Loose Change

Loose Change

"Call me a bastard if you want to love," Lew sounded sort of smug,
despite himself, "but there's another woman. I've been cheating on you.
Now she's threatening to come and tell you herself, so I've got no
choice but to tell you to your face."

Pam's eyes widened in amazement. Hard to believe Lew had it in him.
Even harder to believe that anyone would even want him - he hadn't been
much of a catch in his younger days and now, fast approaching sixty,
the years had not exactly been kind.

"Who is she then Lew?" her voice sounded surprisingly calm.

Lew jangled the loose change in his trouser pockets and looking
sheepish, "That, I wont say for the moment, my love."

Pam remained silent for a few seconds, digesting everything he had
said. "You're not prepared to tell me who she is then Lew?"

"Well, there's no need Pam love," he soothed.

"Why is that then Lew?" She tried to contain her anger.

"She's coming round in half an hour to take me away with her."

Pam stared at him in disbelief, "Are you having me on Lew? You surely
can't expect me to believe this yarn you're spinning me? I
mean&;#8230;"

Lew held up his hand and she stopped talking, "Pam love, it's hard I
know. I, too, have found it hard but, yes, it's all true."

She put the kettle on as she waited for the mystery woman to arrive. It
hadn't really sunk in at all. She found herself curious, despite the
situation. Her Lew and another woman? She wanted to laugh out
loud.

They sipped their tea in silence after Lew finished packing a small
holdall.

"I wont be needing anything else Pam" he said kindly, "perhaps you
would take it down The Sally Army for me."

Pam nodded and sipped her tea. It had gone cold quickly.

"Where will you be staying?"

"We're going to travel, Pam love" he looked doubtful for the first
time. "We wont mind where we are as long as we're together."

"What about me?" she asked for the first time, anger rising like bile
in her throat. "You're talking to me as if I'm a stranger, not your
wife. How dare you to do this to me. How dare you."

"I thought you'd be pleased love." He said lamely, staring at his
holdall and clicking his false-teeth in that annoying way of his.

When Mrs Dowding from next door tapped the window, Pam inwardly cussed
because she didn't want all and sundry there when Lew's other woman put
in an appearance.

"Well," said Lew, "here she is then."

Pam glanced at him in shock, "Mrs Dowding from next door!" her voice
screeched alarmingly. "Lew - she's older than us - she's getting on for
70. What are you playing at? How do you think you'll be travelling
round the world at your age."

Perhaps it was the mid-life crisis come a little bit late.

Mrs Dowding, frail and slightly stooped leaned heavily on her walking
stick, "Hello Pam, dear." She said kindly. "Will you feed old Tom for
me when I'm gone? I've left the tins out on the top so you'll find
them."

Pam heard herself saying that, of course, she would feed the cat.

"Where will you be if I need to contact either of you," she said as
they hugged her goodbye, Mrs Dowding's knotted fingers resting heavily
on her arm, offering a powdery cheek to kiss.

"We'll send you a card," she said airily and they were off.

"Pam love," Lew turned back briefly, "I've left a bit of change on the
side for you. It's all I've got left."

Inside on the sideboard, true to his word, Lew had left the grand total
of ?1.75 in loose change. Pam counted the coins into the palm of her
hand.

I think I've been short-changed she said.