Lianakay’s Reviews > Marrying Off Mother: And Other Stories > Status Update

I stood for a moment remembering the Captain, his charm, his gallantry with the ladies, his gentleness, but above all I remembered how he was going to draw, play his flute, and lie in bed with his beloved wife and watch the seagulls go past their bedroom window. I decided that retirement was something you should take a little bit of every day, like a tonic, for you never knew what awaited you around the corner.

'I shall practice my calligraphy,' he said softly, and it was almost as if he were hypnotized by the thought. 'My calligraphy needs attention. I shall paint and I shall play the flute and try to make up to my wife for her years of loneliness. You understand, I do none of these things well - except perhaps the last - but I enjoy trying. They give me pleasure, even if badly done, and I think pleasure sooths the mind.'

'I shall practice my calligraphy,' he said softly, and it was almost as if he were hypnotized by the thought. 'My calligraphy needs attention. I shall paint and I shall play the flute and try to make up to my wife for her years of loneliness. You understand, I do none of these things well - except perhaps the last - but I enjoy trying. They give me pleasure, even if badly done, and I think pleasure sooths the mind.'