I met a lovely old lady (LOL) in a very long queue at a supermarket cafe today. Being Northern we got chatting, to pass the time. LOL a tiny, twinkly eyed octogenarian with a purple-tinged permanent set told me she'd been married for 25 years; her husband passed away 11 years ago. Whilst 25 years is obviously a long time, I think she felt obliged to explain how she'd been married before, to husband number one, who's also now passed away...
She'd started a job in a care home which required her to sleep over one night a week. It was the early nineteen seventies and she must've been in her forties. That, she told me, was where the problems started. Husband number one took that as a sign to 'do what he wanted' and he subsequently ran off with a woman from the office I protested and said that it hadn't been her fault and she sort of agreed but she said, she wasn't really bothered now. One day she went to a friend's house who suggested she should get together with a neighbour. She duly met the neighbour and 'hit it off.' They had to wait three years for the divorce, but they married as soon as they were able and were really happy
The thing is, she chuckled, she sees the OW, in the cafe every Wednesday. She has 'hair as black as coal, so I think she dyes it' LOL told me. Given that OW is 79 I agreed she probably does. 'The funny thing is' LOL told me is that OW 'always gives me daggers! I feel like reminding her it was her who ran off with MY husband. The cheek of the woman.' LOL says that one day she's going to tell OW thanks for doing her a massive favour. I really hope that she does I said to her that the best revenge is to live well. I don't think she'd ever heard that phrase before but she agreed that it was. We speculated why the OW gave her daggers. Maybe every time they argued OW worried that first husband wished he'd stayed with LOL. 'Who knows' she said and she shrugged. Then chuckled again.
I've never been in her position. It must've been really tough for her. She never had children. Nor did the OW and LOL said she thinks it was first husband not her who 'had the problem' because LOL got pregnant (but sadly miscarried) with her second husband. I really wish any of those posters who come on her and tell us their stories of selfish and feckless partners who trample on their hearts and rip apart families, often without warning, could meet LOL and listen to her story, but given that's unlikely, I hope I've done her story justice
I'm really tempted to go back to the cafe on Wednesday and see if LOL does ever tell the OW that she did her the 'biggest favour of her life'
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A story for those people who've been left for another woman....
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jonicomelately · 25/10/2013 02:30
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