Exceptional A True He Said/She Said by Ellen Frank Bayer Opposites Attract writing prompt entry

“Do you want to meet a girl? “She is over thirty, lived in America all her life. “Do you want to meet a guy?” He is from Poland, tall, dark and handsome. But he is a survivor. No, I don’t want to meet you. I’m dating someone now. I’ll keep your number. I’ll call again. He called again a year later, She said yes. They went on a few dates, became engaged after two weeks, married in three months. Fought for the next forty nine years, but stayed married.  He collected soap and toilet paper. She collected plastic toys from McDonald’s He invested his money in stocks and lottery tickets. She bought tickets to Broadway shows and charity luncheons. He watched Mutual of Omaha’s Animal Kingdom. She watched Wheel of Fortune and Lawrence Welk.   He wanted a house with a big yard.  She wanted a house with closets The house they bought had a huge backyard. It had four small rooms, one closet in the hall, one closet in each bedroom, one bathroom.  There was a huge yard, a large porch and most important, it was a two family home, so there was always a tenant. Somehow, they made it work.   He owned a grocery store, working six days a week from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. He never wanted her  to work, but she went to college and became a teacher. She was always late while he was always early. He drove her to school to get her there on time.  He was constantly throwing out the junk mail and emptying out the shopping bags she kept bringing home.   She kept making new friends and brought a story home every time she went out of the house. He gave out candy to everyone he did business with, including his friends in the bank, the stockbroker and his neighbors.   He was always tired of the mess around the house and she was tired of his losing all his money in the stock market.    He walked ten blocks from our home to Ocean Parkway almost every day of his life. He swam at Jack La Lane as a lifetime member. He collected silver dollars, liberty head dimes and silver nickels. His favorite meal was sour cream, radishes and scallions. He drank tea and ate Stella Dora cookies. She loved eating the pumpernickel bread and cream cheese sandwiches at the local Chock Full of Nuts counter, and snacking on Yankee Doodles and Ring Dings.  She collected used wrapping paper, postcards and matchbooks. She left her bra, girdles and support stockings hanging behind the door in the bathroom.  He left his wet bathing suit in the shower.   He lived through the Holocaust, survived by hiding in the forest and eventually joining the Russian army. She lived through the Great Depression and lost two cousins in World War II. She was dancing at the Jewish Community House and complaining there were no guys left to date while he was fighting for his life and running from the Nazis. They argued about who suffered more during the war. She couldn’t remember how many cups of coffee she drank. She forgot where she lived. She didn’t remember her caregiver. He moved her into assisted living. She kept asking when she was going home. He asked me to call him every day to see if he woke up. He wasn’t feeling well. Had a headache that wouldn’t go away. He walked three miles to see her. The elevator was slow and he had no patience. Left the facility and went home. She didn’t remember if he came or not. He had a stroke the next day.  She visited him in the hospital. Came with her walker and barely made it up to his room. He died the next day. She didn’t remember that he was gone. She wondered why he wasn’t visiting. For the next three years, her number one question was “Where was Leo?” Leo and Gladys are resting now together. In her family plot, near her relatives.  I hear their voices. I argue with my husband over the clutter and the bills. Their voices are coming out of my mouth.  I am reliving their history. I hope I only have to relive their happy times. Writing Prompt Write a true or fictional story or essay about a couple who have opposing views on any issue(s), political, religious, etc. minimum 300 words. Author Notes I am a lifelong New Yorker who loves all the parts of New York City, including the wildlife in the subway. I have been writing stories and poems to empty my mind of the ghosts of the past and the violence of the present. This essay is a tribute to my parents who overcame war, depression and poverty to create a loving home for me, despite their daily arguments.

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