A Brief Encounter

He slowly opened the envelope with a knife, neatly and precisely and pulled out the sheet of white paper. Sighing he rubbed his brow and looked off into the distance. He knew it was going to happen sooner or later but now that it was here it saddened him. He felt empty. He knew it wasn’t because he was hungry, but he made a sandwich and ate it while patting the dog.

“Well mate” he said to the black and white pooch “the time has come, but don’t worry because you’ll be staying with me. We won’t be leaving each other any time soon”.

He remembered when  he and Lily fell in love and promised each other that they would spend the rest of their lives together. They had meant it at the time.

On their special day she had looked so beautiful in her white dress, dark hair cascading down her back under the veil. Her blue eyes had sparkled as she looked deep into his eyes, telling him how much she loved him. And as he slipped the ring onto her finger, he thought he was the luckiest man alive.

They HAD been happy for the first five years or so, but then it began to change. In with the counsellor, he said she was different and Lily said that she had changed but only because he thought only of his work, and mates and not her.

“Well,” said the counsellor “this week I want you both to go home and write a list of ten things you admire about each other. Really think about it and be sincere in what you write. See you both next week”.

Jack had scribbled that the things he admired about Lily were her sincerity, perseverance, kindness, generosity, ability to make people feel at ease, and to be able to laugh at herself. Then he thought ‘seven will do’ and put the pen and paper away.

Lily had trouble making the list but had written that the things she admired about Jack were…. He worked hard (too much!), his generosity (especially to his friends at the pub), his general knowledge, and his ability not to worry about things (except work!). Then she thought, ‘I really don’t feel like writing anything too nice at the moment’ and after putting the paper and pencil away, left her work station to meet her friend.

“I honestly couldn’t think of too many things I admired about him Louise. Isn’t that sad? Lily asked her best friend.

I guess it is, but you can’t make them up either. What do you think the counsellor will say?”

“What can she say? It’s not her relationship. I’m just being honest. I just don’t feel the way I did. We’ve both changed. He never used to put his work first and neglect me. And he just won’t talk about it, or anything come to think of it. We’re like two different people now compared to how we were when we got married.

“Whose idea was the counselling? Do you think it’s helping?” her friend asked, hoping the answer was ‘yes’.

“It was mine of course but I’ve been asking him for so long to do it – and now he says yes when it’s too late”.

“It’s never too late to try to patch things up, is it?” asked her friend, surprised at Lily’s attitude.

“To be honest I don’t hold out much hope for our relationship.  Both of us aren’t that interested any more. I really think it’s gone too far and there’s no turning back. I do know that Jack has changed, he’s different, and……”

Lily was about to tell her best friend something, stopping at the last minute. But Louise wasn’t stupid and knew what it was. ‘She can tell me when she wants to’ she thought to herself.

They didn’t argue much about it but they both felt the emptiness of their relationship. “It’s civil” is what Lily told her mother, to which she replied “Do you think if you had of been able to have a baby it would have made a difference love?”

Even though it did put a bit of a strain on their relationship for a while, Lily knew it wasn’t the only reason for a marriage to start unravelling at the edges. Both Jack and Lily knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault that she didn’t fall pregnant and they didn’t blame each other. Their attitude was that they were both still relatively young with plenty of time ahead, but after the first three years of trying came and went, they didn’t really talk about it much.

She knew it was partly the baby situation combined with other ‘things’ that contributed to the beginning of their problems;

It never helped with Jack going to work early and coming home late most nights, him stopping off at the pub for a few drinks with his mates on the way home, quite often, and then at the weekends he always had an excuse for needing to see a mate – usually at the pub. (Lily had asked him on one occasion why she couldn’t come with him, but he told her it was ‘just the boys and would be boring for her). It was his lack of commitment of wanting to enjoy time together any more that hurt the most.

Lily was jolted back to the ‘here and now’ by the counsellor asking Jack “Could you read out your list please Jack”.

He read them out, not looking up but sounding sincere in what he said..

“And could you read yours out please Lily”.

Lily read hers out looking at Jack, and then sat down.

 Elsie, the middle-aged lady who sat behind the desk made no comments but sat taking notes. She made no reference to what they had said but she told Lily and Jack that this week they must discuss their list with each other, “In a calm and rational manner” she added.

She would see them individually next week.

