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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#26 Old 30th Aug 2013 at 7:44 AM Last edited by grammapat : 30th Aug 2013 at 9:02 AM.
Default Chapter 8 The Long Cold Winter

Everyone worked the fall garden. The pumpkins were popular at the road-side stand, and there were cabbage and the last of the beans and fruit. There was only a few baskets of berries, and Beulah kept them for pie. Beulah only took a little honey, wanting to leave plenty for the bees during the expected cold winter. Homer had said the signs of a cold winter were "just there for the readin".

But there was still something wrong with Mary.

====================================================
In less than a month Delta and Pooter moved out. Into a little house that had been hidden in the woods - right next door!

Delta was eager to introduce Pooter to the people of Widespot. She invited the Soggybottoms over. The four children were about 19, had just graduated high school, and had actually "paired up". Paddy Soggybottom's children were blond Gretchen--
"She sure reminds me of Eng" Pooter thought, " That sweet face...I sure had the hots for her in college!" Paddy's son was red-head Gimlet, a good-natured guy (but incredibly lazy). Prim Daisy and bad-tempered Birch were the children of a women who had lived with them, and died when all the children were toddlers. Paddy loved them like her own children, and also took in an unwanted child named Hartless Weiss and raised HIM in her happy home.

"It's people like YOU that make this town special!" Pooter said to Paddy Soggybottom.
He tried to get to know Birch, but he was hard to talk to.


"Well, what do you think of OUR exotic folks?" Delta asked him when everyone had left.
"You say that sweet child Gretchen is hooked up with Birch?"
"Yes, Paddy says she expects them to marry this winter, she laughs about everyone 'dancing under the sheets' but doesn't seem worried about two girls having babies out of wedlock, and in that little house with little money!"
Pooter scratched an armpit as Delta cleaned the kitchen. When he dug around in an ear and examined the finger, Delta said "Poo! use a tissue, euuu!" He laughed and said:
Is Birch on drugs? His eyes are like TOTALLY red. And he gets insulted and mad over nothing. I hate to think what kind of hurt he could do to Gretchen. And they come from the swamps, don't they? I hear their kind have babies like frogs - don't care who the daddy is, and don't take proper care of them. Crap, for a small town you sure have your Drama!"
Delta looked at him; "He sure doesn't look so cute and funny right now" she thought.
"You know, Daddy says 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree", and I've told you about the hateful stuff people did that made them move here in the first place. I know people here gossip and have their little dramas, but I don't think people are really BAD. Let me tell you about when I first met Gimlet....
Sue Ellen had brought him home from school. She said he was nice, and funny. She told me later that she thought he looked like Mary's cat, and she thought green was a FINE color to be...


I asked Gimlet if he wanted to stay for dinner, but he said he had to walk through the woods to get to his house, and it would be dark if he didn't leave right away. There's a SWAMP through those woods, and I've heard people talking about the people who live there. I said to momma, "He's one of those bottom land Soggybottoms! Don't they live in a little shack with a bunch of kids, and they're all GREEN - and no DAD!?
Geez, should Sue Ellen and Clovis be playing with them? They're just so..WIERD"


Beulah had heard enough. “Tsk Tsk. Delta don't you remember Homer and me telling you about how I came from the wrong part of town too, and was the “wrong color”. When your poppa and I fell in love, both our families turned us out. We had to leave town to find some peace.”
“Oh, Momma, I wasn't thinking of that! I’m sorry!”
“Never forget where you came from child; you came from good honest folks, and a lot of love. And land sakes girl, WE'RE bout as poor as church mice, so it's right silly to talk about other people being poor.”
Homer (his mouth full of grilled cheese) piped up with "Act like you got some raisen, girl. {glumph chomp} Poor don't mean stupid, or mean. {smack, glumph) Why, some of the poorest excuses for human beings have got more money than sense."
Pooter smiled sheepishly at Delta, "You're right, sweet cheeks. Your Pops is one savvy dude, and your mom is the best".
"I couldn't agree more", smiled Delta, "She says everyone who wants to do good has worth, and I think that's why I love YOU. You're a bit rough around the edges, but you've got a heart of gold!"
==========================================================
"I'm just worthless" thought Mary Land.


The last time I went to town, the damn Rhett Hart knocked me down - IN FRONT OF CLOVIS! He cried on the way home. I can't show my face in public, now even my own family looks at me like I'm a freak. I quit my job, but they were about to fire me anyway. Nobody wants me around. My own children don't trust me. I'm just useless.

