Chapter 57. Brenda
I am an intermediate school teacher, that is the school to which the demented ones go, ages eleven to fourteen. I liked it there because that was the last age group a teacher could influence kids on how to treat a planet, or each other, or themselves. That is also the group that begins to become aware of the opposite sex so getting their attention is impossible at times.
Once they leave for high school their minds are pretty much hardwired and there isn't much anyone can do.
At home my patience was tested too. My wife was a sales representative and traveled often. Soon I became superfluous to her, like earrings she never wore. I suspected she had a lover so I contacted a private investigator with ties to offices in the Midwest were she travelled to check up on her.
When their report came in I was deeply saddened and knew it was hopeless but I gave her and our marriage another chance.
Our sex lives had been good, she loved the way I treated her in bed. She loved our long sessions and her multiple orgasms. She suddenly decided to just wait for me to get done. I decided to stop all my advances. She was never curious of why I did so.
I went to our towns only real divorce lawyer. We talked and she asked if I had tried counseling and I told her no, that I did not want to be married to someone that did not respect me.
I mentioned that I had proof of her infidelities. Brenda, my lawyer, said to hold on to it until it appeared that we would need them.
My wife was served as she left the house for a trip to Chicago. I was told she became very angry but went ahead on her trip.
I called the investigators and asked them to follow her in Chicago and if possible photograph her activities. I got pictures of her having sex with her usual lover and two other men before she got back home.
I had by then moved out and there was a for sale sign on our front lawn. It was my house, not ours, and I knew I could never live in it again. I rented an apartment and had already moved in.
The only one that knew where I was, my lawyer, told her she didn't know where I was.
My wife told her she would fight it to the end.
I took the folders of photos to my lawyer and she looked through them. She began to cry.
"Her principal lover is my husband," she said amid her tears.
I quickly took the photos away from her and apologized over and over. I told her I did not know the guys in the pictures.
She asked me to mail one photo to my ex, she kept one and asked me to come back the following week.
That following Saturday I took Brenda to lunch where she brought me up to date. She admitted that she had suspected her soon to be ex had a lover for months but they had a child so she did not press it. We sympathized which each other.
Three weeks later the lawyer and I were both single and our former spouses had left town. She had gotten sole custody of her daughter and was not surprised her father did not put up a fight. She said he had been an indifferent father.
I took my wedding band off after the last day of school and went on my usual camping/baseball stadium trip. My ex had refused to accompany me over the last two years but had encouraged me to go. I now knew why.
I got back home in mid June just in time for our towns celebration day. I had always helped and did so again that time for Larry and Doris, I loved their fish restaurant .
A friend named Wendy was the first to notice I no longer wore a wedding band.
"How are you doing," she asked.
It was not a casual question, she wanted to know how I was handling it.
"I am at the acceptance stage already. I was not very surprised too learn of her....adventures."
"Good, glad to hear it. Brenda is not there yet, she has been moping for a while but pretends she is OK. Do me a favor and give her a kiss on the cheek whenever you see her. If she asks why tell her I told you to do so then kiss her cheek again before you walk on."
"I'm not ready for a relationship."
"And neither is she but you need to remind her she is not the only one suddenly alone. You went through the event together. And she is very pretty."
"Yes, she is. OK, I will unless she slaps me then I will tell her it was your idea."
"Good enough. Do me a favor and get us some empanadillas, I'll cover for you."
I did and found Brenda there. I nodded with a smile, asked for two and as she handed them to me I kissed her cheek. I saw the look of astonishment before I turned and left.
"You know, you are a lot more devious than you look," I said to Wendy.
"Thank you," she said as she treated me to her remarkably musical giggles.
I did not see Brenda again until the July Fourth fireworks show. I was headed for the ice cream truck as she walked away from it. I stepped in front of her and as she stopped I kissed her cheek then walked on.
I could not tell if she was irritated or concerned. I decided neither of those would be enough to stop me. I had started to enjoy kissing her.
A wedding brought us together the following weekend. I was an usher and she was a bridesmaid. After I led her to the altar I kissed her cheek. That time she was blushing.
"You like doing that don't you," Wendy said as I got back to the head of the aisle. I kissed her cheek. She giggled.
My next escort was a teacher and very good friend, I kissed her cheek after I took her to the altar. I had kissed the woman on the cheek for years so she simply accepted it as if it was her due. Her name was Angie and she was a lesbian recently left partnerless.
My job as usher was done so I sat at the back of the grooms section. The groom was my assistant principal. The bride was one of our teachers.
At the reception Brenda came to me and put her cheek out for a kiss. I kissed it.
"Well, do you think this marriage will last?" she asked.
"Yes, these are much better people. Their not so secret love affair is now in it's seventh year. They were afraid that if it was found out one of them would have to switch schools. Mo set them straight last Christmas."
"That is so nice to see."
"Yes it is. The buffet is open."
"Good, I'm starved. Oh, prime rib."
"I wonder which of them has the money for this spread?"
"His father. He is a big corporate attorney in the city."
Before we sat at the same table I kissed Mo and Wendy on the cheek as they came by then kissed the groom on the cheek as he came by much to the amusement of all.
Brenda and I danced a couple of times and I walked her to her car when she decided to leave. I decide why not and kissed her lips before she got in her car.
Wendy saw my big smile when I walked back in and interrogated me then Mo interrogated me.
I told both we were now friends but that was all.
"Did you kiss her on the cheek?"
"No, I missed," I said and walked away.
Two hands swatted my butt. Their giggles were in harmony.
I did not see Brenda again until school open house in August. I asked her if her daughter was in my class and she said no.
"I debated whether to have her schedule changed so she would have you but thought that would cause too much gossip. I came over to hear your spiel to the parents. Most likely many now think you must be demented."
"Actually all of them do especially the ones that had a kid in my class before. They just put up with it."
She said, "I have heard that everyone is very happy the old you is back. They are happy the witch is gone."
"I'm not surprised, she did not like any of my friends."
"I have to go find my semi-terrified baby," she said and waited for her kiss.
I kissed her cheek.
She said, "You missed, you will need to make up for it with two next time."