Uncle Henry

It was Wednesday evening and Henry had barely touched his beer. He stared unseeing at the TV as his phone rang and rang. He made no move to get up from his armchair to answer it. He had received too many phone calls in the past few weeks from women who only wanted one thing from him. And there was only one woman from whom he wanted anything.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He took a moment to decide whether to get up and answer it. It was probably just another needy girl that he would have to say no to. He hated to turn them down; it was only human to want what they wanted. But Henry had his own life to think about too.

The knocking grew louder. Whoever his visitor was, she was persistent. Should he let her in? But Henry knew what would happen then. He couldn't let that happen again. Not with the way he felt about Grace.

The knocking exploded, turned into hammering now. Henry jumped out of his chair. Who could be making such a terrible fuss?

He raced to the door, twisted the lock open, and pulled the handle.

"Uncle Henry!" said his niece Diane, cradling one hand tenderly in the other. "I almost broke my knuckles on your dumb door. Didn't you hear me?"

"Huh? I did, but -- I thought it was someone else."

Diane brushed past him into the living room and he closed the door behind her. "What's the matter with you? You're not picking up your phone, you're not answering the door, and my friends who see you on your bus route say you've been rude to them. You push them away. What's going on?"

Henry sat down next to her on the couch. "I'm not into having sex with strange women, Diane. You shouldn't have gotten me into this."

Diane blew a wisp of auburn hair out of her eyes. "I didn't get you into anything. You agreed to everything you did. And don't tell me you didn't like it."

"Of course I liked it. I'm a guy. But things are different now."

"Like how?"

"Like I found somebody I really like. I can't do it with just anybody any more."

Diane's eyes widened. "Who?"

Henry shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I don't think it's going to work out anyway."

Diane stood up. "Well, if you really like her, you should try. Don't just sit on your couch with a bottle of beer and sulk. Call her, whoever she is." Diane pointed to the phone. "When that thing stops ringing, anyway."

After Diane left, Henry stood by the phone, considering. Then he picked up the receiver, pressed the End button to hang up on whoever was calling, and dialed Grace's number.

"Hello? Henry?"

"Hello, Grace. How are you?"

"It's been almost two weeks. I thought I'd never hear from you again. What's this about?"

Henry took a deep breath, trying to get the words right. He exhaled. "I want to see you again."

"Why? Because the last date went so well?"

"Because it didn't go well," Henry said. "I know that. I want to make it right with you."

There was a pause that seemed to last hours but was really only a few seconds. "All right, Henry. When and where?"

"The Dairy Queen on Las Olas Boulevard. Can you meet me there in an hour?"

"I'll be there."

The relief hit him so hard it took him a minute to realize she had already hung up. He put the phone down and rushed into the bathroom for a quick shave and comb, then changed into clean clothes and was out the door.

He arrived at the Dairy Queen fifteen minutes early and paced in the parking lot until Grace pulled up.

She didn't get out of her car. "What is it, Henry?"

"Come inside, Grace. We'll have an ice cream and talk."

She pushed her door open and stood up. "Lead the way."

The freckle-faced girl at the counter looked Grace up and down as she served them ice cream. She sniffed and pushed her hair back as she gave Henry his change. Then she turned her back on him.

They sat down at one of the small tables. "Grace, I apologize for cutting our bowling date short."

"Why, Henry?"

"I -- I haven't dated in long time. I never was any good at it to begin with."

Grace nodded. "I can see that."

"I just got nervous. I flaked out."

"That's not very attractive in a man."

Henry took a deep breath. She stared at him with a penetrating gaze that unsettled him. "I like you. I like spending time with you. Will you give me another chance?"

She paused before she spoke, then laid both hands on the table. "You're a nice guy. I had a good time with you at the bowling alley, and I thank you for that. That's why I agree to meet you tonight. I'm sure you'll make someone a wonderful partner. " She shook her head. "But it's not going to be me." Her chair slid back with a grating noise. "Good-bye, Henry."

Henry sat motionless as Grace went out the door, his spoon poised over frozen ice cream that was not nearly as cold as the wound Grace had left in his heart.

At home, back in his worn armchair, Henry continued to ignore the insistent ringing of the phone.