jaylar
So here we are, at this function. There is Ratty, hugging his wife from behind, acting as if he was in love, and she standing there, distant, sour and unpleasant.
As everyone knew him, knew them, outside of slightly nauseous expressions, no one spoke.
Some eyes would meet, sharing impressions. But there was no reason to go beyond that eye hook. We all knew, and none of us cared.
No one spoke to Ratty when his wife was there. Everyone ignored her, she ignored everyone, this was quite ‘normal’.
Years ago there were the debates and discussions; why had he married Gail? Why did she stay with him?
We all knew him, his family, knew how they despised Gail, how Gail despised them. We all knew he hated to go home, he loved to go drinking and had committed adultery numerous times. Their children were grown.
It was too late for Ratty to admit he was wrong, that he had married Gail in defiance of his parents. That he sought to ‘fix’ them for their attempts to ‘control’ him. It was too late for Gail to divorce him. Where would she go? What would she do?
So they stayed in this marriage as if they had something to prove, long after every one stopped caring.
