Keeping Me On My Toes

 SHE AND I became friends in college I graduated, she did not.. She married young, and ended up enduring four marriages. I never married. Over the years we saw each other less often, but remained friends. At any given time she was either married, dating somebody, or engaged in a chaotic succession of one night stands and flings, so keeping in touch with her kept me on my toes. I never knew the situation, or how it might effect me. One day I knocked on her door, she answered, and hurriedly told me that I must leave, that her boyfriend was coming right over, that he suspected her of seeing another man, was jealous, and that if he saw me, I was the man, and there would be trouble No dummy, I left fast. So, I figured I would stay away and let her call me next time, if and when she wanted. fie years went bu, and no word from her. So, I decided to try again.. This time she let me in, the coast was evidently clear. She told me that she was no longer dating the jealous guy, which was good, because, she said, he had nearly killed her. I asked her why on Earth she had kept dating him, she said she didn't know. The visit was not friendly. She seemed cold, detached, not glad to see me.. When I left after our visit, I again decided it might be best to return to my original plan, and let her get in touch with me, if and when. Twenty two years went by,no word. I lived my quiet celibate life, she went through a couple more husbands, several boy friends, and heaven only knows what else. Finally we bumped into each other on Facebook. i sent her my phone number, she called, and we spent five hours on the phone, a marathon of catching up. she invited me to visit, and I went to her house, and spent a fun filled ten hour day with her. No husbands or boyfriends she said, for the past two years. I felt relieved, for her.  I wondered how long that would last, forever she said, and I said nothing further. Not long after our visiting her home, we had another two hour phone chat. then, she vanished once again. I called and messaged her on Facebook several time, but she didn't answer, never called me back, no messages. So, once again, I decided to just wait and see if she got in touch with em, my usual game plan. A few weeks went by, nothing. Maybe, I thought, she suddenly remarried, started dating somebody, or is having a flurry of flings. Maybe she caught Covid 19 and died. I'm not sure which of these alternative is the least desirable; I think I would prefer the boyfriend scenario. meanwhile, I'll just keep waiting, and going about my quite, celibate life, as usual. It seems to work as well as anything else. Maybe I'll hear from her again, maybe not; eventually time runs out - people die.The benefit of her friendship is that she keeps me on my toes.