found a silk shirt I hadn’t yet worn— I love washable silk —and a pair of linen blend pants and a blazer. Five more pounds and I’ll be buying clothes from Penney’s Alfred Dunner collection in the women’s department.
While I dressed, I remembered the blonde with her Texas-wedding hair.
Bet she doesn’t wear control top pantyhose under her pants. I’d always been glad my husband, Jack, hadn’t been a leg man. In spite of myself, I hummed as I put on turquoise earrings and warm, red-orange lipstick.
I’d never been to Andy’s house before. He lived a ten-minute-drive away in a section of town being reclaimed, an area full of old maples and early twentieth-century homes. Most were in various stages of being remodeled. His had been freshly painted blue-gray with white trim and magenta accents. The grass and gardens, though, were still pretty rough. Dominic was already outside messing around with a ball when I pulled up to the curb.
“Hey, Dominic. What’s happening?” I called through the open window as I turned off the engine.
“Nuthin.”
He continued tossing the ball in the air and catching it. Dominic was short for his age. I got out of the car, caught him in a bear hug and tickled him until he giggled.
“Neat duds.” I let him go. “Are they new?”
“Yeah. I grew and had to get a bunch of stuff for school. Got a Nintendo too. Want to see it?”
“You betcha. Maybe when we get back, if it’s not too late, but I need your advice on something first.”
He and I were discussing the advisability of new plastic windshield wipers and protective door strips when Andy came out.
“You look nice.” I was sincere. He wore his clothes well and they never looked wrinkled. Then, for the first time, I noticed a small hearing aid just behind his glasses. No wonder he sometimes seems to ignore me. He’s hard of hearing .
Andy opened the driver’s door for me and got in the passenger side. Dominic hopped in the middle of the back. We buckled up, with Dominic straining his belt in order to lean through the seats and talk.
“We were just discussing plastic windshield wipers. Mine are worn out. I thought maybe orange ones to match the stripe on the car, and those plastic door strips on the edges where they’re nicked.”
“You could get those wheel covers that spin around, too,” said Dominic. “It’d be awesome.”
Wheel covers? My dad always said hubcaps. I better upgrade his vocabulary.
“Well,” Andy seemed a bit at a loss. “It certainly would be—trendy—and bright.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Trendy ? “I like bright colors.”
“I’ve noticed.” He looked at my silk shirt. “They suit you.”
“Thank you.” I hate women who can’t take a compliment—if it was a compliment.
“You’ve never been to this before, then?”
“Never even heard of it.”
“The play is quite an undertaking for a church. I admire people who give their time to what they believe in. Time is about the most precious gift there is.”
“It can be.” He then added quietly, almost to himself, “Or one of the most frightening and intimidating.”
I glanced briefly at him. Is he thinking as in doing time?
He stared blankly out the window and gave away nothing.
“Here’s the freeway, Dom. You know the rule.”
I signaled to enter.
“Yeah. Don’t talk during merging, Dad.”
“Huh?”
“Aunt Merc can only concentrate on one thing at a time, and merging is stressful.” He quoted me.
“Right. When I drive on the freeway, I need to concentrate.”
I waited for an opening in the traffic and glanced at Andy. He looked apprehensive and began watching me and all the other cars, while Dominic read bumper stickers and license plate surrounds aloud.
The Amphitheater exit was clearly marked. I turned off Highway 512 onto Meridian and followed the traffic to a turnoff leading to the parking area. Two men in Roman soldier garb holding staffs sat astride horses on either side of the road.
While I dressed, I remembered the blonde with her Texas-wedding hair.
Bet she doesn’t wear control top pantyhose under her pants. I’d always been glad my husband, Jack, hadn’t been a leg man. In spite of myself, I hummed as I put on turquoise earrings and warm, red-orange lipstick.
I’d never been to Andy’s house before. He lived a ten-minute-drive away in a section of town being reclaimed, an area full of old maples and early twentieth-century homes. Most were in various stages of being remodeled. His had been freshly painted blue-gray with white trim and magenta accents. The grass and gardens, though, were still pretty rough. Dominic was already outside messing around with a ball when I pulled up to the curb.
“Hey, Dominic. What’s happening?” I called through the open window as I turned off the engine.
“Nuthin.”
He continued tossing the ball in the air and catching it. Dominic was short for his age. I got out of the car, caught him in a bear hug and tickled him until he giggled.
“Neat duds.” I let him go. “Are they new?”
“Yeah. I grew and had to get a bunch of stuff for school. Got a Nintendo too. Want to see it?”
“You betcha. Maybe when we get back, if it’s not too late, but I need your advice on something first.”
He and I were discussing the advisability of new plastic windshield wipers and protective door strips when Andy came out.
“You look nice.” I was sincere. He wore his clothes well and they never looked wrinkled. Then, for the first time, I noticed a small hearing aid just behind his glasses. No wonder he sometimes seems to ignore me. He’s hard of hearing .
Andy opened the driver’s door for me and got in the passenger side. Dominic hopped in the middle of the back. We buckled up, with Dominic straining his belt in order to lean through the seats and talk.
“We were just discussing plastic windshield wipers. Mine are worn out. I thought maybe orange ones to match the stripe on the car, and those plastic door strips on the edges where they’re nicked.”
“You could get those wheel covers that spin around, too,” said Dominic. “It’d be awesome.”
Wheel covers? My dad always said hubcaps. I better upgrade his vocabulary.
“Well,” Andy seemed a bit at a loss. “It certainly would be—trendy—and bright.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Trendy ? “I like bright colors.”
“I’ve noticed.” He looked at my silk shirt. “They suit you.”
“Thank you.” I hate women who can’t take a compliment—if it was a compliment.
“You’ve never been to this before, then?”
“Never even heard of it.”
“The play is quite an undertaking for a church. I admire people who give their time to what they believe in. Time is about the most precious gift there is.”
“It can be.” He then added quietly, almost to himself, “Or one of the most frightening and intimidating.”
I glanced briefly at him. Is he thinking as in doing time?
He stared blankly out the window and gave away nothing.
“Here’s the freeway, Dom. You know the rule.”
I signaled to enter.
“Yeah. Don’t talk during merging, Dad.”
“Huh?”
“Aunt Merc can only concentrate on one thing at a time, and merging is stressful.” He quoted me.
“Right. When I drive on the freeway, I need to concentrate.”
I waited for an opening in the traffic and glanced at Andy. He looked apprehensive and began watching me and all the other cars, while Dominic read bumper stickers and license plate surrounds aloud.
The Amphitheater exit was clearly marked. I turned off Highway 512 onto Meridian and followed the traffic to a turnoff leading to the parking area. Two men in Roman soldier garb holding staffs sat astride horses on either side of the road.
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