"A piece of gossip sets tongues wagging”---What are the consequences?

Gossip, Gossip, Gossip

It does make me very angry when I hear gossip. Why don’t people just let everyone alone and then there wouldn’t be any gossip. Like old Bob Worthington going to marry old Mrs. Leaf. Now, you’d think they were too old to get married but in another week they would marry each other. I think it is wonderful that they can find happiness with each other and I’ll sure be going to their wedding.

Or like Mr. Lick’s dig, Fifi, ran off with someone else’s dog. That I cannot believe because dogs don’t just run off.

Then there was old Mrs. Tweety telling everyone what she heard about that young couple that eloped. Maybe they didn’t want a large wedding and found this was the only way to get married. My blessing on them both.

No, I just don’t like gossip one bit. Now if you’d tell me the truth, that is a different story. I’ll tell you a good one and you don’t have to believe it if you don’t want to, but it is true.

Mark was down visiting Mary Ellen and sure enough the gossip started. Mark was seeing Mary Ellen and they were having a great time. Mark would go down there with a big package and he’d go back with nothing in his hands. Maybe it was just something to eat and maybe not. You’d think he’d have his dishes with him. Well, let me tell you it was very scary. He’d go down to visit Mary Ellen at least five times a week or even more.

One day the tough guys, Jim and Jerry, thought they would follow Mark to see what was happening. They kept their cover and pretty soon one of the lights came on, but they couldn’t see anything because the window was covered. All they could see was around the edges of the shade, which wasn’t much. Jim and Jerry thought they would look around through the other windows, but every one was covered with a shade.

Suddenly they heard music and stopped to listen. It was coming from inside and it sure was a slow waltz. They could hear murmurings coming from inside and were so mad because they could not see what was going on. They went to the door and carefully tried it. It was locked. Well, how do you like that! They couldn’t see in or get in.

Jerry had some wax with him and carefully chewed it until it was soft. Then he put it over the door lock and pressed down. When he took it away, there was the shape of a key, so they hurried to try to make one like it. They were going to see what those two were doing, or it would kill them.

Jim said it probably wouldn’t do any good as the key wouldn’t work anyway. They feverishly worked all night and got their key made. The next night they waited and waited for Mark to go by but he didn’t. So they went back home and said they’d wait until the next time Mark went by.

They could hardly believe it but Mark didn’t go by for a week. Where was he? Finally here comes Mark and he looks pretty discouraged. He knocks on Mary Ellen’s door and when she opens it, she is so surprised to see Mark, that she motions for him to come in, and then they lock the door. Soon the windows are covered and they hear soft music coming from inside. They then hear murmurings coming from inside and Jim and Jerry crept to the house and tried the lock. It didn’t work.

Jerry had some more wax and soon he was making a copy of the lock again. They went home and made another key and were

sure this one would work. So the next night they were ready and sure enough, here comes Mark, looking like he was just skipping along, real happy.

Mark knocks on the door and Mary Ellen opens it exclaiming how surprised she is to see him. She motions for him to come in and then closes the door. Soon Jim and Jerry hear soft music and were wondering how long they’d have to wait. In the next half hour, the door opened and out came Mark and Mary Ellen. They walked down to the lake and could you believe it, Mark had his arm around her shoulders. They sat on a bench that was there and were talking real low when Mark gave a laugh that liked to scare them to death. They took off running and didn’t stop until they were home. They were out of breath and their hearts were beating madly. Jerry said, “Boy, we were almost caught.”

But they should have stayed around for the show, as Mark stood up and went down on bended knee, right in front of Mary Ellen. He took the ring out of his pants pocket and presented it to her. She was so surprised that she couldn’t say anything for a minute. She just looked at Mark, like he was practicing or something. Then she said, “Mark, I want you to be very sure you are doing the right thing.”

He said, “Yes, I am. Will you marry me?”

Mary Ellen threw her arms around his neck and said, “Yes. Yes, oh yes, Mark, I’ll marry you.”

