Janet's Quest

Scene Two...Big Sister Time: Evening, Friday, November 9, 1945 Place: Viridian Community Hospital, emergency entrance Storyteller: Janet "There she is. Betty. White coat. Standing outside, next to the bed with wheels," I say. "Great. She's on the ball...and pretty." William puts on the brakes in front of the emergency room. Two men lift the patient onto the stretcher. Betty grabs Mom's limp hand. As if on cue, her brown eyes pop open. "Mother! Can you talk?" "Yes, dear. I'm fine." "Like heck. You were unconscious. Stop trying to sit up. I'll call Doc Sasser. He'll be here soon." "Why? You're a doctor and so is he." I motion to the ex-Army man. His eyes are definitely blue. Deep blue. "He thinks Mom fainted from hypo-something." "Hypoglycemia?" Betty asks the stranger. William nods. "Tests will tell, but she hit her head, too. Needs an x-ray." I don...

Scene Three...Family Dynamics Time: Same evening, Friday, November 9, 1945 Place: Emergency room and Lois's hospital room Storyteller: Janet I suffer through Mom's tests. Those needles make me queasy. Good thing my stomach is empty. Dad arrives, out of breath and bickering with my brother. He demands a private room for his wife. Alas, Dad gets his way and Mom is settled for the night. Her color is pink again. I'm sitting on the bed. "You look back to normal. Propped up with pillows. Smiling. Mind if Paul and I get a coke since Dad's here with you?" He's pacing back and forth, wearing out the floor. "Please go, Janet. Your non stop chatter is driving me crazy. Those test results are taking long enough," grumbles Dad. "Harry, be patient. What would I have done without her today?" Mom sticks up for me. "Paul, how did you get here so soon?" I ask. "Betty called the shop. Then I picked up Dad at the Rotary...

Scene Four...Matchmaker Time: Late evening, Friday, November 9, 1945 Place: Hospital hall and cafeteria Storyteller: Janet "Thank goodness we escaped." As I skip down the hall, my ballet bun flies apart, into a ponytail. "What about me, stuck in the truck with Dad? He was almost crying." Paul says. "Really? That's unlike him." "No kidding." "Please, buy me food now or I'll be on the floor like Mom in the restaurant." "I haven't eaten either. It will have to be the cafeteria," he replies. "Let's walk and talk...about Doris's birthday...are you taking her out to dinner?" "I'll ask her, but you come with us." "Why?" "Because we're just friends. I don't want to give her the wrong idea." "Okay, but it will have to be after dance class and you'll owe me." "What's your price?" Paul shoots me a dirty look. ...

Scene Five...Armistice Day Time: Lunch, Sunday, November 11, 1945 Place: William's boat Storyteller: Janet Betty is coasting by Sal's. His flag is at half-mast for Armistice Day. The restaurant is closed; plenty of parking spaces. William jogs out to help carry food. I hold the Monopoly game and warm rolls. "There's that cat again...the pelican chaser. Is it yours, William?" "Was here when I arrived. Sal thinks he's a friendly stray. Pretty color, black with gold spots. I've been calling him Tom." Betty is busy in the small kitchen. William says it's a galley. I might as well chat. "Speaking of pets, Lucy has been following Mom around." "Cat or dog?" "Golden retriever. My tenth birthday present." William's eyebrows go up with interest. "Lucy's monitoring your mother's blood sugar! Dogs can tell when people don't smell right." "Some bark and gr...

Scene Six...Doc Sasser Time: Mid morning, Wednesday, November 14, 1945 Place: William's sailboat Storyteller: William I'm lying on the sofa, reading, and yawning.  There's a voice outside; southern accent. He's talking to Tom. "Nice Kitty. What happened to your ear? Get into a fight?" I peek through a small, round window. The man appears about sixty. Medium height, medium weight. Gray hair, gray slacks, gray bow tie. White, long sleeved shirt. Carrying a grocery bag. Might as well say hello. I step outside. He looks up. Gray eyes! They twinkle as he smiles. "William Lloyd?" His hand reaches out. We shake. I feel a slight tremor. "Yes. You must be Betty's Doc Sasser. Please come in." He hands me the bag. "Grapefruit from my yard." I thank him as he steps down and gets right to the point. "I want to hire you, son." "Goodness. Sit down, sir. Iced tea?" "Water ...

Scene Seven...Doris's Birthday Time: Dinner, Saturday, November 17, 1945 Place: Sal's Seafood Storyteller: Janet Paul and I rush through Sal's entry, scanning the main dining room for Doris. "Darn, she's already here. Thanks for being late, Janet." "It wasn't my fault. Jazz class ran over time." Paul reaches the table first. Doris is looking out the window. He says, "Happy birthday. Sorry we're late." She jumps as if startled. "No problem. The golden moon just came up over the water. It should be full in a few days." She always makes people feel at ease. A very prompt waitress appears, wearing a crisp pink uniform. She is prepared with pencil and tablet. "What would you like to drink?"   "Hi, Gail. A Budweiser, Shirley Temple and...and for you, Doris?" "White wine, please." "Make that Chablis...and an order of onion rings for starters," he says. ...