Every night I have the same dream...Valentine loves me


We get married...

He's sorta kinky, but he doesn't need anyone else. Just ME. He really loves me, ONLY me. Just the way I AM! We are so happy.

Then I wake up...
=========================================================
Winter storms came early; it snowed often, heavy, wet snow that blew into deep drifts.
Homer: "I had a good morning hunting rabbits. They had gotten fat (off my corn!) and had put on thick winter coats. I thanked them for those coats as I removed them; they'll make warm mittins. I set to cleaning my rifle, after giving the meat to Beulah. She said she would make stew with the fall roots, and would add a pint of dark beer. I could smell her bread cooking, and was thinking about that stew, when...

A SCREAM! Mary! Back porch! COUGAR! I didn't even think...just grabbed some shot and ran. On the porch I froze...Beulah was shouting and waving her cast-iron skillit

Mary was on the ground in a cloud of snow. And on top of her - HELL FIRE! not a cougar, but Rhett damn-his-hide Hart! I waited for a clean shot, and took it.
BLAM!!! After all the ruckus, and that rifle crack, the silence hung in the air like it was frozen.


Beulah looked down at Rhett, thinking he looked oddly silly sprawled in the snow. It was obvious that he was dead; the shot had bout taken off the top of his head and blood was seeping into the snow. "I've butchered animals", she thought, "and I've sat with the dying, but I never saw anything like this! God help us."
Mary, getting up shakily and trying to smooth her dress down, looked at the blood spattered snow and thought of snow cones.
Hearing a heavy sigh to his left, Homer saw Mary looking into the distance, her face blank. "I hope you don't think I'M cleaning this up." she said carefully.
Homer checked that the safety was on, "Did I load one round, or two?", he laid the gun on the ground. As he looked up he saw Beulah watching him with horrified eyes, her bottom lip quivering. He couldn't meet her eyes. Had he just made a horrible mistake? His wife knew exactly what was going through his mind, and buried her face in his neck. As she wrapped her arms around him, she finally dropped the skillet - on his foot. He didn't feel it.

"I'm sorry", she burbled, "I swear I would have whacked him up side his head if you hadn't got to him first!" She looked him square in the eye; "You did the right thing", she assured him. She felt his shoulders drop, felt him sort of shrink; the fire had gone out of him. "I'm not sure the law will agree with that", Homer said evenly, "I best go call the sheriff".
As he turned to go, Beulah called to him, "Should I find something to cover him with?" Homer didn't raise his head, but waived a hand in the air. "No", he said, "but you ought go talk to Mary".
#############
Beulah: I found Mary lying on her bed, looking for all the world like she was just having a little rest on any normal day.
"Dear", I started, "are you all right?"


"I was washing clothes" Mary said, frowning a little. "Rhett came up the porch, said something about me playing hard to get, and how he knew better because of me having an affair with his father. Said I was no better than the whores that hang around the truck stop. Said pretending I was so PROPER wasn't fooling anybody."
Beulah felt the tears come to her eyes, and bit her lip.

"He shoved me against a wall, put his hands all over me. I think I screamed. He took a swing at me and I fell down the stairs.

Odd, time just seemed to stop, he grabbed my shoulders and threw me down, and..
Mary stopped, hearing her mother let out a strangled sob. Looking into space, she continued:
Oh, it wasn't the first time. You know he's been coming round for years, just to kick the trash over, or look in the windows. Seems like every time I left the house I would run into him; sometimes he would act like we were friends, and I would go along with it because people were watching. But sometimes he would just walk up and shove me. One time he even punched me! Then last summer he raped me - in front of half the town! That's when I stopped going out, and stopped asking my "friends" over. Some friends! I guess I don't know WHAT they really thought of me, but for sure nobody tried to help me!"

Beulah sat on the bed and tried to put her arms around Mary, but Mary sat stiffly, not looking at her. "You just rest, dear", Beulah said, getting up, "I'll bring you some tea in a bit".

Beulah started water for tea, put some sugar cookies on a plate. As she wiped her eyes, she saw Homer hanging up the phone. "I called the law, they'll be here soon. Would you sit with me till they get here?" Beulah lit a fire and sat with Homer, feeling numb.


When the sheriff arrived, he took Homer's statement, and took Homer away.



