#850 Old Girl- Mia Alvar
Behind every great man is a great woman, they say. This may be true. Behind every average man may also be a great woman too. And what about a thoughtless, self-centered, unrealistic man? Yup, a great woman is likely there as well. The “old girl” of this story is the wife of an aging politician/professor. They grew up together in Manila. She was being educated in the United States and on her way to getting higher degrees when she jumped at the chance to marry him. She would never stop putting him and her family first.
He was a senator back home, one that was jailed by opposition powers. He may have been corrupt himself, but he endured his punishment with her help. He always had big plans, that she would have to clean up when they went awry. As a politician he always worried about appearances, where she again would have to anticipate his needs and clean up after his messes or his mistakes. Always supportive, and never bitter. She has a good family after all. Now, soon after his bypass surgery he want to run the Boston Marathon, so she goes along, knowing somewhere along the line she will need to be there to pick up the failed pieces.
“A marathon is like a marriage: the long haul, the ups and downs, the tests of endurance and faith, the humbling, undiscovered country. Even entering with eyes wide open…guaranteed nothing, only injuries you couldn’t predict, potholes an pitfalls and dark hours no sane person would sign up for willingly.”
Notable Passage: “Life is a test…and those who study well can lick it.”
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