TRANSITIONING... to Autumn (Part 141l)

TRANSITIONING... to Autumn (Part 141l)

At the bowling alley I saw Gina’s car parked in the back. From there you could get a view of the lake and she was standing in front of her car staring out at it. Seeing the lake brought back some good memories from when I lived at the mobile home park. I pulled up along side and before I could get out of my car she was sliding into the passenger seat. It was refreshing to see the easy smile that had been one of the reasons I’d hired her. She had a way to keep even the nasty customers calm. However, seeing it also reminded me that we (the bank and depositors) would soon miss it.

After closing the door she made herself comfortable by throwing her left leg up on the seat and leaning back. As she did I got a split second peek of white from under her skirt and she saw me looking at that area. That made her smile. ”Still the ‘panty man!“ was what I heard. The weather was still warm enough to have the car windows open but hearing those words I needed more than a cool breeze. I could feel the perspiration on not only my face but my arms as well. With my face obviously red, she laughed. Knowing she ”had me“ she continued by noting how she’d seen me peering at Lillian from time to time. She added that it brought a smile to her face whenever she caught me.

I certainly wasn’t expecting all that and should’ve cut it off... but I hadn’t. After another bit of banter I looked at my watch and told her I had to get going. Still ‘pushing my buttons’ she made a motion to zip her lips but with a big grin on her face. What I had to say was serious but in her ‘giddy mood’ I wasn’t sure she’d grasp it. I started by getting her assurance that she’d not said anything to anybody about her upcoming move and stressed the need to keep it that way. Then I told her about the still pending plans for the conversion to the service bureau. I don’t think she believed me when I told her that she’d been tapped to be the leader of the tellers for inputting data even after telling her that it was OK with Hobie. After a few minutes I instructed her that she would have to be an ”actress“ when the announcement was made. The last thing I wanted was for her to slip and say she wasn’t going to be there. I think I probably reinforced that point a couple of times.

Now serious, she thanked me for ”caring about her“ and then started in about her life. I wasn’t prepared for that, especially at that time. I’d called Elle before leaving the building and told her I had a few stops to make on the way home and to put my supper aside. I knew that bought me some time so didn’t make a real effort to stop her. I’d gotten just little ‘snippets’ in the past but really knew no details... and I really did want to know. I don’t think I said more than a dozen words over the next fifteen to twenty minutes.

I’ll summarize it here the best I can. To start with she didn’t know her father... and neither did her mother. During WWII there was an Army training base in the area (about ten minutes from where we were parked) as well as USO canteen. Her mother was only a teen but would sneak out to see the soldiers who came there. One night she met a guy who was being shipped out and she felt sorry for him. One thing led to another and... well... Gina was the result. She didn't even know his name. Her mother lived with their grandmother but even with the baby her mother was out partying all the time. As Gina got older she ended up doing the same sort of things her mother had done... sneaking out at night, smoking, drinking and... drugs, such as they were back in the very early 60’s. Her first ”dose of reality“ came when her mother and grandmother were in a car accident and she had to care for them. She told me she ”straightened up“ and got a job to help out until her mother was able to go back to work. She liked the work (at the County Center) and stayed. That’s where I first saw her.

I wanted to ask about the situation and her daughter but just couldn’t. I knew some of the background of her leaving the County job after she'd gotten pregnant but not the first hand details. So, to change the subject I asked about how the baby was doing health wise after her recent procedure. That brought a smile back to her face and she, proudly, told me that her doctors said she now had a 95% chance of leading a normal life. That was when I closed it down. As she turned to get out of the car she thanked me for being a "good listener among other things". My eyes followed her walk over to her car. There was maybe a space for two cars between the two of them. When she opened her door I watched as she leaned in as if to get something from the passenger seat. As she did I saw her right hand flip her skirt up and there for all to see, especially me, was her white pantied butt. She stayed in that position for a few seconds. It was enough for me to take it all in and to recognize she was wearing bikinis. When she got in and started backing up she looked at me with the biggest grin she could muster. I sat there for a minute and knew I was going to miss her.   

Later, back at home, Elle was obviously tired but in a good mood. Her first day as a substitute teacher under the new principal had been, in her eyes, successful. Kaye had not been a problem at the day care and, in fact, liked it. We had no close neighbors with kids her age and, with the exception of Sunday school, rarely had contact with more than one or two. I just let Elle talk and was relieved that the situation from two nights before had passed. With all the things at work I didn’t need aggravation at home... I had enough there.

The next morning Elle was up, washed and dressed before me, a real rarity. Her mother was going to pick Kaye up and take her to her house so she wanted to be ready for her. I remember watching her dress and was surprised that she was only wearing ‘dribble’ panties. She’d worn a partial ‘package’ the day before so I asked about it. Her classroom was one of the only ones with a bathroom attached which gave her an opportunity to just duck in without it being a major problem. I did suggest that she take a spare pair which got me a smile. Things were now back to normal, something that would be a long time coming at work.

To be continued...