A New Story: No One Would Know

Menopause symptoms had been a part of Marsha’s life for seven months.  She hated the hot flashes.  She had had a hot flash during the night.  She kicked off the covers and opened her nightgown.  No relief.  Not even close.  Her husband, Bob, had pulled the covers back to cover himself again.  It was 65 degrees in the house and Bob felt chilled without the covers.  Marsha felt as those her body was a blast furnace. 

 

Only now did she finally understand a scene from her childhood.  Something woke her during a cold winter night and she noticed a cold breeze entering her room.  She heard her mother make a noise and her father plead, “Oh please Martha.  It’s freezing!”

 

Sleepy eyed, little Marsha shuffled her feet to the room of her parents.  She was stunned to see her mom, arms raised, standing naked in front of an open window with the winter cold blowing in.  Her father was shivering under the covers.  He little mind couldn’t comprehend the scene before her and she quietly returned to her bed.  She never mentioned what she saw and always wondered if it was a dream.  Not anymore!  Marsha was certain it was no dream.

 

What bothered Marsha the most was mood swings.  Changes in mood due to her monthly cycle were one thing.  These were worse.  Marsha’s temperament confounded by the fact that Bob never reacted in the manner she wanted.  Their marriage had been bumpy at times but the bumps became very rocky once they became empty nesters.  All the issues the children hid became plain.  Now that attitudes in the house weren’t tempered “for the sake of the children” years of heartache poured out of them both.

 

If Marsha felt weepy and needed comfort, Bob didn’t care.  This made Marsha angry and Bob reacted with a defensive posture.  The silent treatment came next.  Bob had long felt he was the victim.  This change of life in his spouse simply made life worse and he had long given up.  He was resigned to never being happy.  Bob’s distance made Marsha feel abandoned and made her want to cry.  Then then cycle started again. 

 

In many ways, work was a respite for what her life truly was.  She was a failure.  Her parents had been her bulwarks and were pillars in the community.  They weren’t perfect but did strive to do their best.  Perhaps they spoiled their only child.  It is hard not to spoil the joy of your life.  Still, Marsha came to expect things in her perfect life and always worked to maintain that perfection if it was only a façade. 

 

When Marsha arrived at work early, she noticed Marcus turn the corner from the hallway into his office area.  Instinct told her to swing by Julie’s cubicle.  Upon seeing a purple colored envelope resting on the keyboard, she just had to take it.  She stood on her tiptoes to peer over the cubicle walls to see if there was any movement.  Satisfied no one was in the office; she picked up the card and listened to the surroundings as she placed it in her purse.  She was certain no one would know.