Eleanor

I'll never forget how she cornered me outside the lecture hall with her downcast eyes, looking so respectful. I thought women were supposed to look just like that. I spent evenings in her company. She made me supper of beans and greens. Ellen was studying nutrition. In my mind it wasn't a high profession. She was a practical person with concrete attitudes. But there was a twist to her, a sadness that called for my special talents. Sitting at her table became a staple of my life. It was only when I developed a tenderness toward her that things changed. She stood at the cabinet drawer looking for needle and thread. I came up behind her, suddenly driven by a gush of something physiological. I touched her hand. She withdrew alarmingly. Lesbianism was illegal in those days. Ellen's partner was a butch named Maxine. She called her Max. I would be an appearence. Not my charm but my availability made her wait for me.