Mark took the ring out of the box and slipped it on Mary Ellen’s left hand. It fit just perfect and he kissed her like she had never been kissed before. She was breathless but managed to say, “Would you care to come to the house for some tea? I make a real good tea.”

Mark laughed and said, “I know you do, Mary Ellen. I just couldn’t stand it any longer. Going to Sue’s house and having to drink her coffee.” He laughed again, “Boy, that was the worse tasting stuff I ever drank, after your tea,” and he kissed her again. “I don’t want anyone else but you,” he said and they walked hand in hand to the house.

They had tea and Mary Ellen surprised Mark with a chocolate cake. He said, “I knew I was doing the right thing. Chocolate Cake with----,” he tasted his finger and finished, “Oh, my favorite, Chocolate Butter Cream.”

Mary Ellen smiled at him and would have gone to the cupboard, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, saying, “You are the most fantastic person I’ve ever met,” and he gave her a big kiss.

After she had sat down, she asked him, “Mark, whatever happened to Sue?”

He sort of laughed and said, “Her and her coffee are a has been. I told her I liked tea but she said she didn’t,” and he made a face and said, “Oh, it just tasted awful. I’m so glad to have you as my intended. You know, for a long time, I knew it was you but I just tried to reassure myself that you were helping me to get Sue,” he said. “Boy, did that ever bust all out when she said tea tasted terrible. I’ll never forget her face when she said that! Let’s put some more music on and dance awhile. I know I should go home, but I don’t want to just yet.”

Mary Ellen got up to put on some music when Mark came up behind her saying, “I can hardly wait until we are married. I’ve really had to contain myself in order not to over do it. I really want you, you know?”

Mary Ellen smiled up at him as she put on a slow waltz. She asked, “Is this better?”

Mark said, “Um, just like I was thinking it would be.”

Mark and Mary Ellen danced away the evening until she started yawning. She said, “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t like to yawn in your face but I guess I am getting tired.”

Mark looked at his watch and said, “My goodness, it’s after 11 O’clock. I better get home otherwise I’ll never be able to get to work tomorrow. I really hate to leave, you know,” and he kissed her a long time.

“Oh Mark, I think you better leave right now,” Mary Ellen said. “I don’t know how long I can hold you off.”

“Yea, I know,” he said. “Is it alright if I come by tomorrow evening? We could have supper together and I’ll even bring the pork chops.”

Mary Ellen gave a little laugh and said pork chops would be fine. He gave her another kiss and then ‘fell’ out the door, saying softly, “You know I really hate to be going at a time like this.”

She said it was alright and he would be back tomorrow evening. Then she shut the door before asking him back inside. She had just taken off her dress when there was a knock at the door. She ran to it and opened it a little, “Yes Mark, what did you forget?”

He gave such a long drawn out, “you’ that she wasn’t even sure he said anything. He picked her up, kicked the door shut and took her in the bedroom. He said he promised it wouldn’t happen again before they were married, but his kisses were too much to be desired and she was carried away, just like he was. Later on he kept stroking her cheek and saying how great she was. They would have to get married real quick because he didn’t know if he could hold out much longer. Mary Ellen reached up and kissed him, letting him know it was alright. He laughed and said he better be going home, otherwise he wouldn’t be going to work tomorrow. She said, “Do you really have to go to work tomorrow?”

He was sitting up on his side of the bed when her comment hit him. “No I don’t really think I have to be there,” he said, “What to you have in mind?” he said as he leaned over her and that was the last he knew until the sun was shining brightly in the window.

He said, “Boy, you’ve played me right out,” and he kissed her.

“Oh Mark, I’ve waited so long for you to be with me, that I just can’t help myself,” she said. “I really need you.”

