Companions All
by:
Will B
(Copyright
2007 by the Author)
Advisor: E Walk
The author retains all rights. No reproductions are
allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...
As I have written my stories, I have been thankful for the help given me by my editors and advisors. As I have read other writers’ stories I have become aware of how much we authors rely on our editors. Accordingly, I dedicate, with thanks, this chapter to some of those unsung heroes, the guys who assist the writers, and I would especially like to thank:
E Walk, DD, Darryl the Radio Rancher, and Kent D. Thanks, guys.
From Chapter 4: At the Service of Celebration for the Life of Tom Dixon, Gary was able to find release for his pent-up emotions.
Chapter 5
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
On Milford Avenue (and Elsewhere)!
It was a beautiful sunny morning in July, about 7:00. At 35 Milford: Al Johnson and Steve Green woke up, looked at each other, smiled, and kissed tenderly.
“You ready for the show at Levindale Retirement Home, tonight, hon?” asked Al.
”Sure am,” replied Steve.
As they were dressing, Al said, “Steve, I am so thankful for your love. In our ten years of being together I have never, never looked at another man or woman or thought of cheating on you. Never!”
Steve replied, “Neither have I, love, neither have I.”
The two men hugged each other, but oddly enough, each had a perplexed look on his face, or a look as if there was a nagging doubt about something.
At 37 Milford: Pete Harris and Joe Jones were sleeping. Pete was gradually becoming awake. As he gradually woke up, he felt something soft, yet firm, and moist, licking his . . . . we’ll say his . . nether appendage.
“Ummm! Where did that puppy come from?” Pete asked as he became even more awake.
“Yip! Yip! It’s just Puppy Joey. I just want to ‘gnaw on your bone’,” his lover and companion answered.
“Let me up so I can take care of this full bladder, and then I’ll get back in bed, and maybe I’ll let you bury your bone in my back . . . yard.”
“Oh, no! I’ve gotta take a leak, too, and then I guess we’d better think about getting all the way up AND OUT OF BED!” said Joe.
Joe asked, “Why do you think Adele asked us to be ready for a special meeting after the general staff meeting today?”
“I don’t know,” Pete replied, “but she always has a good reason for what she does.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why she’s such a great boss.”
At 39 Milford: Jake and Sarah Fishbein were rising to meet the new day, and prepare for the evening’s program.
“Are you ready for tonight, Sarah?”
“Yes, Jake, but I must say, I’m a bit nervous.”
“You’ll be just fine,
Sarah. But I want to talk to you about something.”
”What’s that, Jake?”
“Sarah, this house has been your home for many years. . . “
“It’s our home, now, husband.”
“I know, but we are getting on, and this house and the yard are getting to be a lot to care for. I have a suggestion to make.”
“What are you thinking, Jake?”
Jake whispered something into Sarah’s ear.
“Jake, I think that’s a marvelous idea. Let’s think about this a little more before we say anything to anybody else.”
If a bird had peaked into the bedroom of Matt Fishbein and Gary Dixon, he would have seen two handsome naked 26 year olds.
“Uh, Gary, I hate to say this, but you had better get off me so I can go to the bathroom.”
“Matt, my sweet, I hate to say this, but we seem to be stuck together!” was Gary’s somewhat sheepish reply.
That little bird would have probably cocked his head to one side, and said to himself, “Now how did those two humans get stuck together? Hmmmmm?”
A little later, after “de-gluing,” rising, showering, shaving, and the rest of it, and dressing, Matt said, “Gary, guess what I have to do this morning before the general staff meeting?”
“What’s that, my love?” said Gary.
“Al’s daughter, Sally, and her husband, Paul Smith, or Doctor Paul Smith I should say, are coming in to be interviewed as prospective foster parents.”
“That’s great, Matt. I think they would make swell foster parents.”
Elsewhere: Jack Johnson said to his wife, Peggy “Do you know your lines for tonight, honey? You don’t think this will be too hard on you or on the baby?”
“Yes, Jack, I know my lines, and no, it won’t be too hard on me or the baby. I just hope this won’t be too hard for Gary. This will be the first program the Companions have put on since Tom died.”
“No, he’s gonna be just fine. He told me he as looking forward to it.” Jack Johnson replied.
