Shoulders stooped, head

down, she walked through

the rest of retirement mostly

resentful and angry even

though she gave the impression

she was depressed and people

should feel sorry for her, really

sorry, not like the pity she had

always benevolently bestowed.

Life hadn’t turned out the way

she had controlled everything

until the cloud descended and

the pedestal moved away and

and she found herself losing

herself as she walked slowly

along the street, and then she

stopped, pulled back her shoulders,

lifted her head, saluted, advanced,

shouted aliez, parried, did a parry-

thrust, and whip-over all before

noon. He stood still and she said,

“I know you better than you know

yourself.” He had no idea what

that meant. Parry-thrust, passé,

and a bunch of others as she pride-

fully called out her moves. He simply

said, “Touche.” She smiled, spun and

marched away several inches taller.

She felt much better for a while

after the attack even though she

never scored a hit. She thought

she had. It gave her something

to live for in an otherwise hugely

disappointing retirement. He

shook his head in bewilderment

and reached into the trunk of

the car for the groceries.