"Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree..."
-- Irwin Levine and L. Russel Brown
Performed by Tony Orlando and Dawn
A Life Ever Changing #8
...Mrs. Brown then asked me if I was ready to go home? I
said yes, and she told me my mother was waiting for us. Oh
FRAPST! I just knew what was going to happen then!
We continued to converse about varied topics each of which
ended with her asking my opinion or how I felt about this
and that. I must admit I was at a loss to give an educated
reply to most of her chosen topics. I must have done the
right thing by not making something up or using other
people's opinions as my own. She ended the inquisition by
informing me that I had a lot to learn, but she was sure I
would do well.
Okay, but I was about to arrive at my house with my brand
new boss. A boss, who has seen me in my underwear, treated
me like a child and subjected me to the most embarrassing
situations of my young life! Not only that, but I am about
to have Mrs. Brown and my mother be together over dinner
with one topic, ME!
The closer we got to my house, the more nervous I got. Mrs.
Brown must have seen my expression and my body language
must have been obvious. Because she turned to me and told
me to take slow deep breaths one after the other. So that's
what I did for about 5 minutes! Okay, so I was calmer for 5
minutes! I looked out the window and HOLY FRIPSY! We were
turning onto my street! There went all the calm! We turned
into my driveway and there was no turning back now. THIS
WAS IT!
Not only my mother's car was in the driveway either! My
Aunt Harriet's was there as well! Now my Aunt Harriet is a
hairdresser and my mother's closest friend. She is also my
mother's confidante. My mom tells her everything and she
tells my mom everything! Never any secrets between them
two! Oh FRAPST!
To add insult to injury, our next-door neighbors were
having a cookout and they were all outside looking as Mrs.
Brown and I got out of the car. Did I mention my girlfriend
was my neighbor? I could just picture my next visit with my
girlfriend at her house!
I had Mrs. Brown take the lead and I followed close behind.
(After waving hello to my neighbors of course. I could not
pretend they did not see us, or we did not see them.)
We came up the front walk and before I could get to the
door my brother and sister ran out yelling "Rich is home!"
In a nana-second they both were wrapped around me hugging
and yelling, "Aunt Harriet is here!" They were yelling at
the same time trying to tell me about a hundred different
things all at once. You know how little kids are when they
are excited don't you? Mrs. Brown started laughing and that
was when both my mother and Aunt Harriet came out as well.
I did my duty and made the introductions as best I could
with two wiggling screaming excited kids wrapped around me.
Mrs. Brown then made the great suggestion that maybe I and
my brother and sister could help bring "MY" packages from
the car into the house. This suggestion was made to my
mother and not to me of course. And of course she agreed
and the kids got even more excited! The both started
yelling "PRESENTS! RICH GOT PRESENTS!" Oh FRIPSY!
Mrs. Brown then said to my utter dismay "Ricky, here are my
keys to the trunk. You three have fun and just bring all
the packages inside okay?" Of course, my mother and Aunt
Harriet said in unison "RICKY?" Oh FRAPST!
To my utter horror the three ladies went into the house
chatting and laughing like old friends. I could have sworn
I heard my Aunt call Mrs. Brown "Grace"! Did she know her?
Well, the two little ones were driving me crazy to open up
the trunk. So we three started unloading the packages and I
handed the smallest and lightest to my brother. My sister
grabbed as much as she could and I grabbed the rest.
We got to the door and the three ladies were already
sitting in the living room chatting away. I had to put down
several packages to open the door! GEEZ! They could at
least have held the door open for us! As we entered the
house my mother hollered out, "Just bring them all in here
kids!" So we did.
Then my mother really surprised me! She asked me to go into
the kitchen and make a fresh salad to go with dinner. What?
Okay, so off I went. This of course put me on the opposite
side of two walls from them. Which of course made it a
certainty I could not overhear anything they were talking
about.
As I was leaving to go make the salad my Aunt asked me if I
would please make some tea. OF COURSE I WOULD BE GLAD TO
AUNT HARRIET! (I did say it nicely though.) Oh FRAPST! Add
to that my brother and sister were trying their best to
empty all the packages. As a parting shot I said, "Some of
them are Mrs. Brown's." I could hear chuckling as I left!
I put the tea water on to boil and started to think again.
I wondered why my Aunt had not mentioned my hair or nails.
I knew she knew! My mom did not mention it either! I also
knew that it was obvious I had had them done. Well, I did
not have them done Mrs. Brown and Lucy had this done to me!
I was also wondering how these appointments just happened
to have been made without me seeing Mrs. Brown make them.
Betty at the specialty shop knew I was coming. Lucy also
knew I was coming. The workers at Lucy's salon knew I was
coming! I started putting it all together when the tea
water started to boil.
I went to the cupboard and took out the fancy tea set. You
know the kind. Teapot, small creamer, sugar bowl with the
little spoon in it, the tray and of course! What goes with
tea? Right, the fancy cookies of course! I put all this
together, adding three teacups and saucers with three
teaspoons of course. I was ready! Off I went back to the
living room.