Beulah brought a tray to Mary's bedside. She could hear Mary running a bath. "That's just what she needs", Beulah thought. She went to the kitchen, wrapping the now cool bread, and finishing the rabbit stew. Nobody would want it tonight, but it was wrong to waste food. Besides, tomorrow was another day.

Upstairs, Mary had put on her flannel pajamas, and started crying.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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Lab Assistant
#27 Old 30th Aug 2013 at 7:56 AM
Dear Gramapat,I like your writing. You have some stories to tell and I am glad you are telling them. Keep up the great work!
Tasia.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#28 Old 30th Aug 2013 at 8:31 AM
Default Chapter 8 -continued-

Mary: I'm an angel. I can fly away.

Hi little fellow, do you want to play? Mr Snowman wants to play...
"Mary..Mary? You look frozen..why don't you take a nice bubble bath, Mary?"
"No, momma, I have to go find my baby. I dropped him in the snow. I'm a bad mommy"
Beulah thought that, cold or NOT, Mary really DID need a bath.



Homer had been taken to the police in Pinecrest, the town up the mountain pass. They only kept him for 24 hours; even though he admitted to shooting Rhett, and an inquiry would take place, he might not even be charged with anything. But he and Beulah were more concerned with Mary than with criminal charges.
Beulah talked to Homer about Mary's odd behavior.

"Now I understand why she's been acting odd all summer, but I wish she had talked to me", she said to Homer. Like he always did, Homer felt responsible. "I always just thought she was so strong, a real rock...I was stupid to not think about her being a woman with her own dreams and fears.." "Oh, stop that!", Beulah interrupted. "We all just do the best we can. When someone we love is in trouble we want to fix it, but sometimes all we can do is try to let them know we love them. We'll just have to be patient with her."
"You're right, my lovey. I hear some people just get sad in the winter, and this is a long dark one. She'll be better come spring."
Beulah agreed, "I think so too, she always loved putting in a new garden. And with the warm weather, we'll be opening the produce stand. I think she'll like that."
But upstairs, Mary was lost in her own world.
"I'm a tiger. I'm tough!"

"No, I'm not..."



I just want a family. But I'm trash...

"Mary?" Beulah found Mary in bed, as usual. "Don't you want to come down and eat? I don't think you ate at all yesterday."
"No, mom, really, I'm fine. I was up in the night and ate leftovers. Papa's cheese sandwiches are good cold."
"I'm surprised you're wearing that old pink dress again, but it's better than that dirty farm-hand dress you were wearing for a while" and Beulah laughed, trying to cheer Mary up.
Then she noticed Mary had cut her beautiful long hair off. And it looked like she had used a lawnmower.
"Would you like to come and watch a movie with me? Little House on the Prairie is on. Or we could watch another silly Zombie movie - you always liked those, remember?"
But Mary just looked at her mother, wanting to be alone.


Rhett...Valentine..I'm so cold...

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#29 Old 6th Sep 2013 at 2:53 AM
Default Chapter 9 The Best Defense


There was no cemetery in Widespot; Valentine buried his son next to the grave of Angel, his wife. “My God, Rhett, why did you have to be so wild?!” he mourned. He wasn’t surprised that some man had killed him, but he always thought it would be a jealous husband, not some old farmer. He had a family service for Rhett, just his daughters Candy and Goldie. Valentine was happy that they were doing well; Goldie had just graduated college, and lived in a little house with her husband, Candy had married into the wealthy Mann family.

Candy had a daughter, Minnie, and twins Melissa and Montana (who looked NOTHING like her husband).
How are your children”, he asked Candy, “and how’s that marriage working out for you?”
Candy reminded him WHY she had gotten married…


“Frankly, I’m just TOO busy to spend much time with them. But they prefer Junior, he spoils them rotten. My mother-in-law is just impossible…”
“I hear she’s really sick”, Valentine interrupted.
“Whatever. I moved out.”
“You have a job?” Valentine asked, thinking “That doesn’t sound like you, but neither does giving up all that luxury”. “You divorced Junior?!”

“God, no!” Candy laughed, a sound as brittle as her heart. “You think I would walk away from all that money?! Even when I left, I took what I could. Hell, they had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of crap laying around. They didn’t even notice when I took it all off their hands (and off the walls, and shelves, and the yards). No, the old bitch will croak, and Junior’s father is so old I bet he dies soon too. You know, he’s so decrepit he can’t even get it up any more.”


