Real Stories - May 2005

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After our courtship became serious, I relocated from my home city to hers, shared her condominium, and took a job that, by chance, was located only mere blocks from hers (the fact that her job paid more was a fact she never hesitated to note, despite my advanced degree and her lack of higher education). Anna was a very controlling person, and as she wanted to monitor my activities to the maximum extent possible, she insisted that I alter my work schedule to coincide with hers (a considerable annoyance to me, as I am an early riser and she was not), and that we commute together. We lived in a major metropolitan area where commuting by mass transit was the only practical means, and hence rode the subway together, twice daily, much of the week. As we lived near the furthest station on the line, seats were always available for the morning commute. Anna would seat herself and insist that I stand before her rather than sit beside her. I was not allowed to read or appear disinterested in her conversation, and if my eyes wandered (particularly in the direction of any attractive woman), she would clear her throat, give a piercing stare, and either tug my necktie or kick my shin (neither playfully nor severely, but merely noticeably).