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Days of Our Years
by
Harry Buschman
Part 4 - Tomorrow
Barney sat on the yellow and red striped
convertible sofa and Sheila sat on the other side of the room trying to adjust
the controls on the motorized lounge chair.
"This is one hell of a color combination for a sofa, Sheila. Who picked it out,
Dierdre? Monty would never ...."
"Do you know how to get the footrest on
this damn thing back out of the way. I want my feet on the floor."
Barney got up and walked across the room.
He took the remote control from Sheila and pushed one of its buttons.
"Now you've got the back too straight! Why
can't people buy a chair that's just a chair and not some motorized astronaut
couch?"
Barney put the control down and pulled
Sheila up out of the chair. "Give it up, dear," he said, "It's beyond us, come
over and sit with me on the ugly sofa."
Barney and Sheila volunteered to stay at
Monty and Dierdre's apartment while they honeymooned in Disney World. As the
days dragged by they commented on the fact that Sheila's mother had done the
same for them many years ago and probably thought the same about their
furniture. They both agreed that tastes change, not always for the better
-- even tastes in where people go on their honeymoons. In retrospect, theirs had
been pretty strange too -- imagine! Nova Scotia in April! Well -- it was
Barney's idea, "wasn't it, Barney?" Sheila reminded him.
"Damn good one as I remember," he smiled.
"Disney World isn't bad either. After all, Lennie's almost four now. He'll enjoy
it."
Sheila sat on the new sofa tentatively,
"Look, my feet don't even touch the floor. Very uncomfortable. Why don't young
people think twice before they buy furniture?" Then she changed the
subject. "That's another thing .... about Lennie I mean .... I wish they waited
the way we did."
"Well, they didn't -- kids don't wait for
anything any more. Monty told me once that they wanted to be sure before they
signed up for the duration." Barney nudged Sheila. "Do you realize what a chance
we took -- no samples. Nothing. Zilch. We just plunged into it, hoping ...."
"Now wait a minute," Sheila broke in,
"you're turning the whole thing around."
In various and separate ways Barney had
brought the subject up all their married life. Most of the time it was in jest,
but there were occasions when she could sense he meant every word he said.
Sheila could never be sure until it was too late. It was best, she thought, to
let it pass. She knew she was right, of course -- and being right is the main
thing. Isn't it?
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