Partners(Darrell Case) Driving to work, Paul replayed the conflict in his mind. “You don’t care for me.” His wife screamed. “All you care about is yourself.”
“Oh, and you do? How about the money you spent to get your hair done? Huh, fifty bucks.” His face twisted in anger.
“I did it so I would look nice,” Ronda said, holding back the tears, her eyes moist. “Maybe I should let my hair become a rat’s nest.”
“Be better than what I’m looking at now.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.
Shocked, Ronda stared at him. He had hit the killer blow. She turned away. “Get out of here. Go to work.”
“Hon…I…”
“Leave me alone.” She said, slamming the bedroom door. Paul stood there in the hallway. Why had he started in on her this morning?
It started last night. He had planned to buy the fishing rod with the fifty hidden in the kitchen. Now she had found it and spent it at the beauty salon.
He had blown it last night. She met him at the door. Makeup on her face, a beautiful dress he didn’t remember. She twirled around in front of him.
“What do you think?” She said, giving him her best smile.
“Beautiful. But where did you get the money?” As newlyweds, they were living on a strict budget. She kissed him.
“I found it in a can in the kitchen cabinet.” The smile faltered.
“You what? You what? I saved that money for a fishing rod.” He said, his face turning red.
Her face fell, she said in a quiet voice. “You didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t think I had to. That was my money. You had no right to it.”
She stomped her foot. “I’m tired of your money, your truck. Your this, your that. What am I your slave? Is that why you married me to be your slave?”
“I wanted a wife.” He shouted.
“No, you wanted someone to cook your meals and pick up after you. Well, buster, you can cook your own meals and wash your own clothes. Because buddy boy, I quit.” She whirled on her heel and disappeared deeper into the house.
He stood there, knowing he was wrong. He walked back to their bedroom. Through the closed door, he heard muffled weeping. He raised his hand to knock. And call to her instead. “Hon?”
“Go away.”
“We can talk this out.” Paul said, knowing better.
“GO AWAY.” Ronda shouted.
Paul sunk back down the hallway like a whipped puppy.
He found a roast in the oven and a timer on the counter. Corn and green beans simmering on the stove. The odor of the cooking food made Paul’s mouth water. Ronda had prepared a special romantic meal for just the two of them. Candles gleamed on the table. She had set out the good china. The dishes they only used on special occasions. Deep in his heart, he felt pain. Not for the fifty, but because he had hurt his bride. Married only three months, he was still learning about her. Money was always a sore spot. She had hers and he had his. She paid the rent and food. He took care of everything else. She still owed him for bailing her out last month. At least he wasn’t charging her interest.

Paul turned off the oven and burners and dished it out and set it on the table. Going to the bedroom, he knocked on the closed door.
“Hon?” He said using his best voice. “Dinners getting cold.”
“Not hungry.”
“Come on hon. We can just add the fifty to what you owe me.”
”Fine, by the way, you can just leave your ten dollars on the table. No tip.”
“Fine, no tip.” Paul shouted, stomping back to the kitchen. His stomach twisted up in knots. Every fight they had that he could recall was about money. Their pastor warned him his approach would lead to conflict. He didn’t listen. He thought his way was best. Now Paul wasn’t so sure.
Stubborn, his mother would have said bull headed.

Paul left the dinner on the table until it was stone cold. His stomach got the better of him. He heated the food in the microwave. The smell of the cooking food waffled through the house. She came in as he was eating. Taking a plate, she loaded it with food and put it in the microwave and hit the button. Ronda now wore the nightgown. The one he liked. He reached out for her. She moved away.
“Ah ah ah, touches cost. Anything else is negotiable. By the way, you haven’t paid for your meal.” She held out her hand. “Cough it up.”
His anger got the better of him. “I’m not paying for this meal.”
“Fine.” Before he could stop her, she snatched the plates he was eating out of and emptied them into the trash can. Paul watched her, his mouth full of corn. He pounded the table with his fist, making the dishes jump and his glass of tea to fall over.
“Mean, mean, mean. You’re just plain downright mean.” He screamed.
Ronda just smiled and grabbed the tablecloth. She hurriedly put it in the washer.
Ambling into the living room, he switched on the TV.

Finished washing the dishes, she danced into the living room and did a striptease. Naked, she dumped covers and a pillow on the couch.
“Good night.” She closed the door to the bedroom. Through the wall, he could hear the old TV they purchased last week at a yard sale. They bought all their furnishings at yard sales.
At eleven, Paul undressed and turned out the light. He couldn’t sleep. He told himself it was the lumpy couch. Tears came to his eyes. They couldn’t go through life like this. Tossing and turning, he finally fell asleep. He woke with sunlight streaming through the front window. He glanced at the clock on the wall. A gift from her parents. 7:35. he was late. He should have been on the road by now. Rushing into the bedroom, he grabbed fresh clothes out of the closet. Ronda set up in bed, still nude.
“Tonight, I will teach you how to run the washer.” She smiled sweetly at him and stretched. “Its so nice to be able to sleep in.”
That started it. He said something, then she said something and now he was late for work.

Paul returned that night wore out physically and mentally. Parking in the driveway, he tried to enter the house by the back door. He found it locked. Muttering to himself, he went around to the front and found it locked, as well. Left with no alterative he knocked.
Ronda came to the door. “Can I help you?” she said sweetly.
“Look honey, we can’t go on this way.” Paul said, mentally exhausted.
Opening the door, she said. “I agree. I asked our pastor to come over at seven.”
“Fine. Can we call a truce until then?” He said sagging.
“Of course.” She said. “I still love you.”
“I love you too.” He said, entering the house. Their meal was like an armed truce. She warmed up the food from last night. However, there was no candlelight or fancy plates. Tonight, they ate on everyday china and silverware. After dinner, he straightened up the living room as she washed the dishes.

At seven, they welcomed their pastor and his wife.
“Thank you for inviting us. It’s great to be in your home,” Pastor Willmar said, smiling. “You’ve done wonders with it.”
“My. The colors really accent the room. The cross stich is great. It’s in the perfect spot.” Wanda Willmar said. For a few seconds, all four looked at the verse.
But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
“It is wonderful for a young couple to trust The Lord in everything.” The pastor said. Paul glanced at Ronda. Both of their cheeks flushed.
Paul swallowed hard. “We…we always seem to be fighting about money.”
“I found fifty dollars Paul had hidden. I thought it was a gift. So, I spent it.”
The pastor smiled. “My wife has something that might help you. Show it to them hon.”
Wanda dug around in her purse. She came out with a piece of paper encased in plastic. She handed it to Ronda and Paul.
Wash clothes $25.00
Cook meals $30.00
Clean house $50.00
__________________
Total $105.00 to be paid weekly
She handed them a second piece of paper, also enclosed in plastic.
Mow the yard for $25.00
Repairs around the house: $30.00
Use of automobile $50.00
_______________________
Total $105.00 to be paid weekly

Paul and Ronda looked up to see their pastor and his wife holding hands and smiling.
Paul cleared his throat. “I don’t understand. Are these bills you give each other?”
“They cancel each other out.” Ronda said.
“No, these are bills we gave each other the first few months of our marriage.”
“Did it work? Are you still doing that today?” Paul asks, feeling he had been right all along.
“What do you think, Paul? If you pay the rent, do you charge Ronda to live here? And Ronda, do you charge him to clean the house and cook his meals?" The pastor asks.
“Who’s ahead?” Wanda said.
Neither could answer.
“To answer your question. No, we don’t do that today. It didn’t take us long to figure out we couldn’t charge each other, or we became competitors.” Pastor Willmar said, smiling. “We began praying and paying.”
“We pooled all the bills together, then we would pray over them. We became partners in the ministry.” Wanda said.
“We worked together on the smallest bill. When we paid it off, we started on the next one and continued in the same way until we paid off all of them."
“We stopped fighting over money and started working together. After all, everything belongs to The Lord, anyway.” Wanda said.

That was the turning point in Paul and Ronda’s marriage. They became partners, pooling their money together and paying their bills. Within a year, they were out of debt and searching for a home. They found the perfect one just before the baby was born.

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