THE BOLAN CHRONICLES: Reading #28

28. Approximate Minutes Reading (AMR): 5

Introduction to Characters
Stanley Fanning: Husband of Doris Fanning (AKA, Missy)

THE BOLAN CHRONICLES

Chapter 3

A House

**Odd Couple**

Since the day she had personally delivered the small loaves of corn bread as a token of her appreciation for the firewood, Donna had become quite a friend with the neighbor, Doris Fanning, AKA, Missy. Missy had helped her out with Dean on many occasions, not only simple favors like changing him or rocking him to sleep, but she also made trips to the store for Donna when Dean was napping, and she carried purchased items from the truck to the house. She was a godsend. Stanley Fanning was in no way like his wife. Donna described him as weird and stuffy and always gracing a nervous smile. “And his mouth does this weird kind of shaking thing when he talks.” She had said. 

Jake warned her to stay away from him as much as possible. “But don’t offend the strange one,” Jake had said, “Cause I don’t want to have to start paying for firewood.” And he’d smiled at his cleverness.

Once, when Missy had invited Donna for lunch and to spend some time looking at the latest little picture album of Dean, a peculiar thing had happened. They had just about finished the meal, and they were sitting at the kitchen table, conversing about the news of the times, which happened to be the murder of John Lennon. The ladies were commenting on how much of a shame it was that he was taken so young, and about how much more he could have done had he not been killed. Stanley had walked in from upstairs. “It was like he appeared out of nowhere!” Donna had later told Jake. 

He had stopped at the table and had looked first at Donna and then at his wife and had said in his usual muffled and nervous manner, “Maybe you two ladies ought to join the throng of…of… fans in Central Park,” Then he smiled and continued, “It would only take a few hours to get there. I’ll get the keys for you, if…if you’d like!” Then he noticed the small picture album on the table in front of Donna and added, “Those must be magazine cut-outs of Lennon, right?” He snickered abruptly then turned around and walked back up the stairs. Missy was embarrassed beyond words, and Donna was embarrassed for her. 

Then Stanley had turned the volume up on the television in his bedroom, the one just adjacent to his wife’s. It was ABC’s World News Tonight. He had turned the volume up so high that the ladies could barely hear one another. 

They stepped out onto the front porch, and Missy insisted that Donna relax on one of the rockers while she got them some tea. She handed her the steaming cup and said, “I haven’t made my crumblies since I shared them with you a while back, Donna. Would you like for me to make some?”

Donna replied, “Oh, no, Missy. Don’t go to the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble, Sweetie,” she replied.

“Really,” Donna said. “Maybe next time.”

“Suit yourself, Honey.” She said, as she lowered her short, stout body onto the oak porch rocker across from Donna.

Following a deep sigh she said, “I have to be honest, Donna, or I just won’t be comfortable.”

“What is it, Missy?”

“Well, I’m just a little embarrassed by my husband sometimes, that’s all.”

Donna reached over and touched her wrist. “Oh, Missy, it’s really okay.”

“No,” She replied. “It’s really not okay.” She stared at her own slippered feet and shook her head.

Donna said, “You don’t have to explain anything to me, Missy. I really like you. You are such a wonderful person, and Jake and I couldn’t have asked for a better neighbor, really.”

Missy looked up and said, “But it’s such a shame.”

“What’s a shame?” 

“Your Jake and my Stanley will probably never be friends, and it’d be so nice to have you both over for dinner now and then.” And she shook her head again.

Donna finally broke the awkward silence, “They might become friends, Missy. You never know. Just give it some time.”

“You don’t understand, Honey. Stanley doesn’t get to know people,” She nervously played with the napkin next to her teacup. “And I feel just a bit ashamed that I told Jake a lie about Stanley.”

“A lie?” Donna asked.

“Well,” She paused, “I’m afraid I told Jake that Stanley had a friend that he cut wood with over near Saugatuk Reservoir.”

Donna asked, “He doesn’t have a friend that he cuts wood with?”

Missy shook her head slowly, “Stanley doesn’t have any friends.”

Donna said, “Missy, don’t worry about that. It’s not important, really. And besides,” She leaned in closely and sweetly said, “He has you, doesn’t he? Having you as a friend is more than most anyone could hope for.”

Missy sniffled then she stood up and hugged Donna. She thanked her for being so kind, and she told her how glad she was that she now had someone to talk with because life was so lonely. Missy told Donna about how her husband spent most every day in his room with the door closed and the television on. He rarely spent time with her, and when he did, it was impersonal and mostly silent. 

“Has it always been this way?” Donna asked.

“At first everything seemed fine,” She replied, “But after a year or so of our marriage, that’s when he shut down…just, shut down, that’s all.”

Donna said, “I know that it’s none of my business, Missy, but…”

“What is it? You can ask me anything.”

“Well, I was just curious about the two bedrooms.”

“Oh. That.”

After a brief pause, Missy said, “We shared a bedroom for that first year, if that’s what you mean.”

Donna replied, “And after that?”

“I’ve had my own room for going on 43 years now.”

“Oh my god, Missy.” She paused again. “What about…”

“Sex?”

Donna’s face flushed bright pink and she looked down.

“Oh, it’s okay, honey. That first year was good for it, but after, we only occasionally did that. Mostly when he wanted it, but it’s never really meant much to me.”

“I see.” Donna said. “Do you two do anything together…ever?”

Missy looked up and nodded, “We’re almost like strangers.”

Donna suddenly shook her head and said, “Okay Missy, let me make sure that I have this right. You’ve been married to the same man for forty-three years, you only spent the first year in the same bedroom together, you have almost nothing in common, and you almost never speak to one another.”

Missy gave a perfunctory nod and managed, “That’s right. That’s the sad truth,” Then she said, “But there’s more.”

And Missy had Donna’s full attention.