Wash Day Love

Wash Day Love

by Pauline Whitchurch

“You need to go. I’ll be fine! I am a college graduate you know!” he said with a big smile on his face.

         She heard the words…but believing them was a whole different matter. You would think it would be a simple decision to make…YEAH! A road trip, let’s go, zippering your hastily packed suitcases as you threw them in the back of the car. Waving goodbye to those unlucky enough to be left behind. But Pauline is a true homemaker, taking both pride and joy in her beautifully decorated and immaculate home. Not a showplace by any means, but a modest and loving environment she has tenderly created for her family over the years. To leave it in someone else’s care, even if it were her husband's, just gave her a tiny niggling uneasy feeling.   

Now Roger is an extremely intelligent person. Both in his professional career and his personal life, he is considered by all to be one smart dude. Pauline sometimes takes for granted that he can design, engineer, build, and fix almost anything. Some of her friends tell her she is so lucky to have a husband like that. She has heard horror stories about other husbands trying to fix something simple in their homes and by the “end” of the project, divorce attorneys were being looked up in the telephone book. All Pauline had to do was mention something was broken or perhaps not working properly and, if needed the manual or schematics were located, the toolbox was out, and the job was done…perfectly! Yes, she did take this for granted sometimes. 

Pauline and her amazing husband have enjoyed a more traditional marriage arrangement. For over four decades it has worked extremely well. She takes care of the home and everything on the inside (except for, as stated previously - fixing things that are broken) and Roger is the bread winner and in charge of everything on the outside. They also have absolute power in their domains should a disagreement arise; however, it can only be used after a lengthy discussion and presentation of sound reasoning. Pauline wanted a red kitchen and wouldn’t budge…it’s on the inside. They both love the kitchen now. Pauline tends to be accurate when it is a question of color and design.    Roger wanted a gate at the driveway entrance off the main road. Not something she had ever thought about let alone would have considered.   Roger loves his gate!! A clear definition of duties leaves nothing to question. One can rightfully take all the praise and compliments for the addition or upgrade to the homestead. And the responsible party can also take the criticism for errors in judgement!  Pauline will never live down the yellow bedroom carpeting she chose in their very first house. It was a disaster, but she was young and wanted that yellow carpeting. She shakes her head and sighs every time it is mentioned. Yes, she learned from that one. 

 It also takes guilt out of the equation. Pauline can sit and relax in her chair crocheting while Roger rakes leaves, weeds the planter beds, and loads and stacks firewood for the coming winter. It’s an outside job.  Roger on the other hand guiltlessly watches from his favorite recliner with his feet comfortably raised while Pauline cleans up her stunning red kitchen from that night’s dinner. She loads dirty dishes in the dishwasher, stores leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch and scours pans with her SOS steel wool. A clear definition of duties…it works very nicely for all involved.

* * *

Pauline grew up several hundred miles from where they both called home now. She felt she needed to be gone for a few days to visit her hometown where her 85-year-old mom still lived on her own. It was hard on her having her mom so far away. As she got up in years, Pauline tried to schedule visits often and it was time for another. She wanted to go and take their twelve-year-old daughter, Marina, to see her grandmother. When the decision had been made to definitely go and dates had been chosen there was nothing left to do but pack and gas up the car. She assured Roger it would only be three or four days…tops. She knew he would be fine but still worried about leaving him on his own. 

         “There’s a ton of food in the fridge and in the freezer. You should be fine. Besides, there’s always Taco Bell. Laundry is a bit backed up, but I’ll do it when I get home.” Pauline instructed.

         “Really…I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. Go visit your Mom and have a great time.” Roger replied. 

         So, Marina and she were off on a mother-daughter trip. She sighed a big sigh, knowing down deep he would be OK but sometimes she just liked to play the doting wife.  It’s nice to be needed.

         They had a great time visiting Grandma and stayed a couple of extra days. Lunching at “girlie” restaurants, shopping at the mall, visiting old friends from Pauline’s youth…it’s always good to go home. But it was time to get back. And after saying a tearful goodbye, with lots and lots of Italian hugs to last until the next visit, Pauline and Marina were back on the road headed home.

* * *

With fun shopping day purchases and suitcases in hand they walked through the door after their long trip. With a quick look around, everything seemed to be exactly as she had left it. Dishes were done, newspapers picked up, no mud on the floor…nice and tidy. What a guy! 

         “We’re home!” Pauline shouted in a sing-songy voice as they each set down shopping bags and suitcases. 

         “Up here.” Roger called back. The three of them lived in a two-story home, with the bedrooms, bathrooms, and washer/dryer upstairs. Pauline really appreciated this floor plan because 95% of the clean clothes go into these rooms. There was a nice landing at the top of the stairs where dirty laundry was sorted and waited to go into the washer and where Pauline occasionally did ironing. So up the stairs she bounded to see her wonderful hubby. It seems the worry about her decision to be away and let Roger be in charge of “the inside” was unjustified.   

         And there on the landing Roger self-assuredly stood over three piles of dirty clothes. After a big hug and kiss hello…Pauline looked down at the heaps. Hmmmm…in one pile her beautiful vintage silk blouse was lying atop her yucky blue jeans she had spilled marinara sauce on right before she and Marina left. And there in yet another heap were his snowy bleached undershirts mixed in with greasy  Harley Davidson tees. A third pile she was unsure of altogether but looked like Marina’s pajamas and a couple of nice school sweaters.

         “Whatcha doin’?”  Pauline asked.

         “Sorting the laundry. Isn’t that what you do? I hear you say it all the time on laundry day.” Roger replied with a big smile.

         “Yes, you are correct. I do sort the laundry.” 

          Long pause.

         “Exactly how are you sorting the laundry?” Pauline asked with a furrowed brow and puzzled look on my face.

         And proudly pointing to each pile Roger said “Yours…mine…and Marina’s!”