KISS GOODBYE — Jennifer Chapman

They say a woman knows if her husband is having an affair. When we hear of someone in that situation we say things like, ‘why does she put up with it?’, ‘she should just dump him’. So what happens to us when we know but hold back from taking that same advice? Then, when we acknowledge things are over and it is time to move on, why is it so hard.They say a woman knows if her husband is having an affair. When we hear of someone we know in that situation we say things like, ‘why does she put up with it?’, ‘why doesn’t she just dump him’. So what happens to us when we know but hold back from taking that same advice? Then, when we finally acknowledge things are over and it is time to move on, why is it so hard. The life we have known for so long has left us on the edge of things, a spectator on the edge of things, unsure of what to do next. The dating game has changed to the point where you wonder who changed the rules.‘The rain was making a racket on the boats, too much to hear if there were any sounds coming from inside them. I started to slow up a bit as I got nearer to Baz’s, and realised I felt something like disappointment when I saw that it was in darkness. I must have paused for a moment, perhaps to make sure, I don’t know what I was thinking. Then I realised that I was horribly wet and that the rain was getting heavier and faster. I climbed onto Baz’s boat and tried the door handle. It wasn’t locked. Inside it was pitch black, but I wasn’t going to switch on a light even if I could find where it was.‘I pulled the door shut as quietly as I could because I knew I should not be here. I went down the steps and felt for somewhere to sit down until I got used to the darkness. The rain on the roof had a different sound from the one it had made outside, as if it desperately wanted to come in and was angry about being shut out. I started to shiver. Then I closed my eyes and tried to see in my mind’s eye how it had been when the men were there. The pitter-patter came again. And then I froze as I heard another sound and the boat rocked...’