Now, try to picture me walking in with this stuff trying to
keep a poker face on knowing full well I had been set-up by
the three of them! It is not easy! I tried, but I failed
because all it took was one look at me and they knew I knew
what they had done!
All three ladies thanked me for the tea and my mother told
me to put the salad in the refrigerator when I was through
preparing it. She added that I should come back to living
room right when I was through. Okay. So, off I went back to
the kitchen once more in utter seclusion. I made the salad,
cleaned up and returned to the living room nervous as hell
and wondering what would come next!
What I saw when I entered the living room was all my stuff
neatly laid out in sets! Yes, the ladies had matched
everything as to what went with what. I also noticed
several wooden hangers.
Now, my mother loves wooden hangers. They were special and
these were designed to hold a complete outfit. There was a
place for a shirt, pants and jacket. You ever see these
type hangers? They are called the traveler's friend. They
were real big in the 40's and 50's. Of course, in the 60's
most humans were using metal hangers. Not our family! Our
family had at least 10 different styles of wooden hangers!
No metal ones in this house!
I also noticed that my siblings were now playing with the
empty boxes off in a corner and having a blast. Now, lying
right next to each matched set of clothes were the
accessories that went with them. Yupper, a pair of socks, a
T-shit, one pair of underwear and to my utter horror I saw
not just one pair of KEDS, but two! I also noticed not two
pairs of Patten leather shoes but three! Two white pairs
and one black pair.
I still only had two jackets, but along with three sets of
clothes I noticed three smocks! LIGHT BLUE with "NURSE
AIDE" embroidered over the left chest pocket red in color!
OH FRAPST! I also noticed I had two neckties both black.
What happened to the white one? This took me all of about
60 seconds.
The chair my mother told me to clear off and sit in had two
regular sized men's cloth belts lying on it. You know the
kind, the ones with the brass buckle? These were white.
Also on the chair were three other ones that were thinner
and colored light blue and two shiny black leather belts.
One was wider than the other one. Where did all this come
from? There were two three-color pens. I also saw four sets
of light blue shoelaces. Under all this lay two wrapped
packages. One I knew was from Lucy, but the other one I did
not know whom it was from. I moved all of these things
neatly onto the floor.
I sat down and waited for what they had planned for me to
once and for all be explained. My Aunt got up and walked
over to me. She asked me to show her my hands and I did.
She looked at them and said, "Now that is how a gentleman's
nails should be kept. Clean, trimmed, shaped and protected.
They help make you look like a professional."
Then she looked at my hair. She walked around behind me and
I felt her hands in my hair. She then said not only to me I
guess, but to Mrs. Brown and my mother as well "This is
great work, Grace! Julia (my mom's name) look at all the
body he has now!" She went on to say, "Your hair has gentle
flowing waves and I bet they will keep for at least a
month!" She was not done yet! She went on to say, "I bet we
could brush this in several styles!" OH FRIPSY! She then
asked my mom to get her a hairbrush! OH NO!!!!
Thank heaven, my mother told her we had to eat dinner now!
Whew, but then she added, "Harriet, you can play with his
hair after dinner." She went on, "You can try different
styles as he tries on and models his new uniform sets for
us." OH FRAPST!!!!!!
With that I was sent off to the kitchen again by my mother
to set places for four. She announced that the two little
ones had already eaten and they would be going to bed now.
I started to laugh then because as I was going to the
kitchen both my brother and sister were screaming they did
not want to go to bed. Especially going to bed earlier than
normal. I knew they would fight this tooth and nail! I also
knew my mom would win after a few swats on two bottoms! My
Aunt offered her help with the two little ones and my mom
asked Grace if she wanted join them. She did.
I disappeared into the kitchen and that was the last I
heard from them for some time. Knowing what they had to do
would take at least 30 minutes or more I not only set the
table, I put the final touches on the salad and warmed the
French bread. I peeked into the oven and there was my
favorite of favorites! Homemade baked macaroni and cheese!
If this was to be my final meal it was going to at least be
my favorite!
I decided to take a chance and peeked into the freezer.
YES! There it was, my favorite dessert in the whole world!
A big pan of strawberry supreme! Have you ever had homemade
strawberry supreme? No? You just don't know what you are
missing dear readers! How this is made will make your
mouths water and your stomachs growl with eternal desire!
The very bottom is made of crushed toasted almonds. Then
comes the first layer of strawberry ice cream. On top of
that strawberries in syrup whipped together with real
whipped cream! Not Cool Whip! Real whipped cream! Then
another thin layer of crushed toasted almonds. This
continues until you have four layers and that is topped off
with real fresh strawberries! Would you like some dear
readers? I know I would and right this second! But, on with
the story!
Feeling much better about dinner and dessert I started to
sing as I usually do when I am happy. (I love to sing.)
Then I heard that sound!