The Bridge Club: A Novel by Patricia Sands

Author:Patricia Sands [Sands, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Literary, General
ISBN: 9781450241342
Published: 2011-10-11T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven: Marti’s SOS – 1997

Some of the Bridge Club guessed Marti might say the end of her lengthy affair was her SOS, but she assured them they were mistaken. Their second guess was her marriage and divorce.

“Wrong again!” said Marti.

She was a twenty-year-old stewardess when the affair began in 1965, in the days before the term “flight attendant” became politically correct. She had the hourglass figure and naturally blond hair the airlines prized in those days, combined with a warm, welcoming smile. Intuitively drawn to helping others and with a strong desire to see the world, there was no job she wanted more.

He was a pilot, or “Sky King,” as the BC called him, seventeen years older, married with children.

Their chemistry was immediate and irresistible, and as the years passed the relationship grew as intense emotionally and intellectually as it was sexually. They had never been able to get enough of each other—ever. They imagined that under the right circumstances, theirs might have been a union of the most satisfying lifetime together. Ti-Ming. It simply was not meant to be, and the moment of truth eventually was faced.

When he turned fifty, his children grown, he was ready to divorce and commit himself to Marti. With shocking suddenness, Marti discovered she couldn’t live with that reality. As sometimes happens in these situations, she knew his family well, and clearly she would always be the “other woman.” She knew she wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt. She also appreciated how connected he was to his children, even though his conjugal life was less than perfect. There would be a lot of pain that his family did not deserve. Realizing how much he was prepared to sacrifice for her suddenly made her very uncomfortable and the complexities became overwhelming. As strong as their passion was, ending his marriage simply was not the right option for her. Not that the affair had been the right thing either. But these things happen.

Sorting through these consuming feelings, Marti slowly admitted to herself that the guilt she felt about her lover leaving his family might be a cover. The truth was she was unable to commit to making the relationship legal and permanent now that the choice was offered. There had been an emotional safety zone knowing they could not be together during all those years, and she was shocked as she realized the truth about herself.

Shocked, but not really surprised. Marti knew deep inside that her childhood in foster homes had left its residue. She had built a strong, confident personality around those insecurities, and she would depend on that now to move her forward. It wouldn’t be without a struggle, she noted, as she welcomed her liberation one day and backpedaled with regret the next.

Taking a one-month leave of absence from Air Canada, Marti began her personal “rehab.” To everyone’s surprise, she joined a friend who was going to volunteer in the north of India with a church group. That part of the world had suffered horrendous monsoons and help was needed in many ways.

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