Seasons in the Sun

Being old comes with a new sense of freedom. No kids to worry about. More time to do things because you have no job. Money is taken care of for you. If one is really lucky, no spouse to drag them down. Muriel, Clyde, Lewis, and Pauline enjoyed those thoughts every moment of the day.

High noon. The four old biddies lied in the meadow watching the key. Muriel’s bike and Lewis’ truck sat next to the road. Add in the fact that it was summer at the moment. Good day to be old.

“Did I turn the oven off?” Muriel asked. Her friends all looked at her.

“Huh?” Clyde asked. The woman shook her head.

“I can’t help thinking like that sometimes,” she said. “Every time I not doing much, I wonder if I forgot to do something at the house.”

“Why?” Lewis asked. Her friend shrugged.

“Dunno,” she said. “Old habit, I guess.”

“You’re weird,” Pauline said. “Still the same as you were in high school.”

“Am I?” Muriel asked.

“Yes!” the other three said.

“Am not!” their friend said.

“Face it, Mur,” Lewis said. “You are. You really are.”

“How?” Muriel asked. The farmer woman sat up.

“For starters,” she said. “You still keep going off on random philosophy all of the time.”

“Do I?” she asked.

“Yes!” her friends said. Muriel thought about that for a moment. Then, she nodded reluctantly.

“I guess that’s true,” she said. “Did I do that in high school?”

“Yeah!” Clyde yelled. Pauline nudged her arm.

“Keep your voice down,” she said. The dirty old lady frowned at her.

“Why?” she asked. “We is outside.” Pauline smacked her in the head with an open hand.

“Ow!” Clyde yelped.

“Use proper grammar!” the other woman shouted. Clyde stuck her tongue out at her. Pauline groaned.

“Honestly,” she said. “At least pretend to have some class!”

“Why?” she asked. Pauline held back from hitting her this time. She turned to her friends.

“She’s impossible to deal with here!” she complained.

“Please don’t start,” Lewis said.

“And why not?” Polly demanded.

“It’s a nice day,” her friend said. The rich lady sighed and lowered her head.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll let it go for now.

Clover stood in the kitchen looking over the various vegetables she had just picked. She looked at each piece closely.

“Hm,” she said. Liz peeked into the kitchen.

“What’cha doing?” she asked.

“Trying to figure out what to cook for dinner,” her younger sister said.

“Well, what do you want to make?”

“Stew sounds good.”

“There good with that.”

“But then, I want to make Shepherd’s Pie.”

Liz shrugged at her. “That’s good too.”

“Oh maybe I can go with something simple.”

Her sister held up her hand. “Look, anything you cook will be good. So, just pick something already. I’m getting hungry just listening you talk!” Then, Liz walked out of the kitchen. Clover puffed up her cheeks.

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered under her breath. Then, Clover tried to get to work again.

“What else about me hasn’t changed?” Muriel asked.

“Well,” Pauline replied. “You come up with pointless questions.”

“Do I?” she asked.

“Yes!” all of her friends chimed in. The old biddy gave them a shrug.

“Sorry,” she said.

“Why do you do that?” Lewis asked.

“Old habit, I guess,” Muriel said.

“Please break it!” Pauline half-jokingly pleaded. Her friend made a face at her.

“I’m not the only one who still has some of her habits from the old days!” she declared.

“’Ow so?” Clyde asked. Pauline gritted her teeth as she envisioned smacking her in the head with her purse. Muriel sat up in place.

“For starters,” she said. “Lewis, dear. You still try to act like a man.”

“I farm!” the farmer protested.

“Yeah, but when was the last time you actually wore a dress other than your wedding day?” Muriel asked. Lewis thought about how to answer that without looking like an idiot. She shook her head when she came up with nothing.

“Exactly!” Muriel said. She turned to Pauline. “You’re still as controlling as ever.”

“Am not!” the rich old biddy argued.

“Yes, you are,” Muriel countered. Pauline blinked for a moment.

“Am I?” she asked.

“You kind of are,” Lewis agreed. Clyde nodded as a third vote. Pauline frowned as she puffed up her cheeks.

“Well someone has to,” she said argued back. “I have to be the one who has to keep some order here!”

“That’s not really needed,” Muriel pointed out.

“Yes it is!” Pauline declared.

“Not really,” Lewis mumbled under her breath. Her friend heard her, but said nothing. Clyde lifted her head.

“’Ey! What ‘bout meh?” she asked. “Am I still da same?” Again, Pauline tried not to hit her for her poor use of words.

“Uh-huh,” Muriel answered.

“Huh?” the old biddy asked. Muriel crossed her hands in her lap.

“Well,” she said. “You still are dirty-looking.” Clyde nodded at her.

“Yeah,” she said.

“You still act rude and speak poorly!” Pauline added. Clyde nodded again.

“Yeah,” she said.

“You still keep asking people for money,” Lewis added. Her friend nodded again.

“Yeah,” she said. There came a pause between the friends. Pauline narrowed her eyes at her.

“You don’t plan to change, do you?” she asked. Clyde flashed her green-yellow teeth at them as she grinned.

“Nope!” she cheered in pride. The others tried to look away from her teeth as he laugh crackle climbed up to the summer high noon sky.

Things Don’t Change

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