Penny Nails It

"Penny, I am all freaked out about this wedding," Joan said into the phone.

There was a pause on the other end, so pregnant that Joan thought something was about to be birthed and was not sure she wanted any part of it.

The words that followed were like little poison arrows into her mind, "Ah, so you and Rog have decided to hold off or wait awhile on the whole wedding thing." Joan was stunned. The arrows hit their mark. Why would Penny think that she would call off the wedding?

Before she could reply, the now-very friendly voice on the other line was said more, "Oh, Joan, thank goodness you two have come to your senses. This whole wedding thing was just crazy."

And though Joan felt her heart sinking, tears beginning a threatening voyage down her cheeks, she tried to match the original pregnant pause, hoping it indicated to Penny an error of judgment in the conversation mode.

Nothing. No sound was coming from Penny's end now. Perhaps Joan had gotten her point across or perhaps the phone had just gone dead as cell phone inevitably do.

Taking a deep breath, "No, no. That's not it at all. The wedding is still on. Why would you think it wouldn't be? Has Rog said something? Penny, what has he told you?" Too late, the hysterics were full volume in her head.

Another well executed pregnant pause followed. "I see."

No apology. Nothing. Whenever Joan heard the phrase, "I see," she always thought of the play The Diary of Anne Frank. At one point Anne learns that she and the others will not be leaving the attic anytime soon and her response is "I see." Joan had played this role only two years ago at her high school and had never felt like she really understood that line. But now she did. Penny had nailed it.