Life Begins by Jack Gunthridge

didn’t
mean to make his marriage to Christine poetic.
    So I did not sell him out. I did something to
make it possible for him to be happy. He loves comedy, but there is
something that he loves more. I did what I thought would make him
happiest.
    Jack can go back and forth on what he wants
out of life. Comedy would make him famous. He has studied it and
can write theories on it. There is no doubt that he would be the
greatest comic of his generation. He just has an Achilles’ heel:
Christine.
    I don’t think he would ever be happy not being
with her. He has to follow his one true love. I wasn’t going to be
the one to stand in his way.
    I didn’t sell him out. I made him happy. That
is love. And I think Jack would agree with me. It is the kind of
love that he feels for Christine. You do what is best for the other
person.
    And that is all I have to say on the matter.
Although I do have to agree with Arthur, Christine is a bitch. She
makes Jack happy, though. I can’t complain. Jack deserves to be
happy with how much happiness he has given other people over the
years.
    A part of me will always love him. My love was
never large enough to conquer his love for her. I’m glad that he is
happy with her. I hope she knows how fortunate she truly is. She
has nothing to worry about from me. My communication with him has
been strictly professional, or as two old friends who are catching
up with each other. Besides, Jack would never cheat on her. He
never did when he wasn’t actually dating her. Why would he
now?
    ~~~
    I’m glad all of my friends think
that Christine is a bitch. They don’t know her like I do. It’s all
an act, except when she wants it doggie style.
    Ironically I did a similar joke
the night that Melinda sold me out to Christine. Melinda was asking
me about how I felt about her. I told her and explained to her that
that was love. She told me that was how you loved a dog. And that’s
when I did the doggie style joke.
    I do miss Melinda. She was a good
friend. I am still technically friends with her. Christine just
doesn’t want me to talk to her. I think it is funny. Melinda was
never competition, and yet Christine has always been jealous of
her. Melinda has always thought that I have found a perverse joy in
this and that is why I kept my friendship with her for so long. I
don’t think this is the case. Melinda understands me in a way that
Christine has never been able to. I could talk to Melinda about
things that are important to me. Melinda would watch my Jack Benny
marathons and enjoy it. Afterward, we would have an actual
discussion. I can’t do this with Christine. I mean, Christine will
watch stuff with me now, but she is doing it more to just be with
me.
    I promised Christine that I would
not devote a chapter to my relationship with Melinda, or my lack of
a relationship. This intermission fulfills that
requirement.
    I do think it is hard to write
about somebody that was a big part of your life when you are with
somebody that wants to write that person out of your life. The fact
of the matter is that I can’t tell my life’s story without Melinda.
I don’t really think she sold me out. She did for me what she knew
I couldn’t do for myself.
    My friends can debate which girl
would be better for me. I think Melinda made the right choice for
me. I did love her like you love a dog. She was a great companion.
She deserves better than me.
    I think Melinda’s version of the
events is mostly accurate. The whole marriage thing came about
after Christine’s relationship with the boyfriend who shall remain
unnamed. I’m not going to recount those events here. There are
parts of my life that I would like to keep untold.
    I will say that a peace was
fostered between me and Christine. She agreed to stop seeing the
baseball player. I agreed that I would stop loving her and that I
would move on with my life. We both agreed that it was in both of
our best interests for me to stop loving her.
    I think Arthur may