THE MERETRICIOUS MARGARET

　
I met Margaret during the summer of 1980 when I was a 29 yr old blonde chick. Ironically, we were introduced by my mother. During my mid-teens Mom became a religious fanatic and joined a Holy Roller church. She remained a member until her death in 1987. But that's a story for a future blog.

That summer my mother was adamant I attend a wedding at her church. I had never met the couple and had zero interest. But Mom was eager to acquaint me with a new member of the congregation. The lady would be picking us up since neither of us drove.

"She's a peculiar person," Mom stated, You two might hit it off. She's close to your age."

I told her in no uncertain terms that I didn't want to know anyone who would belong to that church!

"The woman just experienced a painful divorce. She's lonely and looking for friends. She is disappointed the people there aren't more friendly," Mom explained. "Her ex-husband was a doctor. They used to fly to Florida on their private plane."

Well I was friendless, dateless, and a few months earlier, my father had sold our family business, so now I was unemployed, too. I couldn't imagine myself clicking with some rich doctor's ex-wife.

"The other people at church think she dresses way too flashy," Mom continued.

Bingo! We had something in common.

"She sings in the choir," Mom went on, "Everyone was shocked to see her make a bellydancer move with her tambourine."

Now she was beginning to sound like she might be interesting.

As I first saw Margaret, I knew instantly why the church ladies wouldn't like her. She was trim, attractive, and dressed with style. Clearly not a member of the frump-a-dump brigade. Also she was more educated.

Margaret was not close to my age. In fact she was closer to my mother's age. However they looked opposite as night and day! I told her she didn't seem like the type to gravitate to that particular denomination.

"They featured an ad in the newspaper that caught my eye," she replied. "It was a program for single people. I never thought my husband would leave me. I'm having trouble adjusting."

That's one problem I've never had, I embrace and enjoy my aloneness! I felt she could learn a lot from me. The following week we enjoyed lunch together sans my mother.

"It was sweet of you to attend the wedding with your mom," Margaret told me.

"She paid me $20. to go," I said.  And I wasn't joking!

But I'm glad I attended! Had you told me that this woman would still be in my life during my 50's as my longest and dearest friend, I would probably have considered it incredulous! Especially since she moved out of state only 2 weeks after our meeting.

We exchanged letters for awhile. Suddenly she seemed to just drop off the map! I heard nothing for several years. My mother thought she had probably remarried and didn't want to know me anymore.

But then one Christmas in my mid-30's, I received a card from her! Margaret had returned to college late in life and became a doctor herself. Her ex-husband had done every sneaky thing in his power to avoid paying alimony causing her financial hardship. She had been forced to give up the lifestyle she loved.

Now she was working in a Lab in North Carolina to earn enough money to retire in Florida. We began corresponding again. Shortly after, my mother died from cancer.

I received a beautiful sympathy card from Margaret. "One day, when it's your time, your mother will come for you," she wrote.

"Well if she does, I'm not going!" I wrote back. "Because if I do, I'm liable to end up in Hell!"

Margaret was shocked. Like everyone else, she had only seen my mother's artificially nice veneer. My mother had too many sociopathic traits to end up in heaven, as I see it.

Eventually Margaret retired to the Orlando area with a beautiful home. It's several hours away from here. She also became enamoured of the R.V. lifestyle. The lady doctor owned both a large and a small of the vehicles.

After our Stuart home went on the market, Margaret came in her smaller R.V. to see the place for a final time. Like most people she loved our river view. It was also the 1st time she met my father.

We learned she had been a professional dancer in her youth. Margaret had even attracted the notice of a Hollywood agent.

"I just wasn't interested in pursuing it," she told us. "All I wanted was a husband and family."

"I really thought you'd remarry," I said. "My mother believed you had."

"Most of the men I've met since my divorce are just users." She grimaced. "And my ex-husband "Fred" had deep-seated psychological problems. He punched me in the face once!"

"And you still loved him! That's amazing!" I exclaimed. I learned years later that he was the 2nd husband who beat her. In many ways Margaret was as damaged as I had been.

Later after my father and I moved to Vero Beach, Margaret visited many times in her R.V.. Dad delighted in her company, too.

Upon her 1st visit, she came attired in her infamous leopard slacks. I insisted she wear them. I surprised her wearing mine! However, Margaret went me one better with a broad-brimmed leopard hat, too. 

On a less fit and attractive woman that outfit would have appeared outlandish. However Margaret looked just like a Palm Beach socialite. She kept her dancer's figure her entire life.

During a later visit, she wore a trendy red leather pants & jacket set with a matching cap. She was into her 80's by then, but you'd never guess it! Margaret loved clothes as much as I do, especially flashy styles! We both admitted our love of reading SEVENTEEN magazine.

"I don't like the clothes they make for people my age," Margaret used to say.

I think the same. Both of us shopped in the Junior section. Later in her retirement, when she fell on economic hard times, I introduced her to Thrift & Consignment stores.

After my father's passing, she was a godsend! She helped me to find my way around what was still a strange city. Following directions after my father's stroke had been harrowing. He was too deaf to comprehend my questions. And I couldn't understand his answers due to his impaired speech. Cars would be honking at us while drivers gave me the finger!

Usually Margaret came twice a year. I always looked forward to her visits. We would ooh and aah over each other's garish frills like a pair of drag queens. It was a glorious time!

We often tried to out-do each other with our outfits. I used to think of us as an older, poorer version of PARIS & NICOLE. -- A popular program at the time. Except that we weren't tramps!

But after all those decades, she still seemed obsessed with Fred. She spoke of her ex-husband so frequently, I used to call him her F-word.

"My husband always told me how much he loved me," she lamented. "But the first time we had a problem he was crying on the shoulder of another woman. I'll never get over that!"

"Yeah the guy who hit you!!!  But didn't you say he married someone different?" I asked.

"His current wife, a patient came later," she replied. "It was his nurse who broke up our marriage. Why she refused to let me see my own husband when I went to his office. In fact she threw a glass of water in my face because I refused to leave!"

"You should have decked her!" I laughed.

"I could have ducked, but I wanted to see how far she would go," Margaret explained. " His staff called the police. Meanwhile my husband sneaked out the back and drove home."

What a coward!!!

"The nurse ended up going back to her husband, but my marriage had been destroyed." Margaret sighed. "After my divorce, I joined a different church. And guess what?... That nurse held a high paid position there. -- But I got her fired after I told them she broke up my marriage!"

"I'm proud of you!" I said. "She deserved that!"

"I had such difficulty adjusting to being single," Margaret stated. "But now I prefer it."

"Right on!" I replied.

Usually after 3 days, 4 at the most, we were both eager to resume our routines and separate lives. Margaret was a unique spirit and a valued friend. Best of all, she never over-stayed her welcome.