A COUPLE'S QUARREL

                                        

             By Vic Odarve

As one of their longtime neighbors, we were always disturbed by their frequent quarrels. An even disagreement over small things would typically result to insulting, mocking, and shouting. The engaged couple said they had been fighting throughout their 30 years of marriage. They stayed together because of their dear children. Right now, all of them were grown-ups and had their own families, the wife finally wanted to voluntarily leave her husband for good. She intentionally wanted to live independently since divorce was not allowed. When asked by the Barangay Captain before signing the papers, the wife said” I love him, but my patience already reached to the point that I had to leave him. I am sorry.” Then the husband said, “it’s just okay I can understand what she had wanted.” The couple decided to sign a mutual agreement to live separately.

Couple Quarrel

Ten years had passed. Their eldest son youngest daughter decided to go on wedded vow. Both were invited. The ceremony was performed in one of the luxurious hotels in the city. Sitting in the first table together with the newlyweds, the couple, now an old man and lady, sat near to each other during the dinner time. Both were quiet. As the dinner started, the old man immediately gave a piece of grilled fish to the lady and said,” Take this, it’s your favorite.” The wife said” This is the problem; you think so highly of yourself and never thought of how I feel. Don’t you know that I hate a grilled fish?” The old man’s temper raised up, but he managed to control it. Keeping silent for a while, he just behaved as if he did not hear anything knowing that by mumbling something would end in a quarrel.

Grilled Fish

After the social affair, both returned eagerly to where they lived. At that night both could not sleep. The old man got a bottle of local wine and got drunk. He phoned his old lady and sincerely wanted to tell her he is sorry for the grilled citrus fish and to inform her that he still loved her. He never stopped calling her. He was deeply depressed.

On the other end, the wife still angry and could not understand how after all these years, he still does not understand her that she hated a grilled fish. But she still loved him. At that point she decided not to answer no matter how the phone rang knowing its him.

Couple's Neighbors

The next day, a neighbor informed her that man died from a heart attack. And that was the time he had tried in vain to contact her. It was then she remembered he had previously a heart problem. The last text she received that night was saying, “My dearest wife, I want you to know I will always be at your side even to the ends of the world. I love you.”

Sometimes we think marriage life is a bed of roses. But it is not! For a couple, both must learn how to love each other.