Barbara Lovett could hardly fathom what was going on in her surroundings. It registered with her that her teenaged daughter, Linda was sitting by her at the kitchen table crying. Opposite from Barbara, at the table sat her husband, Richard; he was still talking, but, Barbara had stopped listening to him. Instead she continued to replay the words that had recently destroyed hers and her daughter's world.
It had started out so ordinary a day. Barbara was preparing breakfast as Linda came into the kitchen. Linda lazily plopped down in her chair and watched as her mom fried bacon, and then cooked eggs in the bacon grease. Warm cathead biscuits sat waiting in a basket to be buttered and spread with jelly. All that was missing was Richard.
As they waited for Richard to make an appearance, Barbara and Linda took the opportunity to talk; most of the conversation was centered on Linda's attraction to a boy that had finally noticed Linda. As Barbara amusedly listened to her daughter's scheme to have Henry finally ask her out on a date as she put the finishing touches to the breakfast.
Soon she would go upstairs to wake Richard to come down to eat. Things had gotten bumpy lately between her and Richard and despite all her efforts, she didn't seem able to get them on track. She had tried to entice him for weeks into making love to her. Some nights, he would be an avid participant; on others, he would beg off.
On those nights, she would try to cuddle with him and try to get him to tell her what was bothering him. Usually, he would claim stress from work and roll over to go to sleep. She didn't have any success talking to him after work, because he was working incredibly long hours. She was beginning to feel guilty for trying to demand his time, but, more and more; she was at a loss how to show her support to her husband.
She concentrated on making sure all was well in the household. Clothes were promptly laundered, his favorite meals prepared, house all spic and span. Yet he continued to be oblivious to all her efforts. Still, she resolved to do her best and weather this storm. That was the idea behind this Sunday's breakfast. Perhaps a family meal could kickstart things to the right direction.
She heard steps coming from the stairs and drew her breath, mentally preparing herself as her husband approached. The smile on her face froze as she noticed the grim look on his face. He sat down at the table and ignored the food in front of him. He asked Linda to leave the room and something in the way he said it made Linda refuse to obey his command. Once again, he ordered her from the room and Linda resisted until she asked Linda to leave. Linda retreated from sight and then Richard delivered the words, no couple wanted to hear, "We need to talk."
She sat down wondering what this conversation was going to be about. She didn't have long to find out.
"Barbara, there's no easy way to say this, but, I'm unhappy here and I've found someone who makes me happy. I want a divorce."
No sooner than he got these words out of his mouth, than Linda, who had been eavesdropping came screaming into the room. Barbara remained stunned from the words as she tried to process them. Linda continued to cry, asking her father why he was doing this. Richard was unsettled as he hadn't expected to be put on the defensive by his daughter.
He kept repeating that he had found someone he was in love with and wanted to spend his life with her. The answer did little to placate Linda as she demanded to know why he didn't love them anymore. Richard explained that he would always love Linda, but, sometimes people grew apart, and that was what happened to him and her mother.
Linda refused to accept the answer and asked it over a number of different ways. The answer was always the same. He wasn't in love with Barbara anymore. Finally, Linda ran out of the kitchen and went upstairs and slammed the door to her bedroom shut.
In the silence that overtook the kitchen, Richard quietly explained that he would be leaving that morning. Tomorrow, when she was at work, he would come by to collect his things. In a couple of days, she would be served with the divorce papers and then it would be in the hands of the lawyers. As he got up to leave and walk out of the kitchen, Barbara spoke.
"Richard, what did I do to deserve this?" she said to his back. He paused, and then continued to walk out of the kitchen and left in his car. Barbara remained sitting at the table as though she was in a catatonic state. Twice she heard the grandfather clock chime in a new hour and still she remained sitting.
Realizing, she hadn't seen or heard from Linda in a while, she got up and went to Linda's room. She lightly tapped on the door and opened it. Linda was lying on top of her bed, facing away from Barbara, still sobbing. Barbara got on the bed and held her and consoled her as Linda continued to cry.
"Why doesn't he love you anymore, Mommy?"
