My mom’s second husband liked to take her to the movies. But she never understood why since he would always fall asleep before it was half over. She remembers wondering why he continued to suggest it – if he was just going to nap. He would cross his arms and get comfortable. Sometimes he’d snore lightly and she’d gently caress him. At the end of the movie, she nudged him awake and later she would tell him what he missed.
My mom usually did not initiate a trip to the cinema. She was doing it for him. Then one day she asked,
“If you’re just gonna fall asleep, why do you want to go to the movies?”
It really perplexed her.
“I enjoy it.” he said.
She thought about his reply for days. Was it the darkness or the quiet of the theater, that seduced a welcomed slumber?
The next time he suggested a movie, she said “yes” and off they went. It had occurred to her that if he enjoyed it, her part was easy.