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For Better or Worse / By Monarc Merriweather Talking with Ralph was always entertaining, since we both enjoyed a good argument. It made the time pass quickly. We debated many topics on my visit, as I gave him his bath. The current subject was marriage. Ralph was a retired engineer with an amputated leg. His wife Martha was nearly blind, but she took care of the home, prepared the meals and nursed him. The only help she had was my twice-weekly two-hour visits. In addition to his bath, I alternated between doing their laundry and grocery shopping. I was giving my opinion on the institution of marriage and said, "I bet I could count the good marriages I've seen on one hand." "I don't believe it," he scowled. "Why, my wife and I have been married sixty years; sixty wonderful years. We have had a great life. We raised five boys and two girls and had few problems until Martha lost her sight and my leg went bad." "Well, you may be a rare exception," I conceded. I finished his bath and the rest of the routine, then wheeled him into the living room. He thanked me, lit his pipe and picked up the paper. Martha joined me in the kitchen. I wrote as she named the items needed from the store. "Better get ten pounds of potatoes and a loaf of bread." "White or brown?" "Brown will be fine. Get a half dozen Jonathan apples and …" "You don't need apples," her husband yelled from the living room. "Don't get apples," she said, as calm as she would be commenting on weather. "How about a pound of hamburger and a couple of nice pork chops. And you better get some crackers." She paused as I wrote. "Get a package of corn and some of those small cookies that come in the soft bag. You know the ones I mean?" Before I could answer Ralph bellowed, "You don't need any cookies." Martha replied, "Don't get cookies." When I returned from the store, I helped put things away. Then as I was saying good-bye, Ralph took his wife's hand. |