John Perkins is bored with his routine life. As he returns home, his wife greets him with a kiss. But he does not like the cream and butter scotch flavor of her mouth. He does not like the noise coming from his neighbors. He does not relish his dinner. At 8:15sharp, he goes out to play a game of pool with his friends.
On returning home one evening he finds Katy (his wife) missing. A note on the gas jet shows that she had gone to see her mother who was sick. Perkins gets a jolt. Katy had never left him like that before. Her absence made him feel miserable. Now he realized her importance in his life. Earlier he had never cared for her. His world comes to a stand still. He now grows guilty. He resolves to make amends for his past neglect of her.
However, as soon as Katy returns, John forgets his resolutions completely. The old routine habit overpowers him. At 8:15pm he goes out again for the pool game. Poor Katy is left alone at home as usual.