The Gentlemen

            Dad and his brother Fr. Bob are chatting in the kitchen.
            I am getting some cheese spread for my celery. The window
            is open with the screen down. The breeze is soothing this
            summer eve. They are discussing the New Mass and if the
            Latin Mass is still valid. They both prefer latin. I'm bored.

            "Dad how did you meet mom?" he looked puzzled by my
            interuption: "Your mother was taking night courses to get
            her G.E.D. I was her english teacher."  Fr. Bob sipped his
            coffee, "You offerred to tuder her at home?" he smiled.
            I was intrigued, "You could date your students?"

            Dad looked distanfully at me, "Are you thinking about a wife?"
            I bit my celery stick, "How did you know mom was the wife
            for you?" "She was and always is my Loraine." dad sipped
            his coffee and smiled at his brother.

            I sipped some raspberry tea, "How old were you when you
            got married?" Dad thought for a moment, "I was 36 and your
            mother ... twenty." Fr. Bob drank his coffee, "I think she was
            younger." Bob held in a laugh. I bit my celery.

            "You've always been a highschool teacher?" I pressed on.
            Dad looked at me and spoke slowly, "I met your mother,
            while teaching adult night courses." Fr. Bob quickly interjected,
            "There are a lot of teenage drop outs." and laughed.

            I bit my celery and didn't push the question further.


            (^)