The weather is cold and raining as I sit in my Ford pick-up truck at the Bradenton railroad yard. It's quite sad that the weather is symbolic of what's going on in my heart.

Five years ago I married Joane, and I was so happy. She lead me to believe she was going to make something of herself, yet that hasn't happened. How can it when she quits every course? One day I hear her telling her flunkies,"Oh I'll never have to work, Ray's got a great job on the railroad."

So I knew she just wanted to loaf, she never had intentions to do anything, she doesn't even want to be a good housewife.

So, here I am watching trains being made up, yeah I always had a strong interest in the railroad, that, playing piano and motorcycling are my passions. My love for Joane has passed, like a kidney stone. I am just waiting for the lawyer to get the divorce settled. I have no use for a woman who lies and steals. The bitch has no idea of the gaping pit tht will soon before her feet. When I asked her about the missing five grand she told me,

"It became a joint account when we married."

The fact we never went to the bank and had her added meant nothing to her what-so-ever.

There's one good thing that comes from me doing my own suppers, I'm learning how to cook, well some what.

I have a buddy that works at a local eatery and the place is always crowded. I have eaten there and the food is what I'd call plain old fashioned home cooking. Yup, Starvin' Marven knows how to feed the public, good portions of beef; chicken; porkchops; ribs and the mashed taters, anyways Marvens been giving me a hand at making up some good dinners and breakfasts.

Guess I'll get back to the house and do up supper. I drop off at a package store and grab a six pack of beer.

Tonight I'm doing up some country style pork ribs and Joane's Mom, Andrea drops by and I am pleasantly surprised. Andrea is a very pleasant lady to have around. She is on the chunky side and I like that, long grey hair with highlites, plenty of ass hip and boobs which I'd say are a forty D.

"How are you Raymond?"

She asks and she is hugging me tighter than I can remember and I like it. I start to feel it growing but I'm not worried about it. She pulls me closer and we get into some heavy kissing.

Tonight she is wearing a grey skirt with a white blouse and a pair of patent black heels. Since beading is a hobby of hers she almost always has a nice neck lace on and she made a neck chain for her silver oval reading glasses she dons at times. I love the way they hang across her ample boobs as the light of the room is seen in them and when she is wearing them, they give her a very mature and feminine look.

"So Ray, is Joane going to be back soon?"

"Probably in a few hours, she does not have her beauty school class tonight so I don't know what she's up to."

"What happened to the real estate course?"

"How about the comercial cooking course and poodle trimming and manicures course that came after the real estste?

Now it is a beauty and cosmetology course, all because real estate wasn't real enough."

"What?" Andrea smiled, knowing I just made a joke.

"So four courses in the last five years? why does she keep changing courses?"

"She's looking for the big bucks but she's not gonna find'em, that's for sure."

"You're right Raymond, I told her a thousand times, 'Pick one subject you like an stick with it, ' she never gives enough time to get good at anything."

The ribs are done and taste great.

"Andrea, gonna have some ribs an a baked tater with me?"

"Of course, any sour cream for the baked?"

"Yup."

We are enjoying a nice supper and I am really enjoying Andrea's company.

"Ray, why do you keep looking at my boobs?" asked Andrea with a smile.

"Well, it looks that way but actually I'm not."

"You're not?" she chortled.

"I like the way your glasses hang across your bosoms by that dainty pearl beaded chain, the way the light sparkles in your glasses, its all very feminine."

Andrea smiles, she knows I am sincere.

"When's the last time you saw Joane's?"asked Andrea with a slightly worried look.

"Can't remember, Andrea."

"That long ... Raymond?" Andrea seemed quite sad.

"Honestly Andrea I don't know what to make of this, she doesn't listen to what I say about anything. Why do you keep giving her money for all these courses?"

"Raymond, I thought you were paying for them." She answered.

"Nope, not me. I paid for the real estate course and was quite irked as she quit half-way through it. I told her I wasn't paying for anymore courses."

"You paid for her course in real estate and she quit half-way through?"

Asked Andrea who seems quite surprised and embarrassed

We began to talk at the same time.

"So where is she getting the money?" we looked at each other in total amazement. I'm wondering what bank she tipped over."

"Aside from that, how're you doing Andrea?"

"Oh just hangin' in I suppose."

She shook her head in sadness and disbelief. I know she lost her husband two yeas ago due to pneumonia.

"Andrea?"

"Yes."

"Anytime you have a problem at your house, give me a holler and I'll see what I can do to help you out."

"Thanks very much, I do appreciate that."

