My mother’s brother had a piece of property in upstate New York. Bought it when it was just a piece of land. He also had a small store but no wife.
The store was Jerry’s Emporium and he sold everything. Never got married even though he had a long time girlfriend, Lorraine, who was 30 years younger than him and was somewhat married. Lorraine figured that Jerry was the only one around that could get her out of this hamlet. Her husband left after 20 years of hell. All of a sudden the state needed his property for a road and offered him some big money. Jerry, however, decided not to sell yet. Along came some developers and they offered him more money but Jerry decided not to sell yet. SweetLorraine had her mind set to get Jerry to sell and maybe move with him to Florida or Arizona and enjoy all the money coming in.
However, Jerry decided he’d think about it.
Lorraine tried getting him out of the town for weekends to persuade him and making him feel very wanted.Jerry did feel wanted but wasn’t quite ready to make a decision. A few years went by with sweet Lorraine trying every chance she had to make him see how great their life would be. No decision by Jerry.
The state decided to make a super highway going through his propery and offered even more money. Jerry went into negotiations but when it came to the final offers Jerry somehow came up with something that would louse up the deal. This made Lorraine even more loving and pleasing and how lucky he would be with youngish Lorraine and him oldish Jerry with much money and great things to do.
Then, just like that, Jerry said that maybe he’d sell the property and take Lorraine down south. A slight problem however occurred. At the age of 83, Jerry forgot to wake up one day and was gone. Everyone in town sympathized with Lorraine. The only one who smiled through this was my mother. In later years she told me “Jerry never was going to sell the property,” she continued, “He knew he had property and a younger woman always around him down South, he would be one old man with nothing to do but sit around waiting to die.”
Jerry came out Ok.Wonder what happened to sweet Lorraine?
Probably turned a little sour.
