Chapter 13 - margaret’s reaction

Margaret did not like simon's change in attitude when it came to food. She told him he was getting greedy. She warned him he was putting on weight, but it didn't seem to bother him. He'd gained a little weight over the years that she'd known him. It was inevitable really. His diet was not the best. He could go weeks without eating a single vegetable.
If he was hungry he'd have cereal with milk at any time of the day... or toast. He could manage that. If he wanted something hot, he'd have a pot noodle or similar. Cooking for him was sticking a ready meal in the microwave.
She was no cook either and slipped into the same bad habits as him. She would buy sandwiches and crisps to eat at her desk at work, she'd rarely make them herself.

Takeaways had always been something to save for special occasions, or for when he'd been drinking.
All of a sudden he seemed to be having takeaways nearly every day. He might order two dishes, knowing that she had already eaten, then eat both portions himself.
If he had a cereal meal, he used a bigger bowl that enabled him to have a larger portion, then he would consume two bowls.
If he made toast, he'd prepare two slices and consume them while he prepared another four!

She had no idea what kind of meals he was having when he was away, but from the effects on his figure she suspected he was not eating any differently.
She urged him to be more careful when she noticed his thickening body was developing a little pot belly and his chest was getting softer. She encouraged him to try the gym. He needed a personal trainer to get him back into shape.

She hated the way he'd lean back, lift his tee shirt and slap his belly after a particularly satisfying meal. It was gross! His new body disgusted her. It turned her off. She could barely stand the sight of him in his shortie pyjamas that were so tight that the tee shirt kept riding up.
What was worse was on a weekend, he would sit about in his pyjamas until lunchtime before he decided to shower and get dressed. He would spend the morning messing about in his 'studio' bedroom, playing music or manipulating and playing about with music on his computer. From the amount of wrappers she found when she did the cleaning in there, she knew it was not all he was doing in there. The wrappers were empty crisp packets, chocolate bars, sweet papers, biscuit wrappers, even cake boxes. What on Earth was he doing to himself and why was he doing it?

She tried to reason with him. Tried to make him see she was worried about his health. It was like he was trying to gain weight deliberately! He was playing a dangerous game and she wanted no part of it.

She understood that he wanted to concentrate more on the music side if his career, but it was the guiding thing brought in the money. Most of the money he'd received so far for his agency thing had been wasted. She knew his parents had given him yet another loan to help him out. She had no idea how much, but even when he cut his guide hours down, she did not see him even trying to make the agency work!
He should be spending hours on the phone, he should be spending evenings going to gigs, watching bands play live and then signing them up. He should be trying to pass his driving test. (He'd failed it three times already). If he was more mobile, it would make it so much easier to visit recording studios to discuss deals. He should have solicitors draw up potential contracts.
Instead, he just lay about on the sofa and did nothing.
She'd had enough when his clothes size and gone up twice. By this time his belly made him look like he was pregnant all the time.
She had threatened to leave. He had not listened. She knew that Simon was no saint. She knew he had affairs. He was a handsome lad. There were bound to be numerous temptations. She knew most of them were short lived and were driven by sex. She forgave him because he always came back to her. She'd stopped asking him questions. She suspected he needed more freedom than a regular man. She would sometimes find tell tale signs that he had been up to no good when she was out at work or on a training weekend. Discarded condoms not flushed down the toilet properly. An earring that was not hers underneath the sofa.
All that extracurricular activity appeared to have stopped recently, since he had started to gain weight. Maybe his dates did not find him attractive any more. She didn't.
She used to feel proud walking down the street with him hand in hand. He attracted numerous admiring glances from passers by with his look. It was a boost to her own confidence to have some of that admiration rub off on her.
Now that no longer happened. His middle aged spread was occurring ten years too early. She was not prepared to see him eat himself into an early grave.
She finally gave up on him, packed her bags and moved out.