I can't believe it's eleven already, Andrea has cheered me up some but I know I'll be lonely as soon as she's gone. So many things going through my mind right now. Is her daughter the kind of woman known as a scammer, always pulling a con over someone? I know she won't be around much longer, I see what she is really like and I don't like what I see.

"Well Ray, thanks very much for your company and the delicious ribs, they were very good."

We kiss at the doorway and when she leaves, I know we'll both feel very lonely.

We have an anniversary coming up and I don't plan on getting her anything, probably because my feelings have changed so much. Joane has gotten enough already, screw it, to me tomorrow's just another day. I'm so disgusted with her I don't even want her sexually.

On the morning of our anniversary she askes me,

"So Ray, what did you get me for my anniversary?"

"Imagine that, My anniversary.' Nothing, what did you get me?"

"Guys don't get anything, you didn't know that?"

She says and I know she's pissed off.

"Well Joane, so far's I'm concerned, you got enough already."

I am glad I already had the house paid off and she's not on the deed. She asked about that at times and it seemed to me it was her 'gold digging' coming out. I am glad I did not relent and give in to what she wanted.

"Just what in hell's zat supposed ta mean?"

"Zat supposed ta mean? you taking a course on being a redneck?"

I gave it to her good.

I could hear the snapping of anger in her voice, like electricity under thousands of volts of pressure, looking for a good ground to arc over to.

"I came in from work around five and I heard you tell your flunkies on the phone, 'Oh I'll never have to work, Ray's got a great paying job on the railroad"

"So you were sneaking around evesdropping, then you use it against me? to bring it up on my anniversary?

"You think it's all about YOU but I have news for you, it isn't AND I am not gonna pretend this is a marriage, it isn't, I have no feelings for you, you faked and lied for five years but it all came out when you told your friends you'd never have to work cause Ray has a great job, so far's I'm concerned, you ran this marriage up the wrong track."

I got on my WideGlide and rode for a while, those hundred and three inches of displacement coupled to a six speed tranny could really get up and move. This bike, the railroad and playing piano are my real life, the so called wife told me she wanted to take piano lessons, I would have taught her but no, she wanted lessons. I told her "I'm not paying for them." as I knew it would be money wasted, she'd take a few hundred bucks worth, then quit. she just wanted to impress her friends.

By now it was around two in the afternoon and I decided to drop in and see Andrea. I never did this before and I really didn't care what her daughter thought of it, chances are she'd be out with her friends, whose minds in my opinion, were back in their twenties when their actual age is around thirty.

"Hello Raymond, damn it's cold out and you're riding your WideGlide?"

I was surprised, I really don't remember ever telling Andrea what model bike I was riding. Her daughter hates bikes so I don't think she'd even know what make and model it is.I just had to ask,

"Andrea, how do you know it's a wide glide?"

"I saw it awhile ago, The fork is raked out to thirty four degrees and has electronic fuel injection. Sometime around 2008 or 2009 they replaced the ninety six cubic inch engine with the hundred and three cubic inch engine. A stage one upgrade would be a bigger air cleaner, different pipes and you'd have to have the fuel system mapped out, this could give a possible seven to ten horsepower extra.

Damn I was impressed, I was so pleased when she asked for a ride.

"O.k lets go for a ride, I'll swing by my place and pick up another helmet for ya, get a warm jacket."

Andrea knew about bikes from her husband and loved biking. Somewhere in me I began to think, things could work out and I could be happy again.

We took a nice long ride over the five main bridges, over the Gandy, Howard Frankenstein and Skyway, picked up seventy five north to four west, then to sixty west on the Causeway and south on six eleven over the Bayside.

I was rather cool by now and could use a cup of java so we headed over to Krispy Kreme and went in for a little while. Andrea pulled her silver ovals out from her bra and took the neck chain from over the back of her neck and handed me her glasses.

"Want to clean these for me? I think the ride got them steamed up and I like that."

"Sure" I told her and I pulled out from my rear left pocket a multi colored bandanna and had her silver ovals spotless, held them out and looked for any smudges and gave them back to her.

"Thankyou Raymond, these are cleaner than ever."

"You're welcome."

"Ray ... how do you like this idea, you take me for bike rides and I'll let let my glasses get steamed up in my bra, then you can clean them for me.

Would you like that?"

"No trouble with that idea, Andrea." Damn I like that idea, she is a hot looking woman on the chunky side and I know she can be very loving, I can se her letting me clean her glasses for her quite often and I think she knows they turn me on somehow.

Andrea put them on and I like seeing her in them. She has them part way down her nose although they were meant to be worn higher up.

"They look nice when you try to wear them as half-glasses but can you see as well that way?"