Scene Eight...Thanksgiving, 1945 Time: 2:00 PM, Thursday, November 22, 1945 Place: Robertson's home Storyteller: Janet That sounds like a motorcycle. I race Betty to the front door. William's in the driveway, holding a colorful bouquet. Dad strides by us, reaching our guest first. "Are those flowers for me, young man?" Nervous laugh. "No sir; your wife." "She's in the kitchen with Lucy. You haven't met our golden yet. Come in." The French doors are open to the back porch and pool. Maybe I'll take a swim later. Paul's outside, behind the bar. I scurry his direction and hop onto a stool. "Sloe gin and coke, please." "Nope." He puts a cherry coke on my coaster. We're no longer alone. The boss tells Paul to make Mom a Whisky Sour. "No, Harry. Club soda. I'd rather eat my calories than drink them, especially today." "Make that two club sodas." William...

Scene Nine...The Vet Time: Late morning, Saturday, December 15, 1945 Place: Viridian Veterinary Clinic Storyteller: Janet My sister holds the vet clinic door open for Lucy and me. William is slouched in a chair, reading a magazine. "Tom is okay isn't he? No more fights?" Betty asks. He replies, "Couldn't be better. Time for booster shots. For a while there, I was afraid we'd have to change his name to Van Gogh." Betty seems to understand that comment, but I don't. "What do you mean?" "Vincent Van Gogh was a depressed artist who cut off his ear." "That's sick. You better be kidding." Doris appears out of nowhere and hands the cat to William. "Ear healing nicely; only a scar. It's Lucy's turn." She walks off with my precious dog. "What's wrong with Lucy?" William asks. "I found a lump." A tear falls over my cheek bone. "Don't...

Scene Ten...Sailing Party Time: Afternoon-evening, Monday, December 31, 1945 Place: William's boat Storyteller: Janet Betty thanks William for grilling the mackerel steaks. In return, he bends over backwards to compliment her on the broccoli and rice casserole. Then, he notices me. "Why are you so down in the dumps, Squirt?" "Dad will make me quit all dance classes if I make a 'C' in math." "Math was my favorite subject. Couldn't do research without it. Want some help?" "Yes, yes, yes." "Next problem?" he asks.  "Dad likes Doris better than me." Betty laughs, "Don't be ridiculous. She's just more like him, only quieter and less controlling. You scare Daddy with all your 'I'm not going to college' talk."  "I'm not. They don't teach dance at U.M. Without ballet, the Rockettes won't hire me." William asks if I'm ta...

Scene Eleven...Sneaking Around Time: 7:00 PM, Saturday, January 12, 1946 Place: Outside Joe's Stone Crab, South Beach Storyteller: Janet My date and I are strolling South Beach, near Joe's Stone Crab. Lots of tourist milling around. Is that a tap on my shoulder? Turning around, I'm face to face with my sister. I cough cigarette smoke. William pats me on the back. Betty swipes the Lucky Strike out of my hand, throws it on the sidewalk, and stamps it out. "Who's he?" she demands. "Ah, ah...Don, this is my sister..." She interrupts, "Goodnight, Don. Janet is only fifteen, and coming with us." Don grabs my arm and says, "We're going to a party downtown. I'll have her home by 2:00." William grabs my other arm, "Not tonight." Don releases me, laughs, and turns his back on us. "Good, he's leaving," I assume.  Wrong! He swirls around and takes a swing at William who ducks...

Scene Twelve...Love Letters Time: Morning, Saturday, January 19, 1946 Place: Robertson's attic Storyteller: Janet I'm in the attic rummaging through our largest cedar chest. Some of these beautiful dresses look so old, they might have been Grandma Allen's. This pink one...Mom's Dogwood Queen gown...her waist was so small. I try it on. Nice fit, except too short. Needs a little Kleenex, too. Maybe she'll let me get it altered for the prom? What will work for my dance recital? I try on the aqua blue satin; it's a bit big in the bust. I'll borrow Betty's bra and stuff it with toilet paper. Digging deeper...on the very bottom is a silver box tied with a gold silk ribbon. Probably costume jewelry. Let's find out. I pull the ribbon and remove the lid. Hummm. Letters. Non-of-my-business letters. It won't hurt to look at the postmarks. The top envelope is the oldest. May 1917. I thumb through them. They're in order. The bottom...

Scene thirteen...Coach Time: Morning, Saturday, January 26, 1946 Place: Viridian Library Storyteller: Janet He's not on his boat, not at the gym. I ride my bike over to the library. His motorcycle is in the parking lot. There's William, in the medical section. "Be quiet, Squirt," he says. Miss Thompson is already giving us the evil eye... witch. I whisper in his ear, "Emergency. Let's get out of here." He slides the heavy book back on the shelf. William holds the door open for me. We're outside. He says, "Thanks. I better get to the hospital." "Why?" "You said emergency." "Wait, it's not a medical emergency." "Don't ever use that term again, if it isn't a medical emergency!" "Okay, it's a problem. My problem." "Let's sit on that bench in the shade. What is it?" "You can never tell anybody, even Bett...

Scene fourteen...Counseling Time: 1:30 PM, Wednesday, January 30, 1946 Place: William's boat Storyteller: William Clip clop, clip clop, the sound of ladies high heels. Here she is. Right on time. I jump off the boat to greet Lois. She carefully steps aboard, with my guidance. "Iced tea, Mrs. Robertson?" "Yes, that would be nice. No sugar. And please call me Lois." "I'll try, ma'am" "You're probably wondering why I asked to see you at your boat-home instead of the hospital. It was Harry's idea." "Are you feeling okay? You look wonderful. Maybe a few pounds lighter?" "Thank you. Four pounds. But I need to speak with you about my head, not my diabetes." "That bump?" "No, something worse. For thirteen years I've been afraid to leave the house. Of course I have to go to the corner grocer and meat market. Thank heavens for the milk man and bread truc...