Adele Pritchett, Director of Social Services in Baltimore, held a general staff meeting at 10:00 on Mondays and Thursdays. When the meeting was over, she asked Alicia Cross (who we had met in chapter 2), and Matt, Gary, Pete and Joe to remain behind.
“Today’s a very special day,” she announced, “and I thought you would want to be in on it. Let’s go to the small conference room.”
The six social workers went to the small conference room, and saw quite a crowd of people. There was Judge Jones, David and Mary Heckman, Timmy and Tammy Green, and a young man in a naval lieutenant’s uniform, and an attractive young woman. The latter two were in their 20s.
Adele introduced the young people as John and Susan Heckman, children of Dave and Mary.
As the young people shook hands all around, it may have seemed to an onlooker that young John Heckman held Alicia Cross’ hand perhaps just a trifle too long, but perhaps the onlooker would have been wrong. Alicia certainly didn’t seem to mind.
Adele spoke to her co-workers: “Dave and Mary Heckman have told me that they do not just want to be foster parents. They want to Timmy and Tammy as their own children. Judge Jones has graciously agreed to complete the paper work here, rather than all of us have to drive down town to the Court House on Calvert Street because it will save time if he came here. (Adele paused). Lieutenant Heckman is being leaving early tomorrow morning, for Viet-Nam, and he wanted to be here for this happy event.”
There were ahhs and ooohs, and smiles.
Judge Jones said, “Now let’s get down to business. Please take your seats and stand when I call your names.”
“David and Mary Heckman, is it your wish to adopt these two children, to take them into your homes and hearts, to love them and to do your best to raise them to be fine adults?”
Dave and Mary responded as one, “Yes, Your Honor, we do.”
“Hmmm,” said the Judge. “Timmy Green, do you want to be adopted by David and Mary Heckman, to be their son, and to love them and respect them?”
“Yes, Your Honor, I do.”
“Very good. Now, Tammy Green, do you want to be adopted by David and Mary Heckman, to be their daughter, and to love them and respect them?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
Turning to John Heckman, Judge Jones asked, “Lieutenant John Heckman, do you accept Timmy and Tammy as your brother and sister, and will you be a loving older brother to both of them?”
“Yes, Your Honor, I do.”
Then the Judge said, “Susan Heckman, do you accept Timmy and Tammy as your brother and sister, and will you be a loving older sister to both of them?”
“Yes, Your Honor, I most certainly do.”
“Since all the parties seem to agree on what they want, I have no choice, but to sign the final papers. Timmy Green, you will now officially be Timothy Green Heckman, and Tammy Green, you will now officially be Tamara Green Heckman. Mrs. Pritchett, do you have the papers ready?”
“Yes, Your Honor, I do. They are right here.” Adele handed the papers to the Judge, who signed them.
“Now there is just one more matter,” said the Judge. “There is a little matter of court costs. Taking into account the time I spent coming here, and the stress and strain (here the Judge looked his most judicial), I think . . . . I think a fair price would be . . . a hug from each of the newest members of the Heckman family.
Tammy went and gave the Judge a hug right away. Timmy hesitated, and the Judge said, “A handshake from a fine young men will do.” Timmy stuck out his hand to shake the Judge’s hand, but then gave him a hug anyhow and said, “Thank you, Judge. Now I know my sister and I will never be separated.”
One or two people had to take out their handkerchiefs, and the men seemed to be looking out of the windows or rubbing their eyes as if they had something in them,
The Judge shook hands all around, and took his departure.
Mary Heckman said to Adele, “We are going to Haussner’s Restaurant for a celebration lunch. We were hoping the six of you could join us.”
Adele responded, “ Mary, that’s very nice, but I just can’t. There is a budget meeting in half an hour, and I have to be there.”
“What about the others?” Mary asked.
Adele thought a minute and said, “I just could not justify letting five of my best people have three hours for lunch.”
Everyone had looks of disappointment on their faces.
