Florence's Final Journey22

promised me some stories, not vice versa.”
“Okay, I'll start the ball rolling but first how about something to
drink? Red wine for me, sir.” Gabby left and returned with a bottle of red
wine and two plastic glasses.
“Good work, for a cabbie,” Florence joked. “But lets ditch the plastic. I
just happen to have these.” She pulled out two crystal goblets from her
bag, filled her glass and took a drink.
“ I know what convinced you to come with me.”
“Nice goblets, you're full of surprises. Yeah, go ahead,” he said as he
turned on a Sam Cooke classic, A Change is Gonna Come.
“Loneliness. Being alone is one thing which can be better than fine
but being lonely is different and like a toothache. How long were you
married and how long has she been gone?”
“You could be right. She was my high school sweetheart; I was
probably her second or third choice, if truth be known. We were married
for forty years. After the kids left for good, she had no compass or
identity. She finally asked me to leave and I did after seeing how
miserable she had become. It was only two years ago and I'm not over it
yet. I miss her smell, her presence and the love-making which had
completely stopped by the time we -well, she- called it quits. It's tough
knowing that I caused her to feel so woeful.”
“Do people make other people feel things? I don't think so. It's all
about day-by-day, minute-by-minute decisions. She decided to be
unhappy, sounds like to me. She probably isn't the self-reflective type
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