Unrequited Love

The prompt for the Writing Group this week was “Unrequited Love”. I normally write a preface to my story posts, but I will make my comments at the end.

Unrequited Love

I was shocked upon discovering when the seed of your betrayal was planted.  For decades, you bided your time, planning and plotting all the while.

I thought we would be together for a lifetime, you thought otherwise.  I made a mistake, oh so long ago, I had no idea how deeply I had hurt you.

All seemed to forgotten, or forgiven when I reflect on all of the things we did together since that time.  Baseball, football, basketball, tennis, racquetball, and the trepidation we shared learning to ski.  We biked to work together and you really seemed to enjoy kayaking.  As I approached retirement age, I thought we were looking forward to having more time to do fun things.

But you were patient, plotting all the time.  “Pretty soon,” I said, “Only two more years!”  That is when you first betrayed me, and it hurt, deeply.  Soon, your vengeance flowed forth like lava. You snickered when I was no longer able to cross my legs to tie my shoes.  You would lull me into moments where things seemed to improving, getting better.  Only you would roar back with another jab of betrayal.  You waited for almost a year after I retired to showcase the depths of cruelty you could sink to.  “Bike riding?  Hah!  Forget about it!”   “Have fun trying to get out of that kayak, old man.  What a riot!  You need two people to help you get out of it!”  “I know how much you and your wife like taking long walks.  I’ll put a stop to that!”  “Have fun trying to bend over to pick up that pile of leaves you just raked.”

I finally reached my limit, I had had enough of your abuse.  Once I decided on a separation, there was no going back, not a thing you could do to change it.  Your vengeance was harsh, mine would relegate you to the bone heap.  

Once severed from you and your wrath, my relief was instantaneous and exhilarating.  I felt better than I did five hours earlier, the last time we were together.  Propped up in my hospital bed, a nurse asked me how my right hip was.  Looking down, I asked, “So. How are we?”  Without a moments hesitation, Right Hip answered, “We’re good Boss!  I ain’t going anywhere!  I’ve always loved you more than that Left Hip ever did!”

“Well now you shake it to the left
Shake it to the right
Do the hippy hippy shake
With all of your might”

“Hippy Hippy Shake” – Chan Romero, 1959

Ernie Stricsek

Chatham Writers Group

11/8/21

Way, way back in the Fall of 1962 I injured my lower back and hip in a playground accident. It was serious enough that I was unable to walk for several hours, I had no feeling from my waist down. It did not take too long for me to bounce back from this and within a week or so I was back doing all the things an 8 year old normally does. That accident began to catch up with me about 7 years ago, first with my lower spine and eventually my left hip. I had the spine surgery a year ago, my left hip was replaced a week ago. I feel infinitely better than I did the day before my hip surgery.