If It Seems Fates Are Against You
“‘If it seems fates are against you today, they probably are.’ Wow that is comforting.”
Benjamin then turned over the fortune from his after dinner Chinese cookie and it read, “‘Learn Chinese—A moment (yi) (hui) (er). Lucky Numbers 7, 30, 11, 25, 43, 41.’”
“Oh, I feel better now. At least I have enough lucky numbers to win the lottery.”
His former coworker and only friend, Alvin Model, was still decrying his wretched marriage, “Sure, we have sex sometimes. But you know, when it’s over, I just wish she’d turn into a sandwich and a six-pack.”
He chuckled absently at his friend’s callous dismissal of his wife. It did not, however, dissipate the feeling of dread that now filled him. He was not at all certain that he was going to succeed in keeping down his General Tsoa’s chicken.
Alvin then turned his conversation on Benjamin, “So, Ben, what’s up with you and Sandy?”
“Oh, we get along fine.”
Yes, we have reached that stage where sex is no longer an issue, no longer a consideration, no longer a possibility.
“Come on Ben, you mean to tell me, marriage, after seven years, is all perfect?”
“Well, it is not perfect. But we make a good living. I mean she got me that job—got me the interview with her boss. Heck, he sends me on the road every other weekend; all expenses paid, and doesn’t even care if I don’t land an account. It’s kind of like he’s our dad. He even gave me his Buick when he bought the Mercedes.”
‘”Wow, Ben—sounds kind of creepy if you ask me.”
“If he wasn’t such a nice old guy, and his wife wasn’t so friendly with Sandy, I might think so. I have thought that it’s not altogether smart to have both of our incomes dependent on one small business. But they’re growing. The flooring contracts keep coming. And even if I don’t get a sale, Sandy still get’s commission on everything that goes through the office—not a lot, but it adds up.”
Alvin seemed jealous. “Christ, what a deal. I’d pimp my old lady out for that kind of deal. Then I could buy myself some companionship—you know?”
He of a sudden felt sorry for his former coworker, the closest thing to a friend he had. Since marrying Sandy and joining her network of friends and relatives he had pretty much lost contact with his friends from school.
I sure miss hanging out with Joe Sanders and Noll Forte.
You know Sandy couldn’t stand them.
I know, ‘family comes first.’
Benjamin began sinking into one of his moments of despair, wondering what life might have been like if he had a father, and if his mother had not disowned him for marrying Sandy, saying, ‘She’s too prissy for you.’ These woes were so ingrained he did not even think consciously on them, just drifted into a listless reverie.
“Come on, Ben, let’s roll. I’ve got to go home and try to get the old lady drunk. Then maybe when she passes out—”
They both chuckled at the punch line to that joke which Alvin had declared so many times it was not necessary to repeat, and headed out to the parking lot.
