Pensions

You know its funny all these years of teaching English and I never had time to read.
Jack looked at Randy
You don't read.
Not really. When I retire this year I will but I just don't have time
Jack was a writer and would never retire. He taught part time English classes as an adjunct.
That's crazy.
I just don't know what I'm going to do when I retire.
Well I will never have to worry about that.
What do you mean
I don't have a pension. I'll never retire.
Randy was silent. He had worried a lot about retiring. For one thing it had been rocky lately between he and his wife. He looked forward to going away to the high school all day. It gave him relief. A necessary separation.
Jack fingered a cigarette.
Your a lucky man Randy.
Oh I know. Sue and I are going to travel a lot when she retires.
When is that.
Oh...not for another ten  years. she is a lot younger than me.
Jack drank his whiskey.
Yeah Ill work to the day I die. Just like my old man.
Writers never retire huh
Nope.
Randy thought about not getting up and leaving at six AM. He thought about not setting his coffee pot. He thought about not being involved in the speech and drama club with meetings after school that ran past dinner time. He thought about not going back to school in the fall. He thought about sitting around and watching television like his dad who died a year after he retired from the railroad. It scared the shit out of him.
Jack pulled out a cigarette and looked at hijm.
You thought ahead man.  I''ll be driving to crappy community colleges to teach snot nosed freshman while you'll be kicking back. You have a pension. The rest of us are just fucked.
Randy nodded and stared down at his beer.
Oh I know. Im a lucky man....believe me...I  know.

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