Valentine realized his mouth was hanging open, and poured some Jack Daniels into it. “How does she KNOW that?” he thought.


Valentine was closer to Goldie, and broke down talking about Rhett.
“Dad, I’m sorry, but you have no idea what was going on with Rhet. Don’t you hear people talk?”


"Now don’t you START!” Valentine shouted. A few gossiping biddies; they don’t know crap! I know Rhett had problems with his temper, and problems with women. He was being treated by a doctor, and I was trying to get him to see a therapist.




I’ve seen for myself, women running screaming out of the house in their underwear, and Rhett wearing nothing but a shit-eating grin.”


“Listen, Daddy, it really WAS worse than that. And it’s just wrong to think of this as our little family secret. That nice Mr. Land will be charged with MURDER! I’ve already talked to the police, and to other people in town; they have stories about him too. They never reported him to the police, and they won’t NOW – not unless YOU speak up. You know the real power in this town is Daytona Beech and Lana Mann – and I think they both LOVE YOU! They don’t want to hurt you, but if YOU talk to the police, they will too.”


Valentine had a sleepless night, but made his decision. The next morning he met Paddy Soggybottom as he waited for a taxi to take him to the police station (he had a snappy sports car, but it required a steady hand at the wheel, which he did not have).


“I’m sorry about your son”, she said, “but I have to tell you…he often harassed me. Now, don’t look at me like that, I don’t blame a guy for flirting. But I’m almost old enough to be his mother, and he wouldn’t take ‘NO’ for an answer.”



A few days later, he had visitors; the pillar of the community (and Valentine’s secret bed-bouncing buddy)Daytona Beech, her daughter Sandy and granddaughter Virginia.
“Rhett had a very barzarr way with women”, Daytona started. “Now I understand some men are fascinated by a woman’s bossum, but he went too far. “




Sandy: “I told the police about my run-ins with him. The chest business was bad enough, but he also liked to assalt women in other ways.


Virginia: “He never came after me, but I witnesses lots of things, here and in Pine Crest and even on the college campus there. The worse was an actual rape; the poor girl quit school because of that.




Valentine buried his head in his hands; the shame was bad enough, but worse was the pain his son had caused. Valentine understood women, he respected them, admired them. He knew the life-long pain that this sort of thing could cause a woman. And, like a stone thrown into a pool of water, causing ripples that grow and spread, he knew that that pain would spread to family, friends, even the whole neighborhood.
Valentine: I grew up that day. You can understand and feel sorry for someone that seems driven to do bad things, but that doesn’t EXCUSE them. We are all, in the end, still responsible for what we do. Rhett paid the untimate price for his foolishness. I always thought I wasn’t hurting anyone. Even Mary, who gave me two beautiful children, never complained. I haven’t done right by her. And then there is Rhett’s son by Penny Weiss. I know she didn’t want the baby – I was there when she had him, and gave him away!



Valentine had not wept over his wife's grave in years. But that day he did.
"Angel, I always was faithful to you; I thought when you passed I could take comfort in other women and no one would be hurt. I was wrong. I hope you will be happy when I re-marry; I hope I'm doing the right thing."

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#30 Old 6th Sep 2013 at 2:56 AM
The author apologizes for photobucket being stupid. I keep trying to correct the picture sizes, it is not working.
Although I had planned some further drama, I'm inclined to call this...the end..

but wait. We can't leave Mary like that, can we?

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Mad Poster
#31 Old 7th Sep 2013 at 1:57 PM
No, you can't.

It's not my job to tell you how to tell your story, but you can't. So there.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Test Subject
#32 Old 14th Sep 2013 at 12:28 AM
Love all the drama and can't wait for the next part!
Instructor
#33 Old 14th Sep 2013 at 8:39 PM
Quote: Originally posted by grammapat
Thanks, but there are so many to try, and so much advice I've saved...and right now I'm just to swamped and aggravated (non-Sim stuff) to deal with it right now.



I think your pictures look fine and your story is very good. Writing takes a lot of time and hard work and yours shows it. I use to use photobucket until they changed it and I was unable to figure it out.. I'm using www.Serving.com now.
Field Researcher
#34 Old 17th Sep 2013 at 6:01 PM
Grammapat, that last part made me cry and I mean that as a compliment. I really enjoyed the story so far and I hope you continue it.

