Nancy Meets John

Nancy and I huddled to talk while waiting for the others to assemble for our divorce support group. As usual, she was excited. telling about what she had done the previous week. Nancy was always excited about her life, but this time she had real news.

“I’ve met a man who lives in Lake-of-the-Woods, the same condo complex where I live,” she said. “We have so much in common. He plays golf, and he likes to take bike rides. Isn’t it wonderful! We can do so many things together, and he lives just five minutes from me in the next building.”

Yes, it sounded perfect. For a few weeks I spent my days and evenings huddled watching television in my bedroom at my son-in-law’s house, as Nancy had no time to meet me for Saturday movies or to go to Cantigny.

Then she called and asked me to meet her for lunch on Sunday after church. As we waited for the waitress to bring our apple pancakes, Nancy confided, “Wednesday night after choir practice I stopped at John’s condo. He gave me a little glass of wine, as he always does, and said, ‘Nancy, I have something to tell you. I’ve met a school teacher in Chicago. I won’t be dating you any more. This lady and I are going steady.’”

Nancy was amused that this 68-year-old man used the phrase, “going steady”. That’s what we said when we were in high school 50 years ago.

“Nancy,” I said. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all right,” she said. “I was getting tired of him any way.”

A couple of months passed. Nancy and I did all the usual activities. She met a new man. I went to a writers’ group at the Downers Grove Library. Then one Wednesday, Nancy called me at my son-in-law’s house. “Parents Without Partners is having a mid-week break at the Plantation tonight. Would you meet me there after choir practice?”

I looked in my purse. I had $1.50 to last until the end of the month. I went to the local bar, the Plantation, and put down my $1.50 for a coke. Nancy did not show up. A little man asked me to dance. The band was playing disco. I never danced disco in my life, but I got up and moved it around.

We kept dancing the rest of the evening. He asked me to go across the street to Denny’s for “breakfast.” I had tea and cinnamon toast. I asked him where he lived. He said, “Lake-in-the-Woods.”

I said, “I have a friend who lives there. Do you know Nancy Vosahlik?”

He gave me a serious look and said, “Yes, I know Nancy.”

That’s when I realized this was the man who had dated Nancy. The one with whom she had such much in common. The next day I called Nancy and told her I met John. She said, “I wonder what happened to the school teacher from Chicago.”

A few days later John called me. He said, “I know you are a friend of Nancy’s. If you and I were to go out, would it cause any problems? I don’t want to make any trouble between friends.”

I realized here was a thoughtful, caring man. I said, “I told Nancy I met you. She says it would be all right.”

John and I were married for two years before John told me, “There never was a school teacher in Chicago. I just didn’t know how to tell Nancy I didn’t want to date her.”