To the Artist's Page                To our home page

To Part X                           To Part XII

Silence: The bathroom door is still closed, but no one at the table will admit that they are listening. There is simply a lapse in the conversation, you see. It is also the third time that conversation will have to be struck up again, and it is only midway through the main course. Three other couples are sitting at the table, waiting, sipping at their wine, fingering the embroidery of the table cloth, smoothing the napkins in their laps. It just would not be polite to continue with everything while those two were in the bathroom. Now and then the rustling of clothing, a muffled word, or a light clink of metal can be heard underneath the humming of the bathroom fan. Still waiting, it seems even a little longer this time. A woman at the table exhales loudly through her nostrils. The man sitting across from her looks up and makes eye contact, raising his eyebrows and pulling in the corner of his mouth. There. It's all out in the open. They all shuffle in their seats, feeling a little more free to be impatient, if not outright irritated. Lord only knows why he insists on bringing her out when he knows this sort of thing is going to happen. I mean I feel sorry for her. And for him. But this…