I was walking, well, I say walking but I mean limping, down the alleyway to get back to my car which was parked in a Disabled Driver’s parking bay c...ose by. I was leaning on a hiking pole, not because I was likely to go far or anywhere rugged, just that I was too damned proud to use a walking stick. So, I was leaning on this pole as I made my way painfully through the litter strewn on the floor of the alley, kicking my way through discarded plastic carrier bags and packaging. The alley, I. I told her that you please set up a small dinner / lunch at home when no one’s around (As in like husband) and I also told her to arrange for some liquor for which she said that’s not an issue at all since her husband drinksShe need not worry about it and she was occasional smoker in college days and had given up after marriage and so it wouldn’t be a problem. As planned we met at her place for dinner and she had cooked it all by herself and there was some Bacardi white Rum also so mohan sort. Anyway, I’m competent in all sorts of things.”“And so you are. Unfortunately, she’s unlikely to see you solve differential equations, or know what you’ve done if she did see.”“Yeah, but she understood dean’s list.”“And that impressed her? She impresses me. The coeds of my day were more interested in men with a gentleman’s C.”“Being impressed by her is one thing we agree on.”“So it is. I’ll even pretend that your impression extends beyond the gonads.”“It does. I won’t pretend that I’m not. Somehow, I had snagged Janice and wanted toimpress her mother and sisters. Up until that particular momentI hadn't seemed to be doing too good a job in that regard. Herfather was dead and they seemed to badly lack a male presence.Naturally, this was only my supposition the way they lookeddown on me just gave the impression that they considered malesbeneath them socially and intellectually, but I figured I'd winthem over sooner or later. Even Janice, the love of my life,seemed to constantly.