Joe felt Susan’s ample breast press a little harder against his back, her hands pulled tighter on his stomach. Somewhat unnerved by the aggressive snuggling, Joe didn’t discourage her. “Are you enjoying the ride?” he shouted over the steady moan of the Cushman engine.
“Oh yes, Joe, I’m loving it!”
Joe could feel her warm breath on his ear--it felt good. Joe was glad that the ride was just about over before he became a little too excited. He surveyed the street ahead. The tall palm trees bordering the street swayed in the steady breeze as he approached his neighborhood. The big yellow-orange morning sun was just starting to peep its head over the distant horizon casting a yellow hue over the road ahead. Joe raised his hand to shade his eyes from the bright sun.
With a few minutes left in the ride and Susan’s grip tightening, Joe took the opportunity to reflect on their growing relationship. On the face of it, it seemed implausible to him that the two of them were together--they were from such vastly different worlds. She lived in a mobile home park in one of the poorest communities in Florida, while Joe lived in a million dollar home in an upscale retirement community. She had spent all her adult life scratching out a living in any way she could, while Joe had enjoyed a life of privilege.
With such differences in their backgrounds, one would think that Susan would have a difficult time fitting into the cultured lifestyle of Joe’s world. Yet, in spite of her meager past, Susan had a real sense of sophistication about her. A natural gift, Joe surmised, since it certainly wasn’t the result of her life experiences. Joe was truly amazed at how easily she had fit in with his friends at The Villages, making small talk and giggling with the ladies while charming the daylights out of his male friends. One would think, observing Susan in Joe’s domain, that she too had graduated from a fine university and was a professional person of some accomplishment. The only difference Joe had observed between Susan and his other female friends was her more aggressive behavior toward him. She came on much stronger to Joe than the more reserved women of wealth he associated with in his circles. Susan’s interactions didn’t seem forced or over the top--they seemed very natural. Probably the result of her more blue-collar life experiences, Joe thought, where relationships are more sexual and talk of such things is more open and natural. It unnerved him at times, but in the main, he accepted it and enjoyed it.
The tiny branch from a bordering pin oak crunched under the narrow tire of Joe’s speedy scooter. Now just a short distance from his driveway, Joe thought of Adele. Adele was not at all like Susan. A good and kind person, she didn’t show her affection toward Joe as easily as Susan did. Oh, she had a wonderful smile and was always polite, but Adele would never greet a male friend of Joe’s with a kiss and a hug as Susan did--it just wasn’t her nature. But Adele was still part of him, he could feel her presence around him almost daily.
Joe thought back to Adele’s parting words to him on that powerful evening at the end of her life. It was early evening after a particularly difficult day for her. Joe had been by her side the entire day and was sitting next to her bed reading a crumpled copy of Reader’s Digest. Engrossed in an article, he felt her hand grab hold of his free hand and pull it gently to her breast. In terrible pain, she smiled at him as best she could and looked him directly in the eye. Her dark sunken eyes seemed to brighten a little when she spoke. She spoke quietly, but assuredly, and he was shocked by what she had to say.
She made him promise that after his grieving time was over, that he would not hesitate to find comfort and contentment in the arms of another woman. With tears welling in his eyes, and his heart breaking, Joe promised his courageous wife of forty-eight years that he would try to honor her requests, but that he doubted if he could ever find anyone as wonderful as her. She squeezed his hand a little tighter and with tears flowing unashamedly down her face, she told him just how much she loved him and how much their life together had meant to her. She fell asleep a few minutes later with Joe’s head resting firmly on her chest, never to awaken again.
The heady scent of the gardenias that bordered Joe’s driveway signaled the end of the ride and drew him out of his powerful reminiscences of Adele. Fighting off tears, he cruised into the garage and pulled to a stop in his usual parking spot beneath the shadow of his big tool box.
“Thank you, Joe, that was so much fun!” A beaming Susan lifted off her helmet and fluffed up the back of her hair. She gave Joe one last squeeze and hopped off the back of the scooter. Sensing that Joe was upset about something, she laid her hand on his forearm and asked, “Are you okay?”
Joe slid off the warm seat, knocking the kick stand down as he was getting off. He removed his helmet and set it on the seat. He paused and looked at Susan, “Yes, I sure am,” he said briskly. “I was just thinking about something.”
Always very perceptive, Susan’s eyes softened, “She must have been a wonderful woman.”
Joe glanced at Susan, he seemed genuinely taken aback by her response. “Among your other attributes, I’m finding now that you are an amazingly insightful person, Susan. Yes, I was thinking of Adele. Please forgive me, but forty-eight years is a long time.”
Susan slid her hand off his forearm, her smile faded. “Are we moving too fast, Joe? I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
Joe turned toward Susan and laid his hands on her shoulders, “No, you most certainly are not making me uncomfortable. Maybe we should have a little talk, just to clear the air a little bit. Shall we?” He swept his hand toward the door to the house. “I made a pot of Starbuck’s finest just before we left on our ride. How about a cup?”
“Why certainly, our tee time isn’t for about an hour. Sounds good.”
Joe stripped the gloves off his hands and tossed them on his workbench. Then, with Susan leading the way, the two of them strolled briskly toward the house.