Mary Ellen and I lay around all morning. Boy, I couldn’t believe how happy I was. Finally I suggested we get up and go get my things out of my apartment. She stretched so invitingly, that I had to look away. We couldn’t lie here any longer. I had tomorrow before I had to be out of the flat and this was wonderful, being with Mary Ellen. I suddenly reached over and gave her a big kiss and said, “I just can’t help it. I have to go to my apartment now. You can come along if you’d like.”

She said, “Oh, can I really? I’d love to,” and she was out of the bed before I knew it.

We had some toast and tea and headed out the door. We were so very happy, that nothing could go wrong. We got to the flat and started packing up things when a woman walks out of the bedroom. She said, “Where were you all night? I was so worried about you.”

Mark took one look at her and remarked, “Well, who the hell are you?”

She started to cry and whispered, “Oh Mark. Where were you? I really was worried.”

He said, “Get your clothes on and get out of here. I don’t know who you are but the quicker you are out, the better,” and he turned to filling the box he was holding.

Mary Ellen took hold of his arm and asked him who she was. He said he didn’t know who she was but he bet it was Sue who had put her up to it. Soon she was out of the bedroom and sniffled, “Just you wait until I get home. My Mama will come after you for hurting me.

“Well, I don’t care who your Mama is. I don’t want anything to do with you,” Mark yelled. “You just tell Sue it didn’t work out.”

At the mention of Sue’s name, she stiffened and said her good byes in a hurry and she was out of the door before you could shake a stick at it. Boy, I never seen a woman that could move that fast, except maybe Mary Ellen, and when I looked at her our eyes locked and we both began to laugh. “Boy, she really knew what she was after,” Mary Ellen said, “didn’t she? She wanted my man.”

“Well, she wouldn’t get your man,” said Mark. “I’m keeping what I have for only one woman, Mary Ellen,” and he laughed and pulled me into a very big kiss.

“Um, that tasted like more. But I think we had better hurry and get out of here,” Mary Ellen said.

Well, needless to say, I didn’t have much stuff, so we got through in half and hour. Then I told her we’d stop by the maintenance guy’s office and I’d pay him for the month. I was so happy to be going by her place, I really could have danced a jig.

Ouch, the door was opened by the woman that was downstairs. She had a drink in her hand and didn’t really pay attention to me. She said, “Come in,” and we both followed her in. She stopped, turned around and yelled, “Get out of here, you darn guy.”

I laughed and asked her if that was the best she could do, and seen Sue sitting there, too. Boy, was I mad. I told the maintenance guy to get out the papers and I told him what to write down and he wrote it all down like I told him and signed the paper. I took it a stuffed it in my hip pocket, “Right where it will be safe,” I said. Then Mary Ellen and I walked out.

As we got in her car, I asked her to stop at Bob’s Grocery Store.

She did and we went inside to buy some pork chops. It was great having Mary Ellen to shop with.

Mary Ellen asked me if I wasn’t going to pay the guy and I said, “No, he doesn’t deserve to be paid. Why, I’ll bet he was over charging me all along.”

After getting back into Mary Ellen’s car, she asked me if there was anything else I wanted and I told her, “Nope, just to get back to your place, Honey,” he said.

I was so happy to be going to her place, that you could have knocked me over with a toothpick. I didn’t have to stay in that apartment any longer. I looked at Mary Ellen and seen a small smile playing around her mouth and I asked her what she was smiling about. “Just that woman in your apartment. She looked so at home, I almost left,” she said.

“What?” I asked, “You almost left?”

Mary Ellen was laughing so hard, she had to pull over to the sidewalk. “Well,” she finally said, “Just think what you would of done to her.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what I would of done to her. I’d have kicked her butt and told her to get out,” I said as Mary Ellen laid her hand on my leg (giving me goose bumps) I might add. “You had better hurry and get home,” I said.

Mary Ellen was so brave now that everything had gone her way; she thought she was really smart. Well, you just wait until I get her home, I thought, I’d show her what was what, and we hurried home to a healthful life style

I know this is true because it happened to me. Mary Ellen Buyer married to Mark Buyer for almost 50 years.