But then Adele smiled and said, “But each of you is entitled to one hour for lunch, and Alicia, I think you should take some time to investigate whether Lieutenant Heckman will make a satisfactory Big Brother. Matt and Gary, I want you to carry on the same investigation into Susan Heckman’s suitability to be a Big Sister. Pete, you take some time to talk to Timmy and Tammy and make sure they are really happy about this change. Joe, you make sure that Dave and Mary really are sure they know what they’re doing. It’s now 11:00. I think two hours plus your regular lunch hours which should be sufficient. You can give me a verbal report later this afternoon.”
Eleven happy people went to lunch, and a twelfth happy person went to her budget meeting.
After supper, Al and Steve were about to go and get ready for the evening’s performance, when Al sad, “Steve, I have to tell you something.”
“I’m listening.”
“This morning, when I said I had never looked at another man or woman, I meant it, but, er, . . .”
“Go on, I’m listening.”
“There’s this new guy at work. He’s about my age, and I think he is coming on to me. I told him I was in a committed relationship, and he said he could accept that, but he had such a sad look on his face, I just felt sorry for him.”
Steve suddenly began to laugh. “Oh, my dear Al, I thought you were going to confess to having had a fling with someone else. Now I have something to tell you.”
“Go on, I’m listening,” Al said, although not quite as seriously as Steve had said those same words.
“There’s a new buyer at the store. He’s our age, and one afternoon he asked me if I’d like to have a drink with him. I told him I wanted to get home to you. He was a good sport about it, but, man, he looked so lonely, and I felt sorry for him.”
Al looked at Steve and Steve looked at Al, and if this were in a comic strip, we would see light bulbs go on over both of their heads. They both had the same idea.
“Say, Steve, what’s the name of the guy at your store?” Al asked.
“Gene Rogers. What’s the name of your lonely guy?” Steve replied.
“Roy Cassidy. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Al smiled.
“Yup, partner, let’s invite these two lonely gentlemen for supper one evening. Maybe if they meet each other, they might get together on their own.”
“Brilliant,” Al replied. “You know if their names were Larry and Curly, we could just say we introduced them but we could do no Moe!”
“Har de har har!” Steve laughed.
With that the two went upstairs to get ready for the evening.
The meeting hall at Levindale was packed. The residents were looking forward to hearing this musical group. Nurses and orderlies had wheeled some of the frailer people in.
Jack Johnson greeted the audience. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are here to entertain you. Usually the Companions are an all male singing group, but we have two special guests with us this evening. (pause). Our program will consist of songs from musical shows, operettas, and movies. We hope you enjoy the program.”
For the first number the men sang “Oklahoma,” the title song from the movie of that name.
The Pete Harris, with the group backing him up, sang “Old Man River,” from Show Boat.
Then Matt sang, “I hear singing and there’s no one there,
I smell blossoms and the trees are bare.
I wonder why, I wonder why.”
Sarah came out and sang “Put your head on my shoulder,
You need someone who’s older,
A rub down with a velvet glove.”
That song from Call Me Madam got a lot of applause. Many people remembered Ethel Merman and Donald O’Connor singing that duet in the movie.
The whole group sang songs from Show Boat, Oklahoma, and other musicals.
Sarah took the part of Aunt Eller in Oklahoma and sang “Everything’s Up to Date in Kansas City,” and “The Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends.” Some people in the audience whispered that she was every bit as good as Charlotte Greenwood had been in the movie.
The hit of the show was when Peggy Jackson, who was actually in her third month (with her and Jack’s fourth), and whose figure was enhanced with a small pillow, came out and sang Ado Annie’s song from Oklahoma: “I’m Just a Girl Who Cain’t Say No!”
When the applause and cheering had died down, Sarah came out, and again with a backup from the men began”
Far Across the Sea
Let us Pledge Allegiance
To a Land That’s Free
Here Sarah gestured to the audience to join her:
Land That I Love.
Stand Beside Her
And Guide Her
Through the Night with a light From Above.
From the Mountain
To the Prairie,
To the Oceans White With Foam,
God Bless America.
My Home Sweet Home
God Bless America.
My Home Sweet Home
The applause went on for approximately five minutes. Matt and Jack produced bouquets, which they presented to Sarah and Peggy and gave each lady a kiss and a hug.
The residents of the Levindale Retirement Home went to their rooms thinking of the wonderful entertainment they had witnessed and heard.
Sarah and Jake and Peggy and