A 70-year-old widow who chooses to take matters into her own hands when her husband is late returning home again is introduced to us in this amusing story. She writes him a note explaining that she has had enough of his continual late because she is irritable and fed up with it. Determined to see his response when he discovers the note, she hides under the bed.
The husband comes home soon enough, and the woman listens intently from her hiding place as he walks about the house. She hears him walk toward the dresser where she had left the note as he enters the bedroom. She waits excitedly to see how he will respond to her message, anticipating his response.
She is surprised to hear him chuckle before he begins to write on the letter. She tries to hear what he is saying out of sheer curiosity. He picks up the phone and calls someone, telling them joyfully that she has finally left and that he is happy about it.
The husband keeps talking on the phone, making seductive remarks and expressing his eagerness to meet the person on the other end, and the wife can’t believe what she’s hearing. He discusses their intentions to partake in “naughty” activities that they both find enjoyable.
The woman is filled with wrath and sorrow when she realizes what her husband’s response really implies, feeling a mix of emotions. He is happy and eager for the chance to spend time with someone else rather than sad or worried about her leaving.
The husband finally hangs up, gets his keys, and walks out of the house. The woman can hear his car leaving while she is still concealed under the bed and listening to it. She emerges from her hiding place, overcome with emotion, and retrieves the letter to see what he had written in response to her message.
She is shocked to read the note, which simply states, “I can see your feet. We’ve run out of bread; please return in five. Her departure was not the husband’s reaction; rather, he made a lighthearted remark about where she was hiding.