No matter how old one gets, the sacred bond betwixt men and woman who have been married for decades can never be broken without some turmoil in the family. Now this fact was brought to mind last week whilst I stood at the kitchen sink doing my weekly washing. Just as the Missus taught me, I hand wash the cuffs and collars of my shirts with a light detergent before putting them in the washing machine. To my surprise I found traces of lipstick on the collar of my favorite shirt. Yep! Some old `gal’ at bowls must have greeted me with a kiss and left a token of her affection. My heart sank and for a moment I was transported back in time to when the Missus suddenly stopped speaking to me, and all communication between us ended.
It happened some twenty years back, I must have been seventy odd and was at the air-port with my daughter who was on her way back to Cape Town. Seeing her safely in the security area, I turned and headed for my car when a beautiful blonde young lady threw her arms around my neck and kissed me, murmuring, “Oh Grandpa, its so good to see you.”
Naturally I didn`t complain, we untangled ourselves and she apologized for the mistake and that was that. Twenty seconds after that I had completely forgotten the incident. A week went by and all went well until after wash day. The Missus suddenly became silent. My food was placed on the table before me, and she sat in the lounge eating on her lap.
No good night kiss, no morning coffee, no cold beer waiting for me when I got home, and no slippers placed beside my arm chair. I was in the dog-box!
This went on for two days until I could stand it no longer. “What`s the matter lovey, cat got your tongue?” I asked cheekily. That did it.
“You`ve got some explaining to do m`lad, what have you been up to?”
I was dumbfounded. “I don`t know, I have nothing to explain about, why?”
“Why?” “I`ll show you why m` lad, you wait here and don`t move.”
I wrack my brain for some kind of explanation when she is back holding my shirt in her hand. “This is not my lipstick, I never use that color and my lipstick never ever leaves a mark!” Then it dawned on me. The airport and the young woman who grabbed me because of a mistaken identity. “Honest Lovey, that’s what happened, I swear its true…..”
No matter how hard I tried to convince the Missus, she never really believed me.
Once you break that sacred bond, no matter how innocent it is, or how innocent you are, you have well and truly `blotted your copy-book’ and forgive and forget are totally out of the question.
Oh, about that shirt. I clean the windows with it occasionally, but that trace of lipstick is still there…..
Geoffrey Kennell.
