As the World Turns

I was joking with my mom that the retirement community where she and my dad live is much like a soap opera. I find it hilarious. Check out this story:

My mom (78) has been walking in the mornings with a 90 year old fellar I will call D.
While we were visiting my mom told us that they had the following conversation that morning:

D: "i can't walk with you anymore."

M: "why not?"

D: "i don't want to upset your husband."

M: "oh, he doesn't care that we are walking together."

D: "well, i like you."

authors interjection!!!
my mom, being a little wifty headed does NOT understand what D is trying to tell her and responds:

M: "well, D, i like you, too"

D: "people are going to talk about us if they see that we are walking together."

authors interjection again!
my mom, still not understanding the point D is trying to make albeit indirectly says:

M: "oh, D, we walk on a very busy street and no one is going to notice."
(he meant the people in their community!)

needless to say they didn't walk together that morning!

A couple days later D shows up late at breakfast and says to my mom:

D: "I'm not coming early to breakfast anymore."

M: "why not?"

D: "because J (his good buddy) is talking about us."

So, my mother takes things into her own hands, turns around and marches up to J and directly asks him if he's got an opinion about them walking together!!! He does not but it still doesn't occur to my mom that D is having a whole other experience of their relationship and just can't bring himself to say so.
And so it goes. I'm sure that soon enough I will be getting an update.
My sister and I did, however, tease mom about liking older men and sang her the childrens' song: mom and D sitting in a tree...which she found mildly amusing!