An Unhappy Marriage (Part One)

We first met in October of 1975 when Bill asked me to go with him to pay a visit on his girlfriend. Bill had explained that he was going to apologize for not showing up for a dinner date the night before. He went on to explain that it had been her birthday and he knew she was going to be really upset about it.

"So you want me to go along in hopes that she won't throw a fit in front of a stranger, right?" I had asked him.

He regretfully admitted that was the true reason for asking me to go along. I didn't like the idea of being used like that, but thought it just might prove to be a more interesting evening than the one I had planned, so I agreed to go along.

When we arrived at her home, Bill was about to knock on the door when it swung wide open, revealing an obviously angry young woman. At first glance I thought this must be the little sister because she was only about 4 and a half feet tall. But as the conversation began it didn't take me long to realize she was the girlfriend he'd been afraid to face on his own. I couldn't help but be amused by the idea that a big boy like Bill was afraid to face such a petite woman.

"You have some nerve!" she started then stopped suddenly as Bill sidestepped to reveal me standing behind him. She had a look of understanding on her face as she looked first at me then back at Bill. She looked back at me for a long moment then turned and walked back into the house..."Come on in!" she stated as she vanished behind the door.

As Bill walked through the door he introduced her to me. "Bob, I'd like you to meet Sherri Smith. The sweetest little lady I've ever met." She spun around and glared at him, leaving me to wonder what part of that statement annoyed her to most.

That night wasn't quite the "interesting" night I thought it might turn out to me. A side of Bill emerged during that visit that took me by surprise. He was literally groveling at her feet, making every effort to weasel his way back into her good graces.

She knew exactly what he was doing, and why he'd brought me along. So she spent her time ignoring him by continually trying to engage me in a meaningful conversation. Oddly, I started feeling sympathetic to Bill's cause, and refrained from open conversation with her. I answered a few questions about myself where I didn't have to give up too much information and left plenty of openings for Bill to get a word in as often as she would allow it.

Thankfully, our visit wasn't to last very long. Sherri finally had enough of Bill's interruptions and asked him to leave. "Don't bother calling me any more Bill. I don't want to have anymore to do with you." she told him as she opened the door for us. She then turned and took my hand in hers. "But I'd really like it if you called on me Bob." she said with a smile.

As I walked out of the door I felt a twinge of anger at having been used by both of them that night. Bill used me to help control a bad encounter with Sherri and she used me that night to get her digs in at him. I walked away from that meeting wishing I had let Bill face her alone.

I listened to Bill rant about how she'd been all over me while we were there and how he wished he'd not asked me to come along with him. I didn't say a word. In a sense he got what he had coming to him. And after he dropped me off at my truck I pushed the events of the night out of my mind and gave it as little thought as it deserved afterward.

About two weeks had gone by and I was sitting in the diner where I always had lunch before going to work when I saw her walk through the door. As soon as I recognized her I felt a surge of contempt stir in me as the memories of that night returned. She appeared to be looking for someone and I quickly set my attention to eating my meal before we had the chance to make eye contact.

I was hoping she would find who she was looking for and not come over to my table. After sufficient time had passed and she hadn't come over to my table I finally looked up and found her sitting at the table directly in front of me smiling at me.

As soon as she saw me look up her smile broadened and she waved to me. I reluctantly forced a smile, took another bite of food, then got up and left. I was still hungry, but had no intention of indulging this situation further.

A few days later she turned up again. This time at the pool hall where I enjoyed playing eight ball with a few friends. This time I decided to just ignore her and play my game. She walked over, sat on a stool by the wall, and just stared at me smiling. It was quite disturbing and I finally paid for my game and left.

Over the next few weeks it became obvious she was following me. She began showing up in all the places I liked to hang out. I changed diners and on the second visit found her sitting across the room from me again. I changed my whole routine in effort to avoid her, but to no avail, for every time I looked up there she was.

One night, while waiting in my truck at the Sonic drive-in, I was suddenly aware of someone standing by my door. I knew who it was without having to look, but still I turned my head in her direction just as she tapped on my window.

I rolled the window down without breaking eye contact with her. When she realized I wasn't going to say anything she stated. "I think we need to talk."

"About what?" I asked, trying to use a tone of voice which would make my annoyance with her obvious.

"Well," she said, "I've been wondering why you haven't come to visit me."

"Did you really think I would after that little episode with you and Bill that night?" I asked, watching her eyes carefully.

"Well.... no, I guess I didn't." she replied. "But I hoped you would."

"Excuse me." the waitress said as she stepped up to the car. "Here's your order, sir."

"Thank you." I said, digging for my wallet.

"May I sit with you, in your truck, and talk about it?" She asked while I was fishing some money from my wallet andgave it to the the girl.

I didn't answer at first, but glanced up at her while waiting for my change. As I tucked my change in my pocket I told her to get it.

While I ate she told me stories of how Bill had made several dates with her and then stood her up. She also told of how when he did take her out he was constantly embarrasing her by making such and issue of her size. When she said that I immediately remembered the grimace on her face that night when Bill made his introductions.

After I finished eating and set the window tray on the stand I half expected we would say our goodbyes and she would return to her car. Instead she asked if we could drive around and continue to talk.

We ended up spending most the evening together just talking. I was surprised to discover that she had been married before and recently divorced. She and her husband had lived in Nebraska, which explained why I hadn't seen her around town before.

She told me some stories about her ex-husband, more to explain why they had divorced than anything else. According to her he had taken advantage of her 4' 6" size on many occassions to force her to do things she would rather not describe. Of course my imagination put a lot of things together and I couldn't help but to feel sorry for her.

I finally dropped her back off at her car and went back to the Dee Swift Hotel, an old railroad hotel located just south of the main square in town. That's where I had been living ever since returning to DeQueen Arkansas to get my old job back. I couldn't help feeling troubled about this whole Sherrie issue.

The way she had started stalking me after that first night we met had really annoyed me and yet that evening, her stories, made me feel something for her. I wasn't exactly sure what that was, which is what bothered me the most.

Over the next few weeks I loosened up a bit and when she'd show up at meal times she'd come on over to my table and sit with me. At times she'd show up at the pool hall and play a few games with me and eventually I started accepting invitations to visit her at her home. We did become friends.