Across the street two other couples lived. This part of Kenmore was starting to be called "Childless Alley." None of the couples entertained each other. All had separate lives. Husbands did things. Wives did things. All were individuals doing their own things in their own ways during their own times. All had work. Linda was a barmaid at Herm's Cafe. Bob was one of the last mechanics that worked at an actual gas station over in the downtown area. Mark sold computers. El was into working at the Chuckery at the University of Akron. Joseph was a prognosticator for the Akron Beacon Journal. (He called it the Jerkin Beanol.) And Les was a sous chef at Antoini's Ristorante. All productive, all important members of their communities in northeaster Ohio.

In walks a married man to the neighborhood. Abby Markins was separated from his lovely wife Lindal. Abby liked to talk. He called up Linda and said, "I have a former wife with a name close to yours. She is nice. But she is gone. Can we talk?" Well, of course, Linda was taken aback, but said, "Sure." They would meet at the local B&W and chat over root beers. Very nice, very next-doorish. All four of the other couples saw them coming home from their jobs, saw them talking and sucking on straws. All four were aroused.

Abby kept calling Linda. It got to be cute. Bob knew nothing of this affair. Nothing.

A year passed. Two years passed.

The four saw blatant kissing. Saw the two hug and walk home. Were titillated. Bob worked on his cars. And other projects. Finally, news appeared in the Beacon. Death In Kenmore. Murder. Mouths shut, eyes closed. No one knew what to think. Linda was buried. First there was a service at Akron Baptist Temple. Linda was buried. Folks went home. And the hum of life after a few weeks continued in the neighborhood. Everyone doing what they did. Later, the next year, Bob started to call up one of the ladies, I think it was El, and ask her to have a chili dog with him. El didn't think much of it. Things got going. And there was more to talk about in Kenmore. Much more. Things felt normal again. Things felt right. No one thought about history at all. Yeah, there was no need to watch TV.

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