Nobody's Fool

rough day. Her dad being so sick and having all the company. She gets all twisted up inside.”
    â€œI should’ve known better than to come over,” Sully said, affected by Ralph’s generosity. “I did know better.”
    â€œDon’t feel that way,” Ralph said, genuinely hurt. “You’re always welcome.”
    â€œWell, I sure appreciate your coming out,” Sully said. “I must have idled away five gallons right outside your house.”
    Sully unscrewed the gas cap and inserted the can’s retractable spout.
    â€œGo ahead and put it all in,” Ralph suggested. “I won’t be mowing no more lawns for a while.”
    â€œYou don’t have a snowblower?”
    Ralph shook his head sadly. “I gotta get one, though. I can’t shovel since my colon. Damn near killed me this morning, and I waited until half of it melted. It’s hell getting old, ain’t it?”
    When Sully was sure he’d put in enough gas to get back to town, he removed the spout and screwed the gas cap back on.
    â€œGo ahead and use it all,” Ralph said.
    â€œThis’ll do fine,” Sully said. “Thanks again.”
    â€œYou want to come back to the house?” Ralph asked. “Things have settled down. You never even got no turkey.”
    â€œThat’s all right, I didn’t come for turkey,” Sully said. “What’s the story with Peter and Charlotte?”
    Ralph shrugged. “I never understand things,” he admitted. “I don’t know why people can’t just get along.”
    â€œYou don’t?” Sully said. “How old are you?”
    â€œIt ain’t that hard to get along,” Ralph insisted. “Just treat people good and they treat you good, most of ’em, anyhow.”
    Sully nodded. “Except for the ones who don’t. And except for the times you don’t feel like treating other people good.”
    â€œI never mind treating people good,” Ralph said.
    â€œI know it,” Sully conceded, “but you’re the exception.” He took out his cigarettes, offered one to Ralph, who, he sensed, was in no hurryto return. The air was mild and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” was being piped into the parking lot.
    Ralph refused the offered cigarette. “Vera made me give them up,” he said. “Beer too, except when I sneak.”
    Sully lit a cigarette. “I won’t tell.”
    Ralph grinned, shook his head. “I gotta admit I feel better,” he said. “It was the doctor made me quit, actually. Vera just makes sure.”
    â€œShe’s a natural.”
    Ralph studied his shoes. “You really missed out, not spending your life with her,” he said, much to his own and Sully’s surprise.
    â€œYou could be right,” Sully agreed, not so much because he thought so as because it was an oddly touching thing for Ralph to say, for one man to say to another about a woman they’d both been married to.
    â€œI know she’s bossy,” Ralph admitted. “And she’s not happy unless she’s trying to change people. She’s not mean, though.”
    â€œVera was never mean,” Sully agreed. “Just frustrated about not getting her own way.”
    â€œI guess they all want their own way.”
    â€œSo do we,” Sully pointed out.
    Ralph thought about it. “Not me,” he said finally. “I just like for people to all get along. I don’t care whose way. What difference does it make, whose way?” Ralph wanted to know. Having admitted to letting Vera have hers, he would have liked to get Sully to agree about the wisdom of his practice.
    Sully shrugged. “All day long people have been trying to get me to eat turkey. What I really feel like eating is a chicken-fried steak. Why shouldn’t I eat one?”
    Sully had chosen the example at random and unknowingly struck a nerve. Ralph was inordinately fond of fried foods and was no longer allowed to eat them. “They’re bad for you,” he pointed out weakly, aware that this particular argument wasn’t likely to succeed with Sully.
    â€œSuppose I want one anyhow?”
    â€œWhy would you want something you know’s bad for you?”
    â€œGood question,” Sully admitted. “I always do, though.” He put his cigarette out with his shoe by way of punctuation. “By the way,” he added when they’d