So we have seen a little about Joe and Suzan. This is more of Chapter One.

Joe had moved from his apartment when he reached an age that he had to move out and start his own life. If he didn’t leave, he would surly hurt his father.

His mother had died when he was sixteen and two years later he knew he had to leave. They seemed to butt heads often and about almost everything. His father thought Joe’s friends were lowlifes and would drag him down. He didn’t like that Joe wanted to be a writer or wanted to work in something in that general direction. Albert, his farther, had worked with his hands and wanted Joe to do the same. Joe had different ideas.

It was instantly obvious to Joe as he stood surveying the apartment, even in his state, that his love and fiancee’ had packed her bags and left with little warning at some point while he was sleeping or passed out. Suzan had reached her breaking point, finally.

His small and usually, slightly unkempt, apartment felt large and empty now as he scanned the room for any remnants of her.

He now remembered that the argument had been ugly. Alcohol had played it’s part, as usual. The apartment looked as if a tornado had come in from the southeast and swept all of Suzan’s belongings out and to some unknown location.

As Joe walked around the apartment he could see that many small items were now missing from the bedroom and bathroom as well. There was no vestige of Suzan left anywhere to be seen. Joe saw that as her final punishment of him.

As he came back to the bedroom in a panic, he noticed Suzan’s shot glass sitting under her lamp on the nightstand. Her bright red lipstick was smeared on the rim as if her last drink had been one taken in a rush after a quick decision.

Suzan Cline had warned Joe in many subtle and not so subtle ways that their life together had taken a for the worse over the last few Autumn months. He had endured her complaints about his “less endearing habits” over the two or so years that they had been together.

His work had turned out to be less rewarding both in prestige and financial rewards than Suzan had hoped for. The financial situation turned out to be the last straw, or so Joe thought.

A national Geographic magazine sat on the low coffee table in front of the old, somewhat tattered, but comfortable couch across from where he stood near the bed in the small one room apartment. The magazine had been there for several weeks as Joe and Suzan planned their honeymoon. They had flipped randomly through the pages and landed in Africa. This was how they had come up with their honeymoon destination. The cost of the wedding and honeymoon had joe at his wits end.

Susan loved looking at the beautiful photos of the wild animals and imagining the idea of an exotic honeymoon. They both agreed that chance should decide where they would travel to on their honeymoon, just as chance had brought them together. Joe finally had understood how important it was to Suzan, even if it was very expensive. This had become an easy process once they had decided to just let go of their worries over money. Joe had saved up most of the money needed for the honeymoon and wedding by scrimping and cutting back on his meager lifestyle even more over nearly two years of unrewarding and tedious work. Joe had other plans for most of the money, but he had decided to go along to get along. Joe’s and Suzan’s life together seemed to be over now, for many apparent reasons.

Bright sunshine shot through the crack between the dark drapes and splashed on the magazine as a reminder of Joe’s laziness.

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So we see that Joe is not perfect. Suzan isn’t either. More on that tomorrow.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

My wife and I have just celebrated our 41st anniversary. She, as most women are, is a very understanding and patient person. I can be a handful now and then. See you tomorrow.