world. Did she say she might be able to come after she gets back from this trip?”
“No, she can’t, she said this was the only time that she could have taken off.”
“Well, it’s a damn shame the way they work her like they do. She hasn’t had a vacation since she started working there. That girl works too hard.”
A half hour later, when Macky was in the kitchen fixing the percolator for their morning coffee, Norma said, sighing, “Well, I guess I better call Aunt Elner and let her know she’s not coming.”
“She never knew she was coming in the first place, Norma.”
But she was not listening and had already dialed. “Aunt Elner, are you still up? It’s Norma.” She said, louder, “It’s Norma, go get your hearing aid, dear.”
She waited. “Well, now the tale can be told because it’s not going to happen. You will never guess who was coming home for a visit.
And
was going to come over to your house and surprise you. Guess … Well, I know you don’t know … but guess. No, even better than Wayne Newton.”
Macky laughed.
“Baby Girl, that’s who. No, she’s not coming now. I know it would have been wonderful, but just at the last minute when she was headed out the door, her boss called her and she had to go and interview somebody and fly all the way to Siberia to do it. Siberia.” She spelled it out. “
S-I-B-E-R-I-A;
yes, that’s the one. Macky thinks she’s going to interview some big Russian mucky-muck. I feel so sorry for her I could just cry. They just send her hither and yon but the news waits for no man, as they say. Oh, yes, she was; disappointed is not the word. Heartbroken is more like it. She was trying to be brave but I could tell by her voice that she was on the verge of tears. I mean, we are all terribly disappointed but just imagine how horrible she must have felt. Here she had her bags all packed and ready to walk out the door headed for Missouri and winding up in Siberia instead.”
Souvenir
Elmwood Springs, Missouri
November 1968
When Norma and Macky returned home after visiting Dena in New York, the first thing they did was to go over to Aunt Elner’s house and give her the souvenirs they had brought for her knickknack shelf. One was a little bronze Statue of Liberty and another an Empire State Building paperweight with fake snow inside. Two hours later she called Norma with the paperweight in her hand.
“Norma?”
“Yes, honey?”
“You might have to come over here and take this paperweight away from me.”
“Why?”
“I can’t stop myself from shaking it up; it’s just like a little winter in there, isn’t it?”
“Well, I’m glad you like it. We didn’t know what to get you.”
“Oh, I’m just getting the biggest kick out of it, you have no idea.”
“Good.”
“And Baby Girl really seemed like she was getting along all right?”
“Oh, yes, but we didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with her. They have her working morning, noon, and night.”
“Is she still too skinny?”
“No, she’s filled out and has quite a nice shape.”
“Did she like her fig preserves?”
“Oh, yes, she was tickled pink to get them. She probably never gets anything homemade; they all eat in restaurants up there day and night.”
“Well, bless her heart. Do you reckon she might like some hickory nuts? I’ve got a barrel full out on the porch. My tree just went crazy on me this year. Maybe I’ll make her one of my hickory nut cakes with the caramel icing; do you reckon she’d like that?”
“I’m sure she would.”
“It’s still hard to believe Baby Girl is a grown-up woman! Last time I saw her she wasn’t no bigger than a minute; what was she, four?”
“Four or five.”
Then Aunt Elner asked the same question she did every time they discussed Dena.
“Did she mention anything about her mother?”
“Not a word.”
“Well, what would you say if she did?”
“I’ll just answer whatever questions she has as truthfully as I
“No, she can’t, she said this was the only time that she could have taken off.”
“Well, it’s a damn shame the way they work her like they do. She hasn’t had a vacation since she started working there. That girl works too hard.”
A half hour later, when Macky was in the kitchen fixing the percolator for their morning coffee, Norma said, sighing, “Well, I guess I better call Aunt Elner and let her know she’s not coming.”
“She never knew she was coming in the first place, Norma.”
But she was not listening and had already dialed. “Aunt Elner, are you still up? It’s Norma.” She said, louder, “It’s Norma, go get your hearing aid, dear.”
She waited. “Well, now the tale can be told because it’s not going to happen. You will never guess who was coming home for a visit.
And
was going to come over to your house and surprise you. Guess … Well, I know you don’t know … but guess. No, even better than Wayne Newton.”
Macky laughed.
“Baby Girl, that’s who. No, she’s not coming now. I know it would have been wonderful, but just at the last minute when she was headed out the door, her boss called her and she had to go and interview somebody and fly all the way to Siberia to do it. Siberia.” She spelled it out. “
S-I-B-E-R-I-A;
yes, that’s the one. Macky thinks she’s going to interview some big Russian mucky-muck. I feel so sorry for her I could just cry. They just send her hither and yon but the news waits for no man, as they say. Oh, yes, she was; disappointed is not the word. Heartbroken is more like it. She was trying to be brave but I could tell by her voice that she was on the verge of tears. I mean, we are all terribly disappointed but just imagine how horrible she must have felt. Here she had her bags all packed and ready to walk out the door headed for Missouri and winding up in Siberia instead.”
Souvenir
Elmwood Springs, Missouri
November 1968
When Norma and Macky returned home after visiting Dena in New York, the first thing they did was to go over to Aunt Elner’s house and give her the souvenirs they had brought for her knickknack shelf. One was a little bronze Statue of Liberty and another an Empire State Building paperweight with fake snow inside. Two hours later she called Norma with the paperweight in her hand.
“Norma?”
“Yes, honey?”
“You might have to come over here and take this paperweight away from me.”
“Why?”
“I can’t stop myself from shaking it up; it’s just like a little winter in there, isn’t it?”
“Well, I’m glad you like it. We didn’t know what to get you.”
“Oh, I’m just getting the biggest kick out of it, you have no idea.”
“Good.”
“And Baby Girl really seemed like she was getting along all right?”
“Oh, yes, but we didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with her. They have her working morning, noon, and night.”
“Is she still too skinny?”
“No, she’s filled out and has quite a nice shape.”
“Did she like her fig preserves?”
“Oh, yes, she was tickled pink to get them. She probably never gets anything homemade; they all eat in restaurants up there day and night.”
“Well, bless her heart. Do you reckon she might like some hickory nuts? I’ve got a barrel full out on the porch. My tree just went crazy on me this year. Maybe I’ll make her one of my hickory nut cakes with the caramel icing; do you reckon she’d like that?”
“I’m sure she would.”
“It’s still hard to believe Baby Girl is a grown-up woman! Last time I saw her she wasn’t no bigger than a minute; what was she, four?”
“Four or five.”
Then Aunt Elner asked the same question she did every time they discussed Dena.
“Did she mention anything about her mother?”
“Not a word.”
“Well, what would you say if she did?”
“I’ll just answer whatever questions she has as truthfully as I
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