Dorothy West | 1995 | Short Story
In the title story; The Richer, the poorer – two sisters who have lived their lives very differently are brought together again by the circumstances of old age. While one sister, saved and worked hard all her life – sacrificing many comforts to the drive to ensuring she has money for her old age – the other sister did the exact opposite. (Heaven Ali, Wordpress)
"For the first time in her life Lottie would gladly have worked for nothing, to have some place to go, something to do with her day." (35)
I was much older, college years, when I realized it was a deeper desire to remain busy and avoid the reality of life outside - then a genuine need to work all the time.
An understanding that enabled me to choose differently.
"I saved for them. I forgot the best of them would go without my ever spending a day or a dollar enjoying them." (38)
And so I refuse. These past five months have shown me how much I enjoy myself and life. That I do not have a reliance on a person nor place to fill up my every day. I truly enjoy me. And as this short story clearly spells out.. why commit to small moments of misery in the name of future peace? A future is not guaranteed. Nor is your outlook on it.
I'd rather continue moving forward as I am now. With the knowing that life itself is not guaranteed and therefore, I have the gift of freedom to live it as I see fit.
Words I Loved...
"Bess grieved because she had no child, not having sense enough to know she was better off without one." (35)
"Her way of life was mean and miserly, but she did not know it. She thought she lived frugally in her middle year's so that she could live in comfort and ease when she most needed peace of mind." (35)
"She was having more fun than she had ever had in her life. She was living each hour for itself." (36)
"Tonight she saw only what she had come seeking, a place in her sister's home and heart." (37)
"If I land on my head, I guess it won't matter; I feel giddy already, and I like it." (38)
• December 20, 2022 | Barbados •