English Fiction

¶ … stood there, waiting for him to come down on the elevator at 5:03 PM as he did every day without fail. She caressed the outside of her large purse one more time, partly to make sure there was no tell-tale bulge, but mostly to remind her of the strength she had hidden in there. Communication is the key to any relationship, she thought. She had the letter she had written, and if she needed it, she had something else for him as well. She saw Mr. Blake step from the elevator.

She had decided to let him see her today, but only sometimes. She made her eyes burn into his soul. He had tried to take her self-respect, just like they tried to do in the hospital. Well, she couldn't do anything about the people at the hospital just yet, but she was going to deal with Mr. Blake.

She had watched him leave every day for a week, watched him go out the revolving doors of the building, into the crowds, toward Madison Avenue and the five-fifteen train he took home every day. He never saw her, because he was a stupid man. Why do women marry such men? Why had she? She had no explanation, but since she had, she knew she needed to know more about him. She had even followed him home on the train on day, although he never saw her.

She knew where he got off. Today she would talk with him. The thought gave her courage, and she followed him out into the street. She really didn't have much choice. He would not talk to her in the office, although she had tried to contact him there several times. At first, she thought his secretary was jealous of her, but now she realized the truth: Mr. Blake thought this union was a mistake, and he was avoiding her. The thought made her feel a little shabby. She followed Mr.

Blake through the crowds pouring out of the buildings until she was close enough to tap him on the shoulder, but she waited. She wanted to talk to him on the train, without interruptions. Suddenly he stopped, and she almost bumped into him! She froze in his tracks as he gazed in the window of a furniture store. How odd, she thought. He's never done that before. Then he jumped, and she realized he had seen her reflection. He bolted like a scared puppy and scurried away into a bakery.

She couldn't see him any more. No matter. She knew he would have to take the train home. She went on to the train, and took up the spot she had found before. Out of sight, she could see everyone as they passed to get the train to Shady Hill. She remembered the day Mr. Blake had hired her, and how wonderful he had been then. He had told her beautiful stories about his life - his lovely home, his charming friends, his first wife.

She had been so thrilled to hear it all. She knew that there could be only one reason for him to tell her all that. He wanted her to be his new wife. Then, just as they had sealed their love, she had been fired without any warning at all! Just like that. The Personnel Office told her it was because her work was sloppy. Her handwriting was so bad that Mr. Blake couldn't read his phone messages! She said she would type them.

She said her typing was very good, and the jealous lady in the Personnel Office had to agree that this was true. Her typing test had been very good, and Mr. Blake had never complained about her typing, but he could not abide a secretary with poor handwriting, and she couldn't type everything, now could she? Some day a phone message would come in, and she would have a letter half-done, and she would have to write it, and it would still be unreadable.

They were very sorry, but she had to go.