Pam of Babylon Read Online Free PDF

reading, eating, and talking. They would walk around the city, sometimes staying out until dinner if the weather was nice or coming home for hot chocolate and an afternoon nap if it wasn’t.
    The years flew by, and Marie never left. The kids grew, and she became part of their lives as well, there for the triumphs and the childhood dramas, the maiden aunt who could be depended on for companionship, advice, or a bedtime story. If the times had been different, Marie would have been a nun, Pam thought. She was devoted to the task of whatever was put before her, never asking herself if this was all life was supposed to be—living through someone else’s dream.
    Jack was Marie’s male figure, the person she sought if she had a bad day at work or needed advice about investments, buying a new car, going on a fishing expedition, and so much more. He took her to her senior prom, went to shows with her, and taught her how to ski and change a tire. After their father died, he became a father figure to her as well.
    She in turn, stood in for Pam doing those things she couldn’t bear to do; sitting in a theater to watch plays, attending any sporting event, going fishing or hunting, Marie loved that sort of thing. She stood in for Jack, too, going to antique shows, festivals, the farmers’ market, all things that bored him to tears. She was a real companion.
    Marie wept when Pam thanked her for her devotion over the years. She secretly wondered if her marriage would have lasted if not for Marie. She acted as a buffer between Pam and Jack. There was always someone willing to do something, allowing the other partner to do his or her own thing. In that regard, no one had to make too many compromises. They chatted about their life together until the sun peeked up over the horizon. Gathering up their shawls and blankets, cups and plates, the sisters went into the house to try to get some sleep. The day stretched before them, with sadness and tears, reliving the night over and over again for family and friends. Pam would shut off her phone, and Marie would field calls. She would get someone to pick up the children from the nearby airports, Brent from Newark and Lisa from JFK. Indispensable Marie. In the meantime, they would go to their rooms and get a few hours of rest. It was too early to get anything done anyway.
    Pam got into her bed with the same gratefulness she did each night. The cool, clean sheets and their wonderful mattress were heavenly. Physical comfort overpowered the sadness in her heart. She lay on her back, looking up at the light coming in over the top of the closed drapes.
    He was gone. She would never see him again, never hear his voice, never wait for his car to pull in the garage, never smell him, touch him, or feel him. How would this become real to her? There would have to be a point in time that it would hit her, smack her in the face. Right now, she didn’t feel too much besides her bed. They would never resolve their problems. He had gotten away with his infidelity. Sometime that day, after funeral arrangements were made, she would find the strength to call Sandra Benson and ask her to come to the funeral. They would have to decide how to handle her appearance there, surely someone knew of her existence in their circle of acquaintances. The only thing she would ask is that the children be spared this information about their father. They would take it personally, if she knew them as she thought she did.
    She finally fell asleep around six. Marie tiptoed around the house when she got up. Lisa called to say she would be in at three that afternoon, followed by a call from Brent that he’d be there at four. Marie was relieved that Pam would have time to herself until the kids came home. She wasn’t sure what their response to Jack’s death was going to be. Would there be thrashing about, screaming? Or would they be adults, offering to help out in some way to lighten their mother’s burden for the day? She would know