There was a match on that afternoon but it was one I wouldn't be attending. The media had been hyping it up as a battle of champions but as far as I was concerned it was a battle of losers. Both teams were going to finish the year in the bottom half of the ladder. I guess how low they were depended on this match.
I settled down to spend the afternoon on the computer. There was an app I was working on that I considered showed potential for both fun and profit. My wife came in just as I started working on it.
"I'm going down the street, Andy," she told me. "I'll be back by two."
I automatically adjusted that to back by three, maybe.
"Joe's going to the game and he's going to drop Marge off here and pick her up afterwards. If I'm not back in time tell Marge I won't be long."
Okay, if she was expecting Marge she might actually be back by two. Something to keep in mind.
Shortly after Joe came roaring along and pulled up outside. I wandered out to greet Marge and to deride Joe's choice of teams to follow, confident in the knowledge that my team was going to be in the top four at season's end.
Mutual sneering completed I escorted Marge into the front room. Once there I explained that my wife was down the street and would probably be back by two as she was expecting Marge.
"I didn't expect to be here until nearly two," Marge grumbled, "but Joe was all hot to get down to the ground. At least, that's what he claimed. I suspect he wants to get to the pub for a while before the game actually starts."
I agreed that was probably Joe's intentions and directed Marge's attentions to the TV, the women's magazines that were on the coffee table, and the kitchen in case she wanted coffee to put on the coffee table.
I returned to my computer and a few minutes later Marge was there, asking me where the sugar was. I went to the kitchen and pointed out the sugar bowl which was, surprisingly, on the kitchen table.
Another couple of minutes and she wanted to know where the remote to the TV was. I had to admit that this was reasonable as the remote did have a habit of hiding, especially after my wife had been using it. I went into the front room and found it hidden on top of the entertainment unit, the black control blending into the white doily or whatever it was on top of the unit making it hard to see.
She had her coffee and she had the remote and I could hear the TV going. What else could she want? It turned out that she wanted a pencil to do the puzzles in one of the magazines.
"Okay, have you got everything you need?" I asked, and Marge smiled and nodded.
I smiled back and gently suggested that if she did find she needed anything else she knew where to find me. I might also have suggested that if she did I would also assume that what she really wanted was me and that I'd act accordingly.
Marge had just laughed and waved me off so I returned to start my work - again.
Two minutes. Two damned minutes and she was back again.
"What did you mean that you'd assume I wanted you and that you'd act accordingly?" she demanded.