BIG CHANGES... better times (Part 104b)

We made it to the end of the New Jersey turnpike in surprisingly good time. We pulled in at the last gas station on the pike so Elle and the girls could use the bathrooms and we could get a bite to eat. When Elle got out of the car she was pleased as her “package” was still dry. However, by the time we got the kids into their coats and on the way to the building I could see the look on her face telling me that she didn’t make it. I headed back to get her some dry panties and fresh “supplies”. By the time we got out of there we’d lost the little time advantage we’d gained.

The turnpike was the smoothest road we’d been on and I was a bit concerned about the way the wagon handled. The best term I can come up with to describe it is “wandering”. Going down a perfectly straight road and holding the wheel tight it would just start to drift to the left or right. When I’d go to correct it it would then dart back the other direction. It wasn’t all that bad but it was annoying.

We pulled into Nan’s driveway around 4pm and were both impressed with the house. It was located in what looked like a new housing development. The house was a large (for the time) split level with a fair amount of property. My first thought was that Nan had married well. We hadn’t even gotten out when there was Nan and her two daughter by the doors. It had been at least eight years since I'd last seen her and other than her hair was darker than I remembered it she hadn’t changed. I’d always liked her personality. There was always a smile lurking and it usually didn’t take much to draw it out of her. At that moment it ran from ear to ear. When Elle stepped out Nan engulfed her with a hug. I watched her two daughters, close in age to our two oldest, bouncing up and down waiting for them to emerge. It was funny when they finally did get out because Nan’s two just backed away and stared at them. It was almost as if they were looking at aliens.

By the time I had our bags and baby paraphernalia unloaded and into the house the kids were already laughing and having fun. Watching them I so wished that there had been more girls in our mobile home park for them to play with. Nan, very graciously, let us have the master bedroom. That way the carriage, which the baby was to sleep in, would fit, the other bedrooms being too small. After having just come from a tiny little house, Nancy’s, the spare bedrooms in this house looked monstrous. It got me to thinking/wondering just how long my growing family was going to fit in our mobile home.

By the time I had everything sorted out Elle and Nan were in animated conversation about the whereabouts of their old high school friends. I was wondering just where Nan’s husband was. It was now almost dark on a Sunday night and I knew as an architect that he wouldn’t be working. Just as I was about to ask there was a commotion in the kitchen. We all got up to see what it was and the only thing I saw was a very drunk man trying to hold himself from falling. He pulled himself up to standing and without saying a word made right for the refrigerator. Nan never said a word. That was my introduction to Harry, her husband.

 After grabbing a beer he did acknowledge me asking if I wanted one. I passed on it and watched him stagger into the living room collapsing into an overstuffed chair. I remember Elle and I looking at each other with a “What the hell?” look on our faces. I think Nan saw us because she asked Elle if she’d help her prepare supper for the kids. That left me to fend for myself so I went into the living room preparing myself for the worst. It had only been a matter of minutes but when I walked in, there was Harry, passed out.

We ate without any mention or sign of Harry. The kids were getting along just great which made it easier for all of us. Both Elle and I joined Nan in doing the dishes and we ended up just staying in the kitchen until it was time to put the kids to bed. I remember Jean, our oldest, asking Elle as she kissed her goodnight when she was going to have a room of her own like her new friend Jessie’s. I don’t think she gave her an answer.

The three of us made a cursory pass through the living room and saw Harry hadn’t moved. It was back to the kitchen. I couldn’t believe Nan hadn’t had a hissy fit knowing that if I’d pulled a trick like that Elle would’ve cut me a new a__ h___ right then and there. I wasn’t really a part of the conversation so I told them I was calling it a night. Before I left though Nan told us that in the morning she’d be using the bathroom off our room. They’d disabled the shower in the other bathroom because she preferred her girls take baths and they insisted on playing with the shower. She promised that she’d be quiet. With little to no sleep the night before I didn’t give it a thought as I headed for bed.

I didn’t hear or feel Elle climb into bed. I was as “out cold” as Harry had been. I did hear her last alarm go off in the morning and knew she’d gotten up to check the baby and use the toilet. I was rested enough that I didn’t fall back to sleep but didn’t want to get up. With not knowing what the situation between Nan and Harry was I felt it was best to just lay there in bed. I thought I heard a door close and when I sat up I saw the bathroom door was closed. I figured it was Nan taking her shower. It was after 7am and was light out. Even with window shades it was quite bright inside as well. Lying on my side I could clearly see the bathroom door. When I saw it start to open I kept my head buried in the pillow with one eye on it. Nan came out wearing what appeared to be a filmy robe and went right to the large dresser. I could see her opening different drawers and then heading over to the bedside table right by me. I closed my eye and could hear the drawer right by my head open and then close. I waited for a few seconds before peeking and could see the room was now empty. I lay there for a minute of two going over the sequence of actions that Nan had taken wondering just which drawer held the “magic“, at least for me.

To be continued...