It just hadn’t worked out. The glue of the marriage had come unstuck. And both Jack and Lily had gotten to the stage where they agreed to separate. It seemed too difficult to come back from the stage they were at and the counselling wasn’t for them either.

“It’s for the best Jack, we’re too different from when we first met and married. We have tried, we’ve been to counselling together, read books, listened to tapes. It might not be the end, who knows what the future holds?”

But it was.

Two months later Lily met someone else. He was easy to talk to and made her laugh. Gradually she opened up about her marriage, her problems in the relationship and Jack. Tim just listened, nothing else, and it wasn’t until Lily definitely knew that she didn’t have a future with Jack that they both realised how fond of each other they had become.

She decided not to tell Jack about her new boyfriend. It just didn’t seem right somehow. But he found out anyway. He saw Lily’s phone one morning when she had left it on the kitchen bench – it was ringing and the name Tim came up. She came back into the room and Jack said “Tim rang”.

Lily said nothing but he could tell by the look in her eyes that it must be someone special.

It wasn’t discussed – nothing had changed!

The dog jumped down off Jack’s lap and he remembered the envelope in his hand – thinking it had to be divorce papers, he pulled it out, and read it. He re-read it a couple of times and then put the date he was due in court into his phone diary.

“That gives me two weeks before I’m legally single” he told his dog. “I think we might go away camping for a week or so after the divorce is final. Just you and me matie”

They had stayed under the same roof because it was just easier when Lily had to wait three months for a rental. It was amiable and not too uncomfortable for either of them. She spent most of her evenings going out, and loved it, and Jack spent them at the pub with his mates, and loved it too.

 He hadn’t really heard much from her after she moved out, but she did came back for a couple of pieces of furniture. They both knew that when the divorce was final they would sell the house and just split it 50/50.

Jack wanted to do some travelling so it suited his needs.

 He remembers when his brother had divorced his first wife, and the fights and arguments they had, along with the name calling and the throwing away of items that belonged to the other person – It was like a television reality show, and one messy divorce.

From the start Jack had no intention of standing in Lily’s way, whatever she wanted. They had tried at their marriage but unfortunately it hadn’t worked out. He knew it was his fault and he also knew the reasons why but right now, he didn’t want to be too hard on himself!

‘So’ he thought ‘that’s it then. It all seems a bit surreal. Am I bereft? No. Am I a bit sad? Yes. And then Jack went off to the pub knowing his mates would cheer him up.

The day came for Jack and Lily to meet at the district court and sign the divorce papers. He felt slightly nervous and he didn’t know why. Maybe because he hadn’t seen Lily for a few weeks and although he knew she would be happy to see him, he was praying he wouldn’t bump into the new man in her life.

“Number 103” – Lily and Jack told them their respective name, documents were looked at, and then you were ushered out…..simple.

Outside the court room Jack and Lily smiled at each other, hugged and promised to keep in touch, and with each telling the other to ‘Take Care’ it was over.

Jack found a bench and sat down and looked around. He could see tense looking couple heading for the courtroom and he knew what they were there for.

He stood up to go out into the big wide world when his file fell open and the papers, scattered all around his feet. “Damn” he uttered as he bent down to pick them up, suddenly aware of another pair of hands helping him.

A pretty blond haired girl was handing him his notes with a big smile on her face. “I do that all the time at work” she said as she laughed.

“Thank you for that. You’ve made my day” Jack told her “You have a beautiful happy smile, and it has brightened me up!”

“I AM happy” she replied handing him the papers “I’m on my way to get a marriage licence and the big day is two weeks and three days!”

“Congratulations” Jack said to her sincerely “I’ve just gotten a divorce”

“Oh dear, I’m sorry” the young girl offered.

“Nah don’t be sorry. I would probably still be happily married if I had of listened to my wife and made more of an effort…. When you get married young lady” he said to her “You make that new husband of yours put you first, not work, not mates or the pub, but YOU!”

The young girl listened to Jack with interest. “I’m still sorry it didn’t work out and I hope you can find happiness in the future” she said to him holding out her hand and smiling.

He took her slim young hand and shook it.

 “Fancy meeting today of all days - we’re both starting new adventures in our lives. One going into marriage and one who just got out of it and I sincerely hope yours is a long and fruitful marriage. ‘Unlike mine’ he thought wistfully.

“And thank you for the advice” she called out to him, walking in through the door he had just

 walked out of.