Kay Post Script

There is one more, tiny little chapter for Kay.

It was about some years later, still now years ago, when I finally tracked down where Paul and Kay had moved about to. In the mean time, the couple had adopted two wonderful children, doubtless to Kay’s utter delight. Much to my chagrin, they had just left a position, where I found Kay's recently abandoned personal e-mail address.

Still, with a little help from the internet, I found their new phone number, took a deep breath, and gave them a call. Much to my surprise and pleasure, I got to speak with Kay first. We had fun chatting for several minutes on a variety of innocent topics, then I caught her off guard, remembering that free haircut that Kay had offered so long ago. My, did she break into peals of laughter! She quickly informed me that her son would not allow her anywhere near his hair!

We talked for a minute or two longer, then in the midst of a sentence, she interrupted me with "Would you like to talk to Paul?"

Wishing to finish what I was saying, and not listening to how she had suddenly gone flat , her voice monochromatic, I said, "Sure, in a moment," and continued on.

I have mentioned 'dense' before, haven't I?

But all that I wanted to tell her, finally, was that she was a beautiful woman. That I understood. And I finally had the chance…I blundered on.

I finally caught it when Kay politely interrupted me again, with that same neutral tone, "Would you like to talk to Paul?"

Duh. Paul was standing there, silently demanding the phone.

After I had chatted with him, going over old times for a while and hung up the phone, that fact eventually sunk in. I haven't had the heart to call them again, though I was tempted to try to catch Kay at home alone sometime.

I have to admit that it hurt, knowing that for Kay, after all of these years, nothing had changed. She still couldn’t be free, was bound more tightly than any woman should be. Knowing that I had failed her.

Yet even so, that's still not the end of the story. You might have to wait for this one…