Friday, March 31, 2006
Happy Day
"I'll get it, " she said, picking up the phone.
"Oh, hi, Ellen. Yes, he's right here. It's for you. It's your sister Ellen."
"Hello."
"Hello. You know I forgot to send you a card for your birthday, so I thought I'd just call. So Happy birthday. I won't even ask how many. It reminds me. How are you doing?"
"Pretty well for an old guy, and you?"
"Good. Did you do anything special for your big day?"
"Well, we went out to a fancy restaurant and paid much too much and then the kids came over for cake. Not a bad day. I can still blow out all the candles"
"Lots of presents I bet. So what's new?"
"Not much. Still pretty much the same."
"Are you still in your writing class?"
"Yeah, I still enjoy it. Though it's funny you should ask. The project this week is to write about a pleasant day when growing up."
"Oh, that should be interesting. So what are you going to write about?"
"Well, I'm sort of stuck."
"Oh, I wouldn't be. If it was me, I'd know just what to write about. I'd write about the time Miss Anna wanted to adopt me. You remember the day?"
"Yeah, I do. I still remember seeing mom waiting for Miss Anna by the club house right after school and the two of them talking and then Miss Anna getting into the back of the car and leaving. The chauffeur just glaring at me. He didn't like anybody. Probably thought I was one of the kids that pulled those pranks on him."
"What pranks were those?"
"Oh, the time we put rocks across the road and he ran into them and damaged the car. Or the time we put the old wooden dummy on the road and he ran over it and thought he had killed someone."
"I didn't know you guys did that."
"Yeah, well anyway he just glared at me and then mom chased me home so I wouldn't hear what was being said."
"I never knew that. I remember going to Miss Anna's house and she showed me the room I'd have. It was the one that I showed you, the one in the upstairs, the corner one with the fancy curtains. You remember. When we went trick-or-treating."
"Miss Anna was very generous at Halloween. I still remember looking in the door and seeing the great big piano and the wooden floors and the rugs and the couches. No linoleum. You know we were never allowed to enter her house. I still laugh that we had to stay on the porch."
"But mom finally said no. At first she said yes. And I don't think daddy cared one way or the other. But don't you remember it all sort of died out after the day Miss Anna talked to mom."
"You were excited I remember. And all of us were excited for you. We even started thinking of new names for you. But I think you were going to stay with Ellen weren't you."
"Yes I think I was."
"But it was a great day. I'll always remember what you said when we were walking home after trick-or-treat."
"Hmm, I don't remember what I said "
"It was so funny at the time. Just think, you said. It could have been you giving out the treats and would I have thrown an extra nickle or dime in your bag? I always smile when I think of that. So have a good day."
"Well, I'll have to think of something to write about. Thanks for calling."
Copyright 2006 by John Fedako
"Oh, hi, Ellen. Yes, he's right here. It's for you. It's your sister Ellen."
"Hello."
"Hello. You know I forgot to send you a card for your birthday, so I thought I'd just call. So Happy birthday. I won't even ask how many. It reminds me. How are you doing?"
"Pretty well for an old guy, and you?"
"Good. Did you do anything special for your big day?"
"Well, we went out to a fancy restaurant and paid much too much and then the kids came over for cake. Not a bad day. I can still blow out all the candles"
"Lots of presents I bet. So what's new?"
"Not much. Still pretty much the same."
"Are you still in your writing class?"
"Yeah, I still enjoy it. Though it's funny you should ask. The project this week is to write about a pleasant day when growing up."
"Oh, that should be interesting. So what are you going to write about?"
"Well, I'm sort of stuck."
"Oh, I wouldn't be. If it was me, I'd know just what to write about. I'd write about the time Miss Anna wanted to adopt me. You remember the day?"
"Yeah, I do. I still remember seeing mom waiting for Miss Anna by the club house right after school and the two of them talking and then Miss Anna getting into the back of the car and leaving. The chauffeur just glaring at me. He didn't like anybody. Probably thought I was one of the kids that pulled those pranks on him."
"What pranks were those?"
"Oh, the time we put rocks across the road and he ran into them and damaged the car. Or the time we put the old wooden dummy on the road and he ran over it and thought he had killed someone."
"I didn't know you guys did that."
"Yeah, well anyway he just glared at me and then mom chased me home so I wouldn't hear what was being said."
"I never knew that. I remember going to Miss Anna's house and she showed me the room I'd have. It was the one that I showed you, the one in the upstairs, the corner one with the fancy curtains. You remember. When we went trick-or-treating."
"Miss Anna was very generous at Halloween. I still remember looking in the door and seeing the great big piano and the wooden floors and the rugs and the couches. No linoleum. You know we were never allowed to enter her house. I still laugh that we had to stay on the porch."
"But mom finally said no. At first she said yes. And I don't think daddy cared one way or the other. But don't you remember it all sort of died out after the day Miss Anna talked to mom."
"You were excited I remember. And all of us were excited for you. We even started thinking of new names for you. But I think you were going to stay with Ellen weren't you."
"Yes I think I was."
"But it was a great day. I'll always remember what you said when we were walking home after trick-or-treat."
"Hmm, I don't remember what I said "
"It was so funny at the time. Just think, you said. It could have been you giving out the treats and would I have thrown an extra nickle or dime in your bag? I always smile when I think of that. So have a good day."
"Well, I'll have to think of something to write about. Thanks for calling."
Copyright 2006 by John Fedako
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