready to retire. Youâve done exactly what youâve always known you wanted to do, and youâve done a great job and youâve been fulfilled by it and so I guess youâre ready to let it go. And, besides, you love golf. Youâre lucky that way.â
He nodded slowly.
âRetired people become marginalized, hanging out around the edges of things, looking in to where itâs all happening. Like my folks. To the point where an exterminator visit became enough to plan a day around.â
âIt doesnât have to beââ
âAnd retirement is about endings,â she continued. âI hate endings, even the good ones. Iâll just torture myself about my choices. And besides, I just feel like Iâm not finished yet.â
âDo you suppose there might just be something in between Mimosa and retirement?â
âThen thereâs that whole thing about accounting for myself and realizing that all I ever did was sell makeup. I didnât cure cancer, I didnât wipe out poverty, I didnât teach children to be better human beings. Except for Josh, of course. I sold makeup, period, the end.â
David, with a gentle voice and a gentler touch, pointed out the obvious, that staying at Mimosa wouldnât help her cure cancer or come up with some other dramatic answer for the Grand Inquisitor. All it would do was put off the moment of questioning her choices. Which she shouldnât do anyway.
He shifted from compassionate to upbeat. âIâm just talking about the next chapter, a fun chapter.â
âIt may be âjust a chapter,â but itâs the last chapter, isnât it?â
Davidâs concessionânot the one sheâd been hoping forâwas that heâd retire before her and stop pressuring her to join him.
The clock ticked, a few cars crawled by, and a neighborhood dog barked.
âYouâre saying youâre going to do it whether I do or not? As
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