Anniversary
It was not the first time that he had forgotten. She woke up early that morning hoping that he had remembered. She waited in anticipation, as he stumbled out of bed and went through his morning ritual, hoping that this time at least, after fifteen years of marriage, he had remembered. Nothing, not even a knowing smile just the usual "thank you" when she handed him a cup of coffee. And then, jacket and case in hand, a quick peck on the cheek and he was gone.
She was tired of this! The daily routine of taking care of the kids, the house, running the errands and not to mention running "mums taxi" and this is all she gets. Where had the romance gone! After the first years and the kids, it seemed as though life had become a collection of routines. Even the children, much more concerned about the way they looked, had forgotten.
Finally the house was hers and she stepped into the shower. She recalled the excitement she felt when the guy at the gym was flirting with her. It had only been the thought of her husband and kids that had stopped her from accepting a cup of coffee from the stranger, and a hot handsome one at that. Something that would have no doubt led to places, which she could not contemplate, going to without her husband. But if that happened now she would accept and savour the excitement. It was comforting to know, that even after all these years, after three kids, that someone found her remotely attractive. Truth be that she was an attractive women but she had seemed to have forgotten that and needed to be reassured. She slipped into something that she knew he frowned upon.
"It's too revealing", he had commented once but it made her feel youthful and sexy.
It had the desired effect and her friends, that she met with on a weekly basis at the coffee shop, commented on her dress. At least they had remembered and had arranged a special treat for her. She could not help that she had attracted the attention of a few of the patrons and it made her feel good. When asked what she had received as a gift, she merely smiled and said "you will have to wait and see". She hoped that this would disguise the fact, that yet again, her husband had forgotten.
At the store, she walked though the isles selecting her wares and all the while her mind was on the events of the morning. She could not explain how come she felt this way about things, how come now. It was not like this was the first time. In the past, after her husband had forgotten the first time and cooked up some story about how occupied his mind was, she decided to remind him well in advance of the approaching event. This year she just got fed up and thought that she would see if he would remember and, after all these years, she hoped he would. But it was not to be and it upset her that he could not consider their relationship important enough to remember. When she got to the till point her shopping cart was filled to brimming with items she had unconsciously added as she wondered through the isles.
The phone rang. It was him. she was too upset to take the call.
She wondered through the shopping mall drawing admiring smiles from passers by. This made her feel a bit better about herself and she decided that if he did not remember she would definitely make him remember. There was a dress she had had her eye on for a while. The only thing that had been stopping her for some time now was the price tag. Throwing caution to the wind she stepped into the store and after some time stepped out with her prize.
"Nothing like retail therapy to wash away the blues", she thought and felt a whole lot better.
By the time she received the text message from her husband explaining that he would be home by seven, she had resigned herself to the fact that this was how it was going to be and that there was little or nothing she was going to do to change it. At seven, after the kids had had their dinner and were now scattered over the house, their was a knock at the door.
At the door a man in uniform handed her a note, confused she opened it.
"Happy Anniversary! I could never have done it without you! Please join me for dinner."
It was then that she noticed the limousine parked on the side of the road, door wide open and her husband beaming at her.
She was tired of this! The daily routine of taking care of the kids, the house, running the errands and not to mention running "mums taxi" and this is all she gets. Where had the romance gone! After the first years and the kids, it seemed as though life had become a collection of routines. Even the children, much more concerned about the way they looked, had forgotten.
Finally the house was hers and she stepped into the shower. She recalled the excitement she felt when the guy at the gym was flirting with her. It had only been the thought of her husband and kids that had stopped her from accepting a cup of coffee from the stranger, and a hot handsome one at that. Something that would have no doubt led to places, which she could not contemplate, going to without her husband. But if that happened now she would accept and savour the excitement. It was comforting to know, that even after all these years, after three kids, that someone found her remotely attractive. Truth be that she was an attractive women but she had seemed to have forgotten that and needed to be reassured. She slipped into something that she knew he frowned upon.
"It's too revealing", he had commented once but it made her feel youthful and sexy.
It had the desired effect and her friends, that she met with on a weekly basis at the coffee shop, commented on her dress. At least they had remembered and had arranged a special treat for her. She could not help that she had attracted the attention of a few of the patrons and it made her feel good. When asked what she had received as a gift, she merely smiled and said "you will have to wait and see". She hoped that this would disguise the fact, that yet again, her husband had forgotten.
At the store, she walked though the isles selecting her wares and all the while her mind was on the events of the morning. She could not explain how come she felt this way about things, how come now. It was not like this was the first time. In the past, after her husband had forgotten the first time and cooked up some story about how occupied his mind was, she decided to remind him well in advance of the approaching event. This year she just got fed up and thought that she would see if he would remember and, after all these years, she hoped he would. But it was not to be and it upset her that he could not consider their relationship important enough to remember. When she got to the till point her shopping cart was filled to brimming with items she had unconsciously added as she wondered through the isles.
The phone rang. It was him. she was too upset to take the call.
She wondered through the shopping mall drawing admiring smiles from passers by. This made her feel a bit better about herself and she decided that if he did not remember she would definitely make him remember. There was a dress she had had her eye on for a while. The only thing that had been stopping her for some time now was the price tag. Throwing caution to the wind she stepped into the store and after some time stepped out with her prize.
"Nothing like retail therapy to wash away the blues", she thought and felt a whole lot better.
By the time she received the text message from her husband explaining that he would be home by seven, she had resigned herself to the fact that this was how it was going to be and that there was little or nothing she was going to do to change it. At seven, after the kids had had their dinner and were now scattered over the house, their was a knock at the door.
At the door a man in uniform handed her a note, confused she opened it.
"Happy Anniversary! I could never have done it without you! Please join me for dinner."
It was then that she noticed the limousine parked on the side of the road, door wide open and her husband beaming at her.
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