For 52 years
except when one of us was somewhere else we made our bed together. There is in
my mind all the time when I am making my morning bead when Rosemary says, “Alex make the bed neat for the cats.”
With that she would also tell me, “Alex
change the kitty litter because it smells.”
There is an
intimacy in making a bed that instantly connects me with my Rosemary. The
bedspread is all torn. I refuse to replace it with a new one that Rosemary’s
body would not have lain on. Now I find it hard to make the bed with that
fitted sheet. It was easy when both of us were involved.
One of the
supreme pleasures of my married life was making the bed with freshly laundered
sheets and pillow cases. Rosemary and I would take a bath (sometimes together
in the tub) and then to get into the fresh smelling bed was pure earthly
heaven.
Now as I lie
on the bed with Niña on top of me I sometimes ask her, “Niña do you remember
Rosemary?” I wonder if she does.
Julio Cortázar
wrote: “Estoy tan solo como este
gato, y mucho más solo porque lo sé y él no.”
 |
| Julio Cortázar & Flannel |
That translates to - “I am as alone as this cat, and more alone because I know and he doesn’t.”
I don’t
think I agree. Niña must know her twin brother died. And 6 years later she
probably does not remember Rosemary. Should Rosemary in a miracle show up at
the front door I am sure Niña would know her.