I use photobucket for my pictures and it works alright for me. The only issue I have is sometimes it doesn't want to copy the pictures. I have to click on it several times to get it to copy. I don't have any problems with the picture sizes though. However, I don't remember ever changing the size in photobucket. I set the size in the actual game. I think I have it at the largest setting in my game, but I'm not certain. It was a while ago when I set it. I'll try to remember to check it the next time I play. When I copy my pictures from photobucket and paste them onto the Widespot thread they always turn out the same size and I don't have to change anything in photobucket. I don't know if you want your pictures as large as mine are though.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#35 Old 22nd Sep 2013 at 12:31 AM Last edited by grammapat : 22nd Sep 2013 at 12:53 AM.
Thank you all for comments; didn't think anyone was watching!
In one story Mary dies...in my alternate hood she marries Valentine and they raise his grand child. I'm feeling despondent, so right now I'm liking the second version. I'm having surgery Monday, and am anxious. Maybe I should Segway to another family ... like Peggy Weiss, and her children...
Used to be, if I just pasted Photo bucket pics on a post, they were all big. Then one time they were all different sizes and I could NOT correct! Now they are all small & I didn't DO anything to the settings. Let me experiment...

Better, if not CRISP. I resized to what photobucket used to be.
This is Penny, in her more appropriate "special" look.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Mad Poster
#36 Old 22nd Sep 2013 at 4:30 AM
Well, you certainly don't need to focus on anything depressing while waiting for surgery. Think good thoughts - you heal better. Readers want closure one way or another, so we need to know what happened to Mary, even if it's a tragedy - but not till you're ready.

I never got anything but small pics from Photobucket, while other people consistently get nice big ones.So I have no idea what to tell you about the pics.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#37 Old 22nd Sep 2013 at 4:59 AM
Thanks Peni. I expect next week I will post more; I've already played TWO hoods well past the point in my story. Some death, LOTS of births! And then there is Penny Weird, er..Weiss. I find playing a good distraction; POSTING maybe will be harder, but I will shoot for next week.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Scholar
#38 Old 22nd Sep 2013 at 7:09 PM
Aah good luck for your surgery, grammapat. I hope it goes well <3 (and your story is addictive) xxx
Banned
#39 Old 4th Oct 2013 at 6:18 PM
I like the country dresses best. They look cute.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#40 Old 9th Oct 2013 at 2:36 AM Last edited by grammapat : 17th Oct 2013 at 1:17 AM.
Default Chapter 10 Endings and New Beginnings


Homer, old dog that he was, was learning new tricks. When the people of WIdespot came to his defense, he was moved, and with Beulah’s gentle wisdom he had begun to reach out to the people he used to mistrust. From the Rich Mann family, to the “wrong side of the tracks” Soggybottoms, everyone was welcome to the Land hearth and table, where Beulah’s hearty soups and stews were accompanied by Homer’s own specialty, grilled cheese sandwiches.

Homer was as excited as Beulah to expand the produce stand by the road, and even the kids were looking forward to learning how to stock the shelves. They didn’t even mind when Homer spend hours teaching them about the varieties of apples, and the benefits of vegetable juices like strawberry and lemon, or even (yuk!) eggplant. Everyone took a turn working in the stand, although Homer preferred just sittin...

And Beulah loved cooking



==========
But Mary fought a losing battle that cold winter, locked away in the prison of her own despair. Yes, she was strong, but her strength had become as brittle as ice; it no longer served her, but had shattered her. Her life was not what she wanted, but she had no pity on herself for her discontent. She saw her problems not as choices, but as trials to be suffered. And refusing to open any new door, she languished.

Homer was up at dawn, as usual, to check on the garden. He had planted early in the spring, and worried that it might still be too cool for the tender plants. What he found was the crumpled body of Mary. His wail brought the family running.




She must have quietly left the house while it was still dark, and done something to upset the bees; the hive was open, the bees still angry. “She was always afraid of them, but it looks like she was poking at them with that stick”, he muttered. Beulah was running a hand over Mary’s face; “I only found one sting, on her cheek. I’ve heard of people being allergic to bee stings; it must have been over fast.” She heard a squeaky “meow” and picked up Mary’s cat; “You were the only one with her, poor kitty, poor Mary”. She buried her nose in the soft cat’s fur, and it put a paw on her neck and meowed, as if to comfort her.
They buried Mary in the back field, near a stand of trees by the little pond.

