A Farewell to Yarns

She never went back, and Steve lasted only three more weeks before coming home in a rage, muttering about neighborhood bullies.

John Wagner and Bobby Bryant trussed up together by family ties was impossible to imagine. 'Yes, it was volleyball,' she said to Phyllis and, refraining from rubbing her hands together in glee, asked, 'How does John like Bobby?”

Phyllis looked troubled. 'It's odd, Jane. They don't get along at all. John was quite rude to Bobby both times they met. I suppose it's jealousy. All men are just grown-ups boys, aren't they?'

“Jealousy? Of what?'

“Chet's affection, of course.”

Or Chet's money, Jane thought. As Phyllis's son, Bobby might have a financial claim on her and, therefore, on Chet. John Wagner wasn't a model person, but it wasn't unreasonable that he might fear and dislike Bobby even more than most people would.

Aside from Phyllis, did the boy have a friend in the world?

Sooner or later, she was going to have to hear about Phyllis's marital problems, so she decided to get it over with. Jane asked, 'Why didn't Chet come with you to Chicago?”

Phyllis paused a long time before she answered. 'I—I really don't know. I thought it would be wonderful to have a good old-fashioned Christmas here—a nice dinner with John and Joannie and all Bobby's adopted family. But Chet never liked the idea. I kept bringing it up, and I guess it irritated him, because he finally said—”

She stopped, as if choking on the next words.

With a sort of funny hiccup, she suddenly got up and ran to the guest bathroom. Before Jane could figure out what to do, Phyllis came back, dabbing at her eyes with a folded piece of toilet paper. 'I'm so sorry to act silly, Jane. I want to tell you the truth and get it over with, but it's so hard for me to say. You see, Chet finally said I should just take Bobby and go to Chicago—forever, if I wanted.”

She started sniffling into the toilet paper. 'I didn't want that. Not in a million years, but he kept insisting, and then one day I had a terrible headache—not that that's a good reason—and I snapped back and said I'd be glad to go away from him. I didn't mean it, Jane. You know I didn't mean it. But the next morning, Chet was gone. He'd flown off on a business trip without even letting me say I was sorry. On the bedside table were two one-way plane tickets and a checkbook. Jane, I should have just torn them up, but I got mad instead. And after that—I don't know. It just got worse. Bobby even tried to find Chet to talk to him and explain that we didn't want to leave—'

“I'll bet he did,' Jane said, thinking what a shock it must have been for greedy Bobby to find he was about to be out of a life he'd just discovered suited him so well. 'I mean—”

But Phyllis had accepted the remark at face value and plowed on, still sniffling. 'I've seen things on television about men having middle-age problems. Male menopause, I think they call it, although I think that's a peculiar term. Still, I think that's what Chet must be going through. I know he didn't really want me to leave, but I did go so that he'd have the time and freedom to rethink our marriage. He's just being irrational. I'm praying he'll come to his senses. We've had the most perfect marriage in the world, and nothing's changed, but Chet has turned into a different person for no reason.'

“Phyllis, there has been a change. Bobby.'

“But that's a change for the good!' Phyllis insisted. 'Chet is crazy about Bobby. He offered to send him to college or on a nice long trip to Switzerland for the skiing—”

—Anything to get him out of his hair, Jane thought. Surely even Phyllis couldn't fail to see the truth in this. And yet, it was amazing what people could fail to see if they put their minds in it, she realized with a sick feeling. She herself had managed to be completely blind to her own husband having an affair right under her nose. When Steve had announced that he was leaving her, it had been a hideous shock. She'd never suspected, and even if someone had tried to tip her off in advance, she probably would have refused to believe it. Just like Phyllis was working so hard at not understanding the trouble.

Should she try to make Phyllis see? There were so few really good marriages in the world, and it was a terrible pity to see one sacrificed on an altar as unworthy as Bobby Bryant.

“Phyllis, let me ask you something—what if you had to choose between Bobby and Chet?'

“Jane! What a terrible thing to think of. Why would I have to choose?'

“I don't know, but suppose you did.'

“Why, I'd stay with Bobby, of course. As much as I love Chet, Bobby needs me more. Aman can have many wives, but a boy only has one mother. You know that. You wouldn't abandon your children for anybody.'

“But my children are young. Bobby's an adult, and he's managed without you all these years,' Jane said, knowing she might as well try to reason with a geranium.

“He's still my baby. My only baby—' Phyllis said, making another dash for the bathroom.

I can't do her any good, Jane thought with a sense of sadness so profound it brought tears to her eyes.

Seven

The phone rang, cutting the conversation '. short. Jane picked it up with relief. Even somebody trying to sell her bronzed baby shoes would be a welcome break. But it wasn't a salesman, it was Fiona Howard.

“Jane, I hate to disturb you, but I have a bit of a problem. I didn't realize that Albert had scheduled the exterminators to come this afternoon, and I'm worried about any food that might be in some of these bazaar boxes. I know about the gingerbread men and the hard candies, but several people have dropped things off since you were by here this morning, and some of the cartons appear to have different things in them. I'm afraid there could be something in the bottom of one that we might be poisoning. I know Shelley isn't available to help, but I want to have all the food items safely out of the house before they start spraying—'

“I'll run over and see if I can figure out what's what,' Jane offered. Phyllis had come out of the bathroom again and seemed to have a grip on herself. She was puttering around, cleaning off the kitchen table.

“I hate asking you when you have company,' Fiona was saying. 'I tried to ring Shelley first, just in case she'd changed her plans, but there's no answer at her house. Do bring your friend along, and I'll make us a lovely tea. No, I guess I can't even do that with the bug people here.'

“We'd love to come, tea or not. We could all go out for Cokes at McDonald's.”

She hung up and told Phyllis. 'I've got to run over to a neighbor's house to take care of a crisis with the church craft bazaar. You don't need to come along if you'd rather rest, but I'd be glad to have you. We can talk more about this later,' she added, knowing there was little else she could say.

“Jane, we don't need to talk about me anymore. I just felt I owed it to you to explain. You have problems enough, I'm sure, without mine. I'd love to help if I can,' she said. The way her face lit up, it was obvious that she was sincere. As she mopped her eyes a final time, she said, 'Chet's so sweet and generous, and I don't ever mean to sound ungrateful, but if there's anything I've missed all these years, it's that sort of thing—church bazaars, other women who like crafts and things. Of course, a lot of real artists used to come to the island, but they weren't interested in things like Christmas ornaments and knitting and Easter egg decorations.”

Jane had sudden vision of Phyllis fluttering around a modern-day Picasso, trying to interest him in styrofoam wreaths.

“I read about this wonderful thing you do with Easter eggs that makes them look batiked. I'm dying to try it,' Phyllis went on.

“I tnink Fiona does that. You can ask her about it.'

“This Fiona isn't Fiona Howard, is she?”

“Why, yes. Do you know her?'

“No, but we know some people who know her, and they mentioned once that she lived in the same suburb as you do. You can't have many neighbors named Fiona. Such a pretty name.'

“Then you must know who she is—'

“Richie Divine's widow. Yes. That was so terrible the way the newspapers and magazines were so mean to her when she got married again. I'd like to meet her, and I really want to help with your bazaar.' As she spoke, she was putting the leftover food in the refrigerator.

Jane suddenly felt a great wave of guilt for not liking her better. Silly as Phyllis might be, she was also very sweet and down-to-earth. There was something innately good about a woman who probably hadn't so much as