"I don't know, I never wear them like this when I read, do you know about this?"

Andrea had her eyes on me and seemed to be very pleased to be with me.

"Yeah, my Mom wears the half-rounds, she'll be reading the paper with them down her nose, yet looking over the tops she can see the t.v. clearly.

"You know a lot of things, Ray."

"Well, I was curious. I too wondered how anyone could see out of them worn like that, all I had to do was try them one day, Mom left them home by accident I guess when she went out to play Bingo."

"Ray, can we go over the Skyway bridge again?"

"When?"

"Now?"

"Yes of course we can, after your glasses get steamed up between the big rock candy mountains, I'll be happy to clean them for you."

"The Big rock candy mountains? you mean my boobs?"

"Yeah, there's a song about them, It's a so called hobo's paradise, you know, guys that ride the rails."

"I've heard of hobo's before, my brother Pete loves the railroad." said Andrea.

"Well, Some old timer made up a song about the big rock candy mountains where life is great and any guy with some sense will know these could be just as nice if not even better."

That's why I want a ride, I like to watch you clean my glasses. Is it true you'd rather look at my glasses than at my boobs?"

"Andrea, I'd rather look at your glasses as they hang across your boobs by that nice beaded chain."

"Really?"

"Yes really...

"Ray do you see well close up?"

"For the most part I have to screw my face up squinting, then I have a good chance of seeing half of it. Why?"

"Well, just saying that if you needed mine at times, you'd be welcome to them."

So we finish up our coffee and doughnuts and head back out to the bike.

I can tell Andrea is very pleased. We are both lonely and maybe now will be less lonely. We head south on Fourth to fifty fourth avenue then south on two seventy five. I'm doing a good seventy miles an hour, which on this bike is mere childs play, so I rolled on the throttle and a few shakes of the lambs tail I'm doing a hundred and ten.I was surprised how good the bike ran with a passenger. Andrea is a bit chunky and I like that. The bike it seems never noticed, never had to get its second wind, I rolled on the throttle and she had her dancing heels on.

"You in a hurry ta get back?" I hollered against the wind. and the throaty roar of the bike. Andrea heard and hollered,

"NO."

So we headed to the last exit in Sarasota, I was going to turn around there at Clarke road but I went to the next exit, route six eighty one that emptied out on Forty one North and South, I went for South as there's a gas station there, then we headed back up to St.Pete.

We are sitting in her cozy kitchen, and she asks,

"Want more coffee?"

"Yes, thanks.

"Raymond" she said as she sat across the table.

"Yes."

"Thank you so much for the ride, you made me so happy."

"Well Andrea, you made me very happy too. I have not been this content in quite a while, by the way, take your glasses out from inside your bra and I'll clean'em for ya."

"If you want to clean them, you have to reach in and get them."

I had no problem with that. I took a damn good look down her cleavage and said, Dang these are so nice."

"So I guess you like what you see?"

I stuck my fingers into her bra and pulled her silver ovals up and out.

"Looks like your nipples got a bit heated, damn these glasses are so murky, looks like you dropped'em in your soup.

"You got me all souped up, What are you going to do about it ... Ray?"

"Watch me." I took those nice silver ovals and licked them then I brushed the lump in my pants with them.

"I knew they gave you a nice feeling and I like what they do for you."Said Andrea with a smile.

"I really like the way you look in them, Andrea.very feminine, not like the big black or brown glasses women are wearing now-a-days

"Oh Ray, that looked so sexy, you licking my glasses, Maybe I'll let you sniff my brassiere sometime, could you like that?

"YUP., a scent of a woman."

After I rubbed her glasseson my crotch, I went back to cleaning them with my red flannel shirt.

"Ray, would I look good in half-glasses? and could you like that look?

I mean I'd probably look somewhat older."

"Yeah I could like that look, I must have like thirty pair of womens glasses, what strength do you need?"

"Thirty pair! do you collect them?" Andrea asked, seeming amazed.

"Naw, I did a wiring job for an optician, he paid for the material to do the job then stiffed me on the labor. I wasn't happy about that, said he thought he had enough money fore labor then he comes to me with a box of lady style half-glasses. I knew the cost of them was about ten dollars a piece and figured, screw it, I have a mom and aunts who might need them so I took them. Glad I did now cuz a week later, someone else was renting the office building."

"I could use a two and a half, if you have it, what style are they?

"Well, they are half-glasses in half round or half-square in silver or gold colored metal."

"They sound nice, Ray. Thanks so much."

I ran water from the faucet over her glasses and cleaned them with a dish towel and finished them off with my flannel shirt.