Leta Gets a Parakeet, part three

Leta had spent several evenings in December of 1964 with Mr. Delbert Henderson. She was a widow, having lost her husband Richard Eckman a year earlier, and he was a widower whose wife passed away in September. The couples had been friends prior to their respective losses, and subsequently the surviving partners started spending time together. Leta was 78 years old, and Delbert was 76.

On New Year’s Eve, they had supper and played cards with two other couples, but even as she was doing it, Leta realized she was enjoying her vodka tonics too much. When he drove her home, Delbert was obviously unhappy, if not embarrassed, by her behavior. He walked her politely to the door, but then left her without so much as a good night handshake.

She spent New Year’s Day with her daughter Vivian’s family. As was appropriate for the occasion, Vivian prepared spare-ribs and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes, green beans and corn, but Leta was not very hungry.

“Are you all right, Ma?” Vivian asked as she and her daughter Linda started to clear the table. “You barely touched your food, not even your mashed potatoes.”

“I’m fine,” Leta lied, “just a little tired.”

What else could she say? That she had reverted to her old behavior, and in a drunken state alienated a good and kind man, leaving her not only with a hangover, but also cast aside once again? That she had behaved in such a way that she closed off a large social outlet for her and could lose friends and activities? That maybe the way she had lived much of her life was truly wrong? After all, she spent many years of her life, drinking alcohol and meeting men in bars. Many of those men used her, but she also used them. While she had been married for many years, she had also been unmarried for nearly just as many. Further none of her marriages lasted very long—for several reasons: Albert, Bob and Richard died; Ora, Leech and Claud were drunken bums; Curtis and Ralph were dominating and cruel. Although she had chosen each for different reasons, she had not chosen well. Several of them she chose when she was drinking too much alcohol herself. The previous night she had inadvertently reverted to prior behaviors, and this time she was with someone who she knew was a good and kind man. Now, she was feeling the unpleasant effects of her behavior, both physically and emotionally. This also disturbed her.

 “I’m too old for this,” she whispered to herself.

“What did you say, Grandma?” Linda asked as they were cleaning the kitchen after everyone had a piece of pie.

“Nothing, darling,” Leta answered.

‘You were just thinking loudly,,” Linda decided. “That’s what Mom calls it,” Linda said.

“That sounds about right,” Leta said.

By the time they finished their chore Leta had decided. She would telephone Delbert as soon as she returned home. It would be a bold move, but she would do it. If she could resolve the situation, then all would be well. If Delbert was finished with her, then she would know and move on.

She never liked to dwell on such things.

To be continued.