Serious Mid-Life Crisis

I went to Albert Heijn last night. It is the grocery store behind the queen's palace. I arrived just as most people were stopping by after work so the lines were very long. As I stood there waiting to purchase my stuff, I was listening to the couple behind me. The man had a very THICK Boston accent. The woman was speaking English but definitely had a Dutch accent.

As I was bagging my groceries, I realized that the clerk had accidentally put the couples' milk on my side of the counter (the end of each check-out is divided so that the clerk can start ringing up the next order while the customer is still packing their groceries). I moved the milk over to their side and the man looked at me and said "Oh, thanks. I guess that is our cah-ton (carton) of milk!" But then he made a face and turned to the woman with him and said "I keep fah-gettin' the people he-ah don't undah-stand me!"

I looked at him, smiled, and said "What part of Boston are you from?" He looked shocked for a second and then asked how I knew where he was from! I told him we lived north of Boston for about 6 years.

He told me that he grew up in Foxboro, but moved to Peabody after college. And then he said "My wife and kids still live there!" The woman with him made a "Tsk Tsk" clicking-like noise and looked away.

He smiled and reached over to hug her and said "Yeah, yeah. My friends and family think I'm throwin' my life away, but I love this girl and I'm gonna marry her!"

I wished him good luck and walked off. But I couldn't stop thinking about it as I walked home. I bet this young girl went to college in Boston and they met there. He had an affair and left his poor wife and children to follow this woman half-way around the world. I felt like screaming - "GO BACK TO YOUR FAMILY MISTAH!!", but I didn't. He looked like he was in his mid-40's and she couldn't be more than 21. I wonder what will happen when she tires of him.....will his wife take him back?