Barbara hugged her daughter and told her, "Hush Baby, everything will be all right." Barbara wasn't sure she convinced Linda. She certainly hadn't convinced herself. They remained on the bed for a long time until finally Barbara felt the need to occupy her time. She went downstairs and mechanically began to clean the kitchen.
She dumped all the food she had prepared this morning and then hand washed all the pans and utensils she had used. Then she decided the kitchen floor needed mopping. She wound up spending the entire day mopping the house. When she finally quit, it was nighttime and Barbara crawled into bed fully clothed and cried herself to sleep.
Monday, she woke early and followed her usual routine of taking a shower and getting ready to go to school to teach her second grade class. This was the last week of class before the summer vacation began. She ate a couple of slices of toast to settle her stomach as Linda came into the kitchen and gave her a long hug. Linda left to catch a ride to school with her friend Beverly leaving Barbara all alone in the decrepit old mansion. Finally, she could put it off no longer and she left to go to work.
The cheerful, loving faces of her students were the only thing that got her through the day. During the lunch break, she broke her habit of being engaging and charming in the teacher's lounge and sat by herself staring out the window. Even though she was hypersensitive to any hint that the news of her marital breakup was circulating; she knew her behavior wasn't helping matters.
She left to go home as soon as the bell rang to end the day. True to his word, Richard had been in the house and all of his belongings were gone. Once again, she collapsed in her bed, refusing to move until Linda got home. She told Linda she didn't feel like cooking and for her to order them a pizza to be delivered. Linda went downstairs and an hour later came up to tell her the pizza had arrived. Barbara remained on the bed and told Linda to save her a couple of slices.
Another hour passed and Linda announced she was going over to see Beverly. Barbara didn't bother giving her the usual admonishments of when to be home and just told her, she would see her later.
At 3:00 a.m., she woke up and stumbled to Linda's room to assure herself that her child was at home, safe and sound. Safe and sound, that term had gained an ironic twist now as she made her way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee and eat her overdue supper of cold pizza.
At 6:00 a.m., she began her preparations to go to work. That was how the last week passed. By the end of the week she was sure that the news had gotten out as she caught a number of her fellow teachers staring at her or having whispered conversations outside her hearing range. Barbara was still too numb to be angry or offended. All she wanted to do was to end this hellish week.
Her daughter, Linda was becoming increasingly concerned for her mother's well being. But being 15-years-old she was at a loss on how to get her mother back. The weekend passed in an uneasy coexistence in the house. Linda kept out of the way of her mother so as to not add to her stress level. Barbara kept trying to find a way to reach her daughter and to comfort her, but, how could she convey a feeling she, herself did not feel.
Monday morning, Barbara noticed that they had ran out of Linda's cereal. She made a mental note to go to the supermarket. Since she had to go, she made a list to go ahead and shop to cover the entire week. As she approached the market, she noticed her low fuel light appear on her car's dashboard. She decided to fill up once she had gotten through with her shopping.
Barbara strolled through the market at her leisure as she comparison shopped and looked for the best bargains. When she reached the sales register, her cart was chock full of groceries. The total was close to $200 dollars. She handed the clerk her debit card and the clerk swiped the card and waited for the approval to appear.
After 30 seconds, the clerk frowned and punched in some numbers and reswiped the card. Again, nothing happened and the clerk tried a third time. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lovett, but, the bank isn't letting this transaction go through.
A confused Barbara asked, "What do you mean it isn't accepting this transaction?"
"Ma'am, I tried running this all three times and this card isn't working. Would you like to try another card?" As Barbara fumbled open her purse, she heard the grumbles of the disgruntled shoppers waiting behind her. She gave the clerk her credit card and waited anxiously for the clerk to give her the sales receipt so she could leave the store.
"Ma'am, I'm afraid this card has been cancelled." the clerk announced.
"But, but, that isn't possible!" Barbara sputtered, "Please, try this one!" As she handed over the third card, the shoppers behind opened into rebellion and told her to hurry up.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Lovett, this card is showing it is cancelled as well."