Doug and Fred; Betsy and Suzy

Doug and Fred; Betsy and Suzy

Doug and Fred were old friends. That is an understatement. They had known each other since they sat side-by-side together in kindergarten class. And they were both 82. The two of them were widowers. Doug’s wife Suzanne had died in a car crash 10 years earlier. Fred’s wife had succumbed to a highly contagious disease five years before that.

The two friends liked nothing better than to talk in the sunroom of the house known to people in the area as Doug’s Pad (as he had seriously renovated it when he was in his twenties and still a bachelor). They would sit on the two comfy chairs that were situated directly across from each other and drink Earl Gray tea in cups placed with no saucers on the table between them. The subjects of their conversations rarely varied. Some days they would go through their years in elementary school, talking about the tricks they played on other people, and how they always played on the same teams. The days that followed such discussion, would focus on the high school years, how well their baseball team did, with Doug pitching and Fred catching. After that the focus would be on their work and parties at the company they were employed by all of their working days.

What they didn’t talk about was significant too. Neither would bring up the subject of their wives. There was too much sadness there that wasn’t present when they could look in the face of the one they could still share their experiences with.

Doug’s Concern

Doug had only one concern regarding their sitting in the sunroom talking. If anyone walking along the road that was about 10 yards from the south-facing sunroom, and was able to look into the windows that were not covered by any curtain, such a person might wonder why there was one old man in the room, talking to no one, but still moving his mouth like he was. And of course, there was the matter of the two cups of tea on the table. Such a person might think that the old man they could see was a little crazy, perhaps full loonie, talking to himself. There were some gossips in the neighbourhood, particularly two old women that they grew up with, but had never been interested in except for the odd jest or trick they could pull on them. He imagined that they would love to get one of the team of Doug and Fred to be shamed by his behaviour. Revenge sometimes took a long time to take place. And it was no less satisfying if it took place, years, decades after the offending acts. He was concerned about that. Of the two of them, he had always been the one more prone to worrying.

Fred’s Thinking

Fred’s never spoken thought took a quite different form from that of his dear friend. He was not concerned about what people would think of say if they passed by and viewed what appeared to be a one old man sitting at the table with two cups of tea in front of him. He was just very glad that he had the opportunity, as unusual as it was, to talk with his best friend. The grave had not kept them apart like he had believed that it would. That single fact was all that he thought about on the matter. They could talk even though only one of them was still, technically, alive. The other was a ghost, a spirit creature that only the other could see as well as hear.

Betsy and Suzy

Betsy and Suzy were like Doug and Fred. The two of them had been in kindergarten together, and were best friends after that. They had several times been classmates of the two ‘boys’, as they always called them with a decidedly negative tone. The teasing had began in the early grades and continued until graduation and afterwards – in the street, in stores, whenever they passed each other’s way.

Today, after taking tea, they were walking by Doug’s Pad. The light was right for them to see into the sunroom. What they saw was what Doug was concerned that they would. They both stopped and stared, again as he knew that they would.

“Would you look at that Suzy. There is the old denizen of that house sitting gabbing to what looks like no one. I’m sure that would be a good story to tell at the Bingo tonight. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving old man. His reputation as such a shining example of codgerhood could be tarnished to black by such a story of apparent insanity. What do you think?”

“I totally agree with you Betsy. This could be the opportunity that we have long been looking for. What could he say in his defence? Maybe he could ask his invisible friend.”

They both laughed at the picture that that situation drew.

That Night at Bingo

           That night at bingo the story was told of the old man living in the house that Doug built having a conversation with no one but himself.  Betsy explained in great detail what the two women had seen. Those who were no friends of the duo of Doug and Fred, found it funny. But there were some that did not find it so. They had liked the two ‘old boys’ and did not feel it was fair to speak of the survivor in such a way.

           One woman who had never liked either Betsy or Suzy took exception at Betsy’s attempt to shame the old man. She spoke up in his defence. She felt that the best way that she could do that was with an attack.

           “Well it seems to me that you are certainly not one to talk about such a thing. I was out walking with my dog this afternoon and saw a similar sight. I saw you sashaying down that road, head held high in the air as is your fashion. I saw your mouth moving, but I did not see that you were speaking to anyone living. It seemed to me that you were thinking that your old friend Suzy was still alive, and that the two of you were engaged in conversation. So I do not think that you have any right to talk about Fred in that way. He moved into the house that Doug’s Pad, as was specified in Doug’s will. If he feels like talking to his best friend and benefactor, I don’t see why he shouldn’t.”