================================================================


And life went on. In the next few months Dixie and Scott Land both left college.
Homer: I always figured college was about as much use as tits on a boar, but I never could figure how Dixie could be the first to go and the last to leave. She told us she was studying ‘Women in positions of control’, and ‘Women in upper management’, and ‘How to pee standing up’. I think she was joking about that last one. I asked her why she hadn’t brought back some nice college boy to marry, but she just laughed and said ‘Pops! You know I’m GAY!’. I told her that’s all a parent wants – for their kids to be happy. But I’d like some more grandbabies, and you have to get MARRIED first, don’t you know. Everybody laughed at that; I don’t know what was so funny, but I laughed too. Came to find out she was living with a woman in a poor little trailer.

Dixie had plenty of money, but didn't care about nice stuff. Turns out the other woman cared a LOT about having a big house, and expensive stuff, and she wanted KIDS!

Then Scot told me Eng is expecting.


His daughter Grace is smart as a whip, just like Scot. Mary’s twins, Clovis and Sue Ellen are teens. Clovis doesn’t even shave yet, but he thinks he’s a charmer (like his father was). Sue Ellen has something of Mary’s sweetness about her eyes. They both have that strong Land chin.

River had graduated too, but stayed in Pinecrest (you remember, it’s the town up the hill from here, where the college is). Scot says River’s chances of a job are better there, that he never was much of a student. Nothing wrong with that; book learning never did much for me either. I heard Scotty laughing when he told his sister Delta that the only reason River got his grades up enough to graduate was because he got something ELSE up – with a lady professor. Don’t that beat all!

But Scott didn’t come home with the professor. Scot says he told River to buy something besides "That pimp suit" he came from college in.

River says guys kept hitting on him, and one of them told him to call him "for a good time".


He says he made a point of flirting with a sexy looking woman at the Widespot truck stop, and one thing let to another; she had the attitude, the brains, the NOSE.




Twern’t but a few months before I was having a wedding for them in our parlor. Funny, River looks like a slouch next to Scot, but he's a hard worker and I know he'll be a decent husband.

Beulah wondered if Zia was a vampire; I told her she was watching too much TV. But that long black dress, and all the jewelry – well shit fire and save matches. Or, like Pooter says “She’s some piece of work”. Don’t know what the woman’s about, and told Beulah as much; but she just said my old “anti-social attitude” was talking. Attitude!? Harrumph! I told Beulah that Zia had told me a little secret, that she had to get married because she was pregnant.

Beulah just laughed, “It won’t be a secret for long!” Yea, and there seems to be a lot of that going around. I just wonder if the baby is River’s.

Rivert’s professor lady calls all the time. Her name is Violet; I’ve gotten to like her but I don’t know why she’s trying to stay good friends with River; I never figured him for a lady’s man, but she sure seems smitten by him. I don’t think she’s much older than River, but she’s a PROFESSOR ! Women; does any man really understand what’s going on in their heads?

==================================================




Mary’s passing was a life-changing event to Valentine Hart, the Silver Fox of Widespot:
I was a fool to be so wrapped up in my own life that I didn’t see what was going on with Mary. I love our twins, what was wrong with me that I wouldn’t admit to myself that I loved Mary too? And my God, how could I have been so blind to what Rhett was doing!?
It’s amazing that the Lands treat me so well. A few days ago I visited the twins (as I have their whole lives), and Mrs. Land prepared me a lovely dinner. As I watched everyone at table, it struck me that THIS family was the most solid and successful in Widespot. And as we talked about the growing families in Widespot I began to make plans for another child, my grandchild Hartless, the daughter of the alien Penny Weiss.
Ah, yes, there are aliens in Widespot. Some of them have come here after falling in love with Widespot kids that were in college in Pinecrest, but Penny has added her own family of oddities. Not that anyone really knows them, they don’t go to public school and (like Penny) they seem quite anti-social. Beulah says Penny must have had a difficult life after her father died and her brother went to college. “And her barely out of her teens, and pregnant!” Beulah sympathized. “Why, I bet SHE has a story to tell!”.

==========
THE END ---

THIS STORY IS COMPLETE, BUT I CAN NOT FIND THE 'TAB' REFERRED TO, TO INDICATE THIS. AND NO PLACE TO ASK...

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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