jaylar
After that ‘performance’ Gavin ceased to talk to Marie beyond amenities. He learned to lock her out.
When she’d try to get attention, such as loud ‘singing’ he’d pretend she was the radio and focus on his computer.
The reason Gavin didn’t leave or toss Marie out was the free maid service.
As part of her insanity she was extremely clean, obsessively clean. When she washed his clothing, or the dishes, they were spotless. The flat was spotless.
Having defined Marie as crazy and needing to be avoided, Gavin changed his hours. He set himself to wake at around six a.m., take a shower.
Marie would prepare his breakfast. If she wasn’t finished when he came from his shower, he’d dress then eat. If she was having an ‘episode’ where she sulked around and wasn’t making him breakfast, Gavin said nothing.
There was this look Marie got when she was at the edge, sort of a dog in a manger. The method of dealing with Marie was ignoring her.
Hence, if she hadn’t made breakfast for him by the time he had dressed, he’d leave. He’d get something on his way to work. He carried a toothbrush and paste in his bag.
The fact Marie couldn’t provoke him by delaying his breakfast, pushed that ‘antic’ to ‘rare’.
Most often, he came from the shower, his breakfast ready. He would eat, then go in and dress and leave for work. He sometimes arrived an hour early.
He could spend that time enjoying his own company.
