Read Online The Day the Rabbi Resigned by Harry Kemelman - Free Book Online

women, they enjoy it. In fact, they sort of need it like—like you need a drink of water when you’re terribly thirsty. If you love him, and if you keep in mind that it’s a need that he has to satisfy, it will help. And for his sake, if you don’t enjoy it, it helps to pretend that you do.”
    But Peg had no talent for pretending, and each night when he made love to her, she found the experience unpleasant even if no longer physically painful. Curiously, although at first a little chagrined at her lack of appreciation of his lovemaking, very soon he found that he did not mind, and that in fact it gave a certain fillip to the process, and sometimes when he sensed her disgust as he thrust, Sister Bertha, his sixth-grade teacher, came to mind.
    For the rest he was especially kind and considerate, as if to make amends. The days were spent in lying on the beach and swimming, in cycling and in wandering about the streets and shopping. She enjoyed being with him, and even at night she enjoyed having him beside her in bed; perhaps because it was the first time since she was orphaned that she had had intimate personal contact with another human being, and while the act of love was unpleasant, at least it did not last long.
    All too soon they had to return. They had made no plans, but had assumed that they would be living with the Mertons for a while. They would sleep in her room because it was much larger than the guest room that he was used to. Perhaps Agnes would make some changes, if only to replace her bed with a double bed. On their return, however, when she went up to her room, she found all her things were gone, the closet empty of her dresses, the bureau empty of her underwear, sweaters, stockings.
    She came down to the living room where Victor was having a drink with her uncle and aunt. “My things are gone,” she said, “everything. There’s nothing in the closet or in my bureau or—”
    Cyrus grinned. “Sure. We moved them to your house.”
    â€œMy house?”
    â€œYou didn’t think we were going to have you two lovebirds staying here with us old fogies? We thought you’d rather be alone, so we moved your things to one of my summer rentals. It’s a nice house, one of the two on Shurtcliffe Circle. It’s furnished plainly, but adequately. It’s certainly better than a room in a hotel. You can have it as long as you like, or until you find someplace you like better.”
    It was a small, frame house on a dead-end street, with two bedrooms on the second floor separated by a hallway that led to a bathroom. One bedroom, presumably the master bedroom, was considerably larger than the other and had an adjoining bathroom. It had twin beds joined together with clamps to form one large king-size bed. The other bedroom had a single bed. Their clothes, Margaret’s dresses, and the extra suit that Victor had kept at the Merton’s were in the closet of the large bedroom, of course.
    â€œHow do you like it?” asked Cyrus.
    â€œIt’s wonderful,” said Margaret.
    â€œPerfect,” said Victor.
    â€œOf course, the furniture—” Cyrus began apologetically.
    â€œFine,” said Victor. “It’s just fine.”
    â€œAnd there’s dishes and pots and pans,” Cyrus pointed out. “Even a vacuum cleaner. At least there’s supposed to be one.”
    â€œI’m sure we’re going to love it,” Margaret said.
    â€œThen we’ll leave you,” said Cyrus. “Come on, Aggie. Let’s leave these two lovebirds to set up housekeeping.”
    They walked them to the front door, and in parting Agnes said, “There’s bread and rolls in the bread box in the pantry, and you’ll find some stuff in the fridge, nothing special, just milk and butter and eggs, and on the pantry shelf there’s coffee and tea bags and sugar.”
    â€œWe expect you for dinner on Sunday, of course,”