THE TROUBLE OF OVER FORTIES IN LOVE: EPISODE 2.
It is a terrible thing for a married couple to feel lonely. They are no longer rational. Sometimes it is hard to say if money makes the marriages work. The actual fact is love grows cold when it is not natured and nourished. That brings to mind, what then is love? Love is hard to define. After twenty years of marriages the main features that might have drawn the couples together would have vanished, then what is keeping the couple together or apart? Sometimes progress and development did the trick. Women are so proud of their men for their achievements. This is also not always the case. A man lost his love after gaining nomination and election as a President. The woman claimed the man would not be there to hold and cherish. Sometimes you simply could not understand why the rich break-up just as the poor does.
It was these complications which drove Anita mad. Money was there in abundance but she felt something was missing. She could not tell what it was but she knew that something definitely was missing. Couples never think about good days they only take stock of the bad days. Pascal actually did not know why Theresa broke-up with him four years ago. He had vowed to be a better player in the second episode. He was not really sure what went wrong. Ever since he met Theresa, he devoted all his life to her. He even told her to count on him in times of any trouble or problem he would be there for her. In fact, he had been there all the time but this morning Theresa could not be comforted. When she announced that she was leaving Pascal did not know what to do to mend the relationship. The heart had decided and there was no turning back. There was no way they could get through this. The couple claimed they were lonely even though they lived under the same roof. As he thought of the past, he talked to himself, “Oh! Theresa, yesterday my life was filled with the dream you once shared with me but now you are gone and you have left me with no love to cherish and hold. You know I love so dearly, wherever you are, I wish you could give me one more chance. I promise to be what you want me to be. Come back again in to my arms.” But all this wishful thought would not soften the pain in his heart.
When Anita came in he felt so much at home. The age difference did not appear to be a stumbling block. From their first holiday together Pascal thought that was so great. But Anita would have felt better if Pascal was ten years younger. She could not tell why. But to her, she felt as if going out with man almost his fathers’ age. Even though Pascal tried to pamper Anita she never got pleased. In fact, those things rather made her felt infuriated. “What keeps a woman satisfied?” Pascal asked himself one day. I shall try hard to find out. Once in the office he called on Paulina who cleaned her office. “Come on, Paulina, do not get offended,” he said with lot of respect. Paulina stopped in her track thinking she did something wrong. “Do not be annoyed, I want you to be frank with me. I have a little problem on my hands I want to get the bottom of it.” He declared. Paulina was lost. If a company director could not resolve a problem who was she to know the rubrics. She stood attentive. “Tell me what made you love your husband?” He queried. Paulina came back to life. She smiled proudly, “What a women wants is just something flimsy.” She said. In Pascal’s mind he thought what could this flimsy thing be? Paulina declared, “I just love the masculine smell of his sweat. The day he said I should not wash his singlet we fought days on end till he gave in.” Pascal would have laughed his head away but the pride and seriousness on Paulina’s face made him know she meant what she was saying. “My sister got married to her man just because of the way Jim talked, his choice of words and his eloquence. These things money could not provide. I overheard your boss’ wife once remarked if her husband stopped wearing his colourful black shirts she would be a goner.” Pascal was lost in thought. He asked himself, “Why my ladies could not find these flimsy things me” He also remembered someone said a woman left her husband because the husband had stopped treating her cruelly. This morning Anita said she was leaving, Pascal decided not to stand in her way. No amount of questioning would make Anita speak her mind. She only said she was not happy. She would not say what was making her sad. This is just some of the problems over forties have on their hands. They never understand what to give and what to take. They are always struggling to please the other party, who would never be pleased. Money could not change the situation. It is rather worse when the over forty is poor. Even the sight of him infuriates the younger partner. What then is happiness?