My Friend
by Sonia Bartek

Since my husband started his own business he spends all of his time and energy at work. When he comes home, he is very tired. He wants to only eat and watch TV or go to bed and sleep. All of our communication has broken down because he prefers quiet when he is at home. I try to understand him and make the best of it. I make good dinners, but he eats with little appetite. Sometimes, after dinner I ask my husband trick questions. For example: "How did you like the spaghetti today"? He replied "It was very delicious, Sweetheart". We had potatoes for supper.

In the beginning I accepted this kind of response with humour, but when I found out that he was going to continue working without rest I began to get nervous. I started thinking to myself. What would life be like if I didn't have a husband? Because I have only a robot. I wished to explain my feelings to someone. I thought about who would be the right person to tell of my broken heart. I decided that the best person would be my mother in law. She lived very far from us in Europe and I very much wanted to explain to her what life with her son was like. I knew that she thought very highly of her son like most mothers are inclined to do.

I felt that she was probably thinking how lucky I was to be married to her son. I wanted to explain my position in Canada in a very delicate way, but I also wanted to make her angry because I was very angry. I started my stupid letter like this:

Dear Mother:

How are you? What is new at home. I am sorry that we haven't written you in a long time. Your son is working all day and all night like a slave. He doesn't have any time to write. When he comes home, he is so tired that he does not recognize what he has had for supper. I have tried to change him, but I have found out that it is impossible. He is not enough life for me and I have decided to try some other arrangement.

Now I have a friend who cares for me and I no longer feel as lonely. My friend is very gentle and intelligent and he especially appreciates my attention. I wish and hope that you will understand. He loves me very much and gives me more attention than my husband. We are going together to the park or the forest. Without my friend I would be afraid to go. Your son found out about our friendship recently. Now he is jealous. Before this happened my friend was a friend to both of us, but not anymore. One day for some small reason my husband took a two by four and chased after my friend. My friend ran to me for safety. I gave him a hug and said to my husband, "If you want to spank him, spank me too". He didn't come after either of us. After this, there is a big difference between my husband and my friend.

I enjoy watching my friend eat. He has such a good appetite. For me, it is a great satisfaction to know that he loves my kitchen. That's about it for our life. And what do I plan to do about this letter? Nothing. Don't be worried. I don't want to change anything in my life. My husband will be staying at his position and my friend will continue being my friend. He is not working, my friend is younger than me and not of my race. He is black and much too hairy. I am thinking beyond this day. I know that it is not possible to live on love alone regardless of one's feelings of the heart; money is also a part of life. The fact is that my friend is a dog. His name is Adar and he is a German Shepherd.