Gabe: Cleaning the Toilet and Talking to Monk

~
Meredith calls. Monk was looking forward to it. However, she was multi-tasking it - cleaning her toilet and doing some gardening as she talked with him - and Monk felt the tepid warmth of neutrality in her conversation. That and her discussion of taking pills for menopause did much to deflate his wistful spirit.

Monk has come to the conclusion that she is doing this more as a kind of emotional help for him, working on his social skills. One imagines that it did not start that way, as this was just a convenient pretense, but that when she overcame her own fatuous energies about what nice possibilities Monk might mean for her sagging fortunes, the interpersonal relationship has become more of a habit; she does not want to be rude after opening him up more to the larger world, and the pretext has become the reality. And this relationship for her has become more of a chore - akin to cleaning the toilet.

Monk's expectations had been healthfully declining, and now there really aren't any expectations to speak of. As they discussed, the story might change when he wins the lottery - on that glorious day in the indefinite future.

And meanwhile? Well, given Monk's straits, he will gladly take what she is willing to give while she is willing to give it - he still knows no better hope.

Of Popes and Heaven

~
Monk is preparing his cup of ice water for his reading when Simple Tree returns home from Little Dreamer's soccer game, and Tree asks, "The pope died?"

"Yup."

"The sonofabitch finally died." Simple Tree is obviously not being irreverent as it is not in his nature. He is only awed by the news. As he stares out the window, he asks Monk, "Do you think he is going to Heaven?"

"Nope."