Tell Me Everything

“So Bob, here’s the thing. Olive and I have been telling each other stories of unrecorded lives, but what do they mean? At least Diana Beach got to be a good guidance counselor. And yet still—I don’t know. I keep thinking these days about all these people, and people we don't even know, and their lives are unrecorded. But what does anyone’s life mean?” She added, “Please don’t laugh.”

The smoke [Bob] inhaled got stuck and he coughed—hard. He turned toward her as he coughed and coughed. When he was done coughing, he asked, “Did you just ask me what anyone’s life means?”

“What about the Addie story? What was that about?” Bob asked Olive, looking over at her.

“That was about the same thing that every story Lucy and I have shared is about. People suffer. They live, they have hope, they even have love, and they still suffer. Everyone does. Those who think they’ve not suffered are lying to themselves.”

Olive was silent for a long moment. Then she said, meditatively, “It's quite a world we live in, isn’t it. For years I thought: I will miss all this when I die. But the way the world is these days, I sometimes think I’ll be damned glad to be dead.” She sat quietly looking ahead through the windshield. “I’ll still miss it, though,” she said.

Bob was watching her. He said, “I like you, Olive.”

“Phooey. Now help me get out of this car,” Olive replied.

“So Bob, here’s the thing. Olive and I have been telling each other stories of unrecorded lives, but what do they mean? At least Diana Beach got to be a good guidance counselor. And yet still—I don’t know. I keep thinking these days about all these people, and people we don't even know, and their lives are unrecorded. But what does anyone’s life mean?” She added, “Please don’t laugh.”

The smoke [Bob] inhaled got stuck and he coughed—hard. He turned toward her as he coughed and coughed. When he was done coughing, he asked, “Did you just ask me what anyone’s life means?”

“What about the Addie story? What was that about?” Bob asked Olive, looking over at her.

“That was about the same thing that every story Lucy and I have shared is about. People suffer. They live, they have hope, they even have love, and they still suffer. Everyone does. Those who think they’ve not suffered are lying to themselves.”

Olive was silent for a long moment. Then she said, meditatively, “It's quite a world we live in, isn’t it. For years I thought: I will miss all this when I die. But the way the world is these days, I sometimes think I’ll be damned glad to be dead.” She sat quietly looking ahead through the windshield. “I’ll still miss it, though,” she said.

Bob was watching her. He said, “I like you, Olive.”

“Phooey. Now help me get out of this car,” Olive replied.