2820. The homemaker © Bruce Goodman 20 August 2023

Warren left for work no later than seven each morning. He wouldn’t get home until round about six. His wife, Sheila, always had dinner ready about six thirty. She worked as long and hard as her husband but she was described as “a homemaker, the term used on census forms and death certificates. “A Homemaker” said Warren “doesn’t make any money.” Warren was obsessed with making money. He earned plenty. Early in their marriage he had waxed eloquently about how they were a partnership. They were a team. He would earn the money and she would make their home a loving, living environment. In fact, even though she was a qualified nurse, he was not happy that she worked. “Nurses pick up all sorts of diseases off patients. Just be happy as a homemaker.” It’s not that Sheila wasn’t happy. She would sew little dolls and stuffed toys to sell at the village market. It brought in a few extra pennies. The partnership concept and working as a team seems to have gone out the window. Warren wasn’t happy about the toy sewing. As time went on he got more and more cynical of the homemaker. Can’t you do something more interesting? Can’t you do something more worthwhile instead of moping around sewing useless toys? Sew some clothes or something. Make something useful. Things got really rough. Sheila decided to leave. She did that, but not before sewing closed the bottoms of the legs of every pair of trousers Warren owned. Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story