a winning couple

“Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes, and she’s gone.”

“Lucy and the Sky with Diamonds” - Beatles/ written by Lennon & McCartney

When Jack saw them at Church, they had well-earned, wonderful, white teeth. When Lucy & Ralph went a  party, they lit up the room.

Jack viewed them with envy. He did well with his kids and his hobbies, but about the rest of his life?

Oh well, he’d rather think of the Thompsons, Ralph and Lucy Thompson.

Lucy was a classmate and a childhood friend.  Nearly fifty years ago, Jack saw her Monday through Friday, in school.  On Saturday, they both went to +*+CCD, then attended Church on Sunday.  Jack distinctively remembered in 7th grade having a loving crush on her.  If there were an 8th day of the week after Saturday, and they spent that day with just each other, then Planet Earth and the heavens above would be perfect.

Yet, opposites attract and not a couple that is too much the same.  Both Lucy and Jack were earnest, sensitive kids in 7th grade and stayed that way through adulthood.  Lucy chose a boy with a great sense of humor later in high school and married the quiet and successful Ralph Thompson. 

 

Jack hadn't seen Lucy in ages, 1987 to be exact.  He graduated with Honors in Journalism that year and entered a job market with few takers.  He found more success doing various work with businesses, and his pride in a job well done usually kept his bosses happy. 

Yet, Lucy was smart for picking Ralph over Jack.  Ralph, after all, may not have worked as hard as Jack, but he had a job with the U.S. Government, paid him well, gave him great benefits, and made Lucy and their sons and daughters happy.  Now, think about it.............wasn't that all Lucy could ever ask and hope for?  

 

Jack knew the correct answer and was happy he found a decent place to live and had good kids.  Last month, Jack decided to see his ailing parents and go to Church in his rural hometown.  He knelt down after Communion, saw a woman who walked by him that quickend his pulse and then saw Ralph and felt a lump in his throat.  He stopped kneeling and sat down in the pew stunned as it hit him.  After 25 years, Lucy Schroeder Thompson recognized him.  He acted as if he was earnestly praying but actually felt like crying instead.  He was amazed at how raw she hit his emotions and personal history. 

 

His mind raced as he forced slow, deep breaths to calm down and prevent sobbing.  Are they going to stay?  How fast would he have to walk out of Church to meet both of them.  They were friendly enough glancing at him as they walked by his pew, maybe he could talk to them after Church.  Was she going to leave before the recessional hymn was over?  Was he going to catch up to them?

 

"HELL NO!,"  his pride dictated. 

There would be no running in Church, no beeline toward her, and very little, if any, hint of how badly he wanted to talk to her. "That was exactly how it was going to be!" his pride shouted.  He was no longer a 7th grader, senior or even a 30 year old triumphantly getting married.  No, he earned a nice office working in Joliet, and there would be no provincial excitement of any kind. 

 

Recovering emotionally, he walked calmly over to the Thompsons. 

"It's nice to see you," Jack said with a smile.

"JACK!" exclaimed Ralph, "how have you been?"

"I've been covering sports for Joliet's Herald-News.   I get to see a lot of excellent high school athletes like you used to be!" Jack smiled at Lucy.

"I thought I was ok, but my kids put me to shame," as she smiled and her her husband a knowing wink.

Ralph added, "Mari won a conference title in discus!"

"That's great!  What year is she?" Jack asked.

"She's a junior"

"Wow, still another year left.  Maybe she'll compete at state next year".

"Maybe!" Lucy and Ralph said in unison.  Ralph asked, "Do they treat you well at the newspaper?"  Jack knew he was more interested in how much he was being paid rather than how he was "treated". 

"Well, with all the problems newspapers are having, I am glad things are steady, and I have plenty of work. How is your career going?"

"Ok, I  have been busy too"

"Lucy, are you still working at a clinic?"

"No, I haven't worked there in years, thanks to when Ralph got his promotion," Lucy noted with pride.  Ralph smiled affably at his wife's pride as Jack smiled along.

"Can you believe it will be 40 years since we graduated?" Jack asked Lucy.

"No," replied Lucy, "I can't but when you think about it, so much has happened since we graduated."

"Lots of changes to people and circumstances," Jack observed.

"Yes"

"Are you going to the class reunion when they have Homecoming next fall?"

"No, I haven't gone since the 5th year reunion," Lucy dismissively noted.

"Why?"

"Because Gary grabbed my posterior right in front of Ralph," Lucy replied disdainfully.

"Gary?"

"He was the only guy in our class with blonde hair"

"Oh, right, he was medium height and medium build.  He left our school for awhile, right?"

"Yes, I knew you would remember him"

"And I felt like punching him!" Ralph asserted, "I was in nearly a dozen fights and won them all during college!"

"Except the one with Pete Wilson," Lucy observed.

"Yes, but he was on the college football team!" Ralph stated.

"Your accomplishments later in life are much bigger than any fight you won," Lucy mused.

"And look how well your kids turned out !" Jack noted.

"Thanks, Jack," Lucy replied.  Lucy's gratitude was the furthest thing from Jack's mind as he could not believe how nice Lucy still looked after all these years.

"Are you sure you won't be going?" Jack asked.

"We won't" they said in unison.

"Well, listen, I want to go and see how well my kids are doing with their Grandma, so I probably should get going," Jack said.  He was looking for a smooth, suave departure from the two.

"How have your kids been doing, Jack?" Lucy asked.

"They all made the honor roll last semester.  One son is in basketball and football, and the other is in track.  Both daughters are in cheerleading," he noted.

"Wow, how often do both daughters make the cheerleading team?!?" Lucy wondered.

"Probably not that often, but they have a very good rapport with the cheerleading coach.  She's also the Language Arts teacher, and they do well writing," Jack recalled.

"They take after you then?" Ralph smiled as he asked.

"Maybe," Jack shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, listen, Jack, it was nice to see you," Lucy said and shook his hand.  Jack also shook Ralph's hand, and after the "goodbyes", they left and went to their respective cars.

Jack was happy to see her and talk to her, but felt disappointment that he wouldn't see her at the reunion.  Jack was willing to block Gary or, better yet, occupy Gary from talking or doing anything stupid with Lucy.  But then again, wasn't that what Ralph was supposed to do?

Jack realized that the Thompsons could not be bothered.  He understood that they were more comfortable on a boat with friends they enjoyed sharing fun times with rather than former classmates she grew apart from.  That was all there was to it.  He knew that he was going to have to be content with this chance encounter, there was no use wanting more.  
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+*+ CCD = Confraternity of Christian Doctrine is the teaching of Catholic youth the doctrine of The Church.  While many Catholic students go to private schools and learn about Catholicism during school, most kids, sharing the same faith, go to a Catholic education session on Saturdays or 1 weekday evening during the school year.