Little Things Matter

Little Things Matter

Something small, said or done, can bring North Star meaning to another; can create a change in how life is lived. The response may be unintended and can’t be retracted.

I love using that technique in the novel, Baggage burdens. It throws a twist in a character’s life. One such instance is when Jill and Joseph are leaving the stage after playing the marriage game at their son’s wedding. Jill and Joseph lost. More importantly Jill showed she really didn’t know her husband very well. In the spirit of fun the Master of Ceremonies says,

“Joseph, didn’t my invitation ask you to bring your wife not an attractive substitute?”

A ripple of laughter rolls through the room.

“She is beautiful, isn’t she?” responds Joseph with a smile. His comment sparks applause.

Joseph accepted the remark in the spirit that it was intended. He hid his embarrassment, his pain. It wasn’t until he joined some of the men who went outside for a smoke that the comment became a grain of sand in his eye.

Joseph steps outside with a number of his smoking friends. Half an hour before it’s time to leave, Joseph comes back to his table. Later Amber, Thomas and Rebecca join them. By the time everyone leaves, Jill is glad the celebration is over. Her relief slowly disappears as they drive back to Camrose. The children sleep in the back seat. Joseph is stone silent. As they near home, Jill asks if something is wrong.

“I’m confused. You talking to your husband?” Joseph’s voice is low but sharp. “From what I saw tonight, you didn’t have one.” Joseph continues the rest of the way home without another word.

Much later Joseph explains to his closest friends, Thomas and Rebecca, how he really felt after the wedding.  

“Remember the marriage game that we played at Daniel’s wedding?” Joseph waits until Thomas and Rebecca nod. “When the game finished and we could return to our tables, I didn’t. I couldn’t. I was afraid of what I might say to Jill. I was hurt. I was angry.”

Thomas holds back on telling Joseph that he’s over reacting. “So you didn’t go back to the table with Jill,” says Thomas.

“Yeh, right. Sorry. I guess that still upsets me. Anyway, when I saw the guys go out for a smoke, I decided to join them.”

“Guys? Who?” cuts in Rebecca.

“Brian Polluck, Martin, Ron and Evan. Maybe Fred was there. I can’t remember anymore.”

Thomas signals with his hand for Joseph to continue with his story.

“A few minutes after I came, Aaron joins us. He apologized again for his comment asking why I didn’t bring my wife up. Brian and Evan challenged him, saying he made a good call. Evan pointed out that Jill hardly knew anything about me. And Brian added like an escort. Aaron objected but the rest of the guys laughed so loud he stopped. I was embarrassed. It felt like my marriage was exposed as a fraud. Martin came to my rescue. He pointed out that that Jill was a great cook; she took great care of the children. I was lucky to have such a good wife.

“Martin’s a pretty understanding guy,” confirms Thomas.

“Then Ron cut in saying what kind of a wife doesn’t know at least some things her husband’s likes. He said for all that Jill knows about me Jill could have been a hired maid and a governess.”

“He didn’t!” Rebecca’s face turns red.

Thomas places a hand on her lap. “He’s an idiot.” Thomas knows his wife had much stronger words.

“Maybe. But you know, the other guys around there nodded in agreement. I felt like an idiot.”

Up until the marriage game Joseph had been able to convince his neighbors that he had a good marriage.  The marriage game exposed him as a fool, blind to reality. No longer could he pretend he had a happy marriage. He began to wonder. Am I even in a marriage?

haiku capsule:

                                     truth spoken in jest     

                            barbed hook pain exposes lie     

                            face reality

        Next blog: Untold Story