Tales from the Front: Hard of Hearing?

Kevin Mullany of Benchmark Wood Floors in Albuquerque, N.M., recalls a recent job in which he ended up being "in" on the husband's secret for marital harmony. The job was for an elderly couple named Marge and Al. "When I went out for the estimate, Marge ran the show. She also informed me that Al was hard of hearing, and we adopted her custom of yelling when speaking to Al. On the second day, Marge had to leave on an errand. I asked my co-worker a question in a normal voice, and from 30 feet away, Al answered. I know I looked surprised. Al said, 'Oh, my hearing's just fine.' Later that day, we heard Marge yelling, 'Al! Al! Al!' from the bedroom. I looked up, and Al was standing nearby. He put his index finger to his lips, smiled, and went the opposite direction toward the garage," Mullany recalls.

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