Honey I'm Home!

Honey I'm Home!

A broad smile touched his lips and his stomach growled as he stepped out of the car while the garage door closed. He could hear the mixed orchestra of the working machinery. He could tell that his wife was running the vacuum cleaner while the dishwasher, washing machine and the dryer were busy doing their assigned jobs. The exotic aroma reaching all the way from kitchen across the mud room to the garage increased his already healthy appetite.

All this activity meant only one thing that his wife had gone to the ladies luncheon that afternoon. He felt happy that for next couple of days, she would be busy polishing her silver, rearranging her crystal pieces and doing her best to bring household in order. It always happened whenever she returned from those so called friendly lunch gatherings. The tv would get a rest and movies would remain unseen while she would try out new international food recipes. He had to admit that she was really good at it. His stomach's growl and his watering mouth at the smell of her cooking bear witness to the fact.

His smile faltered as he recalled what awaited at the end of those next days. He knew the prologue was going to start after dinner today when she would casually tell him about the new rock on the finger of the latest wife of his boss. His boss had not wasted any time moving in with the lady right after he divorced his second wife and married her within a year. He knew that his wife was going to remind him that his boss could afford this piece of jewelry despite paying two alimonies. After a few days the nagging would start. She would keep reminding him that she needed to buy another piece of jewelry. He would remind her of the mortgages, the equity loans, car loans, and all the various credit card bills that keep on increasing. His mouth tasted bitter with the thought of all those upcoming arguments. He also knew that at the end she was going to have her way. She always did.

She would get on the quest to find the best possible, finest jewelry item she could afford on installments. She would plan the next luncheon with careful attention to the minutest detail, making sure that his boss's latest wife attend it and then wear her trophy to show it off. He also knew that the boss's wife would go home after the luncheon and tell her husband about the jewelry piece. He could clearly hear the envy  in her voice and picture the emotion on his boss's face. 

He felt his appetite returning at that thought. He realized that it was all worth seeing that emotion on his boss's face. That would be a moment of triumph. Oh yeah, no matter how fickle, how short lived that moment, he would work all those extra hours, take those extra loans,to have that moment, to show it off to his rival. And with this thought and a smile on his lips, he opened the door and called out to his wife; "Honey, I'm home!"

Written, Wednesday, August 28, 2013