PROTECTING MY TURF

My name is Blanch Martin, while I won’t reveal my age; but I will say I can remember when Roosevelt was president.

I waited until I was almost thirty before I got married, and by then the pickings were pretty thin. Anyhow I figured I got the best of the lot that was left. Right off we had our three kids, and finally we got them out of the house for good. I reckon I like them alright sometimes, but they were more like their father than me, and that was a downer.

My life hasn’t been my own, but that is the way it is when you have a husband and kids. Things have improved since the kids left, now all I have to put up with is my, for better or worse husband. One thing I can say about him is he worked hard and long hours, seems like he never was in a hurry to get home for some reason.

He seemed to make a lot of mistakes during our marriage but I was always there to straighten him out. For some reason he didn’t seem to appreciate my help like he should have. As I was saying we saved up our money, and now we have a comfortable retirement, and it appears he is satisfied but he hardly ever talks. I figure he don’t have anything to say so I leave him alone.

Now, I have been noticing that when we go shopping that there are a lot of these old women looking at him, and trying to get his eye. They have a hungry look and I believe that most of them are divorced or are widows.

This is not my imagination it is happening all the time. Just today there was one staring at him. She wouldn’t take her eyes off him so I stepped in front of him and gave her the dirtiest look she ever received before. I continued to stare her down till she moved on.

I watched her and ever so often she would glance over her shoulder, and peek to see if he was looking at her.

When we got home I gave him what for, and if you can believe it, he claimed he didn’t know what I was talking about.

I know these old women and all their tricks inside and out, and if they think they are going to move in on my turf they are mistaken.

One thing that has happened since this has all taken place, and that is I have taken another look at this old man of mine; because maybe these women see something in him that I don’t see.

While he doesn’t seem like much to me at least he is mine, and I’m not going to give him up.

I think I have got him straightened out now although he still claims he doesn’t know what I’m upset about, and I guess I will have to believe him - - for he could be that dumb.