"Winning Elle for a wife shows what a fine man I am," Kenneth boasted. He tossed the ball with ease.
John caught the ball in silence, but his annoyance was beginning to show on his face.
Kenneth caught the ball and tucked it away. John walked a little past him and stared at the wall.
"Don't you agree John? Elle is a lovely creature. Marrying her is the best thing I ever did."
A little smile crept on Kenneth's face with remembrance of his wife.
John turn round to face him.
"And what are you saying about my wife?" The anger was creeping into John's voice.
"Your wife? No, no John. I'm talking about my wife, Elle! Lovely blond hair, blue eyes, loves pink...thin, delicate...why she is lovely in every way." Kenneth finished with his heart full.
"Are you saying my Rebecca isn't?" John seemed to be barely holding himself back.
Kenneth laughed.
"John, John, John. That isn't what I'm getting at, not at all."
"Loving my wife doesn't take away from you loving yours John. Do you not feel that way about Rebecca?"
John thought of his wife in a far more simple way. But at least he understood now that Kenneth wasn't trying to snub him or his wife. He slowly nodded his head.
"Still talking of your fair lass?"
Shamus Malone hadn't bothered with a formal greeting. They are all peasant men here after all.
Kenneth found it harder to talk of his wife in the past tense. He turned away but Shamus followed.
"You still miss her, don't you?" Then Shamus added quietly, "And then losing Dale all these years later... He was quite ill, wasn't he?"
"We both were. I'd rather have gone in his place. He is such a young man."
But he slipped between past and present tense when speaking of his dead wife and son. It was an inner tug between the pain of loss and a desire to speak better than the peasant man he is.
"Maggie and I would love to have you over anytime."
"Thank you Shamus."
Finding it easier to be jovial than to speak of such things, Kenneth went quickly from a serious face to a mischievous smile. He scooped up some snow and lobbed it at Shamus.
"So that's the way you want it Woods?"
Kenneth found it most satisfactory when Shamus got him good. It was likely Shamus knew it. Good old chap. He would have to take him up on that visit.
"Look alive old man!"
Another snowball smacked Kenneth's coat. Kenneth laughed good and hearty. It felt good.
Poor guy, coping with all that loss. At least he has his friends.
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