Sad Story

While having coffee with Charles this morning a young man I did not know sat down with us. We both ignored him because we were engrossed in our conversation. After awhile, Charlie said something to him and I realized that he did know this young man. He had a sad mien about him, good looking and was a good physical specimen. Charlie asked him about his wife and he said they were getting divorced, the papers were in his car. Charlie was surprised and indicated he thought they were getting on so well. The young man (I never did get his name) said she went back to live with her Mother. Charlie asked him if there was any chance at reconciling their differences. With a long face, and assurance in his voice, he answered: "No". He then volunteered that they had the best sex ever, and this was his only comment about her. They had been married for almost three years and during that time he had changed. He said he now dresses better because she taught him how to dress. Also, he stopped going to wild parties and getting drunk. When questioned about this he admitted he got an ulcer from drinking and just cannot tolerate liquor anymore. Here was a person that was making changes for the better in his life and she was rejecting him. Why would she do such a thing? Charlie, a recent convert to Catholicism, was telling me about some of the questions he asked during his classes to learn about the Catholic faith. One was about masturbation and was it a sin. The answer, of course, is yes. At this the young man volunteered in a sad voice: "I masturbate every day." Charlie, a strict moralist, said: "Well you know you just have to grow up and not do it anymore." I changed the subject and asked what his wife was doing now that she was living with her Mother. He replied, she was going to a club every Friday night and having a good time. Also, she had the money to do so because she had stuck him with all the bills they had at the time she left. He said all this in with a long face. Yes, a sad story.