A Conversation(Martin Green) 2024Conversation (Approx. 300 wds.)
A Conversation

Paul Lerner was sitting in the waiting area of his retirement community’s restaurant. He was waiting for his friend Abe Silverman, who’d driven them, dropped Paul off, and gone to look for a parking space. A woman stopped before him and said, “Is that you, Paul?”
Paul recognized her as Annette Cole, who’d been a friend of his late wife Sally. Annette, like Sally, was in the retirement community’s chorus and he and Sally had occasionally gone to play bridge with her and her husband George. Paul remembered that Annette and George always argued about their bridge playing. Annette liked to bid wildly and George was cautious. And when they weren’t playing bridge George would recount in detail his latest golf game.
“Yes. It is,” said Paul.
“I thought you’d moved out to some senior place.”
“No, I’m still here.”
“So you’re rattling around all by yourself in that house? How do you manage? Do you have a caretaker? I know Sally used to do everything for you.”
“”No, I’m managing all by myself.”
“Poor Paul. I know you don’t cook. What do you do about eating?”
“I have a lot of tv dinners.”
“”Ugh! I’m so sorry about Sally. We miss her at Singers, although at the end she really couldn’t keep up.”
“Mmm,” said Paul.
“Well, it must have been a blessing when she went. At least she wouldn’t have been in pain.”
“Mmm,” said Paul.
“”She did have a long life. And now she’s in a better place.”
“Yes,” said Paul.
“Well, I must run. I have a bridge game. I’ll call you sometime and we’ll have you over for dinner.”
“Uh, huh,” said Paul. To himself, he thought, if she did call he’d have to think of an excuse not to go. But he really didn’t think he had to worry about that. She’d never call. At this moment, Abe came up. “Had a hell of a time finding a place to park,” he said. “Who was that woman you were talking to?”
“Nobody. Let’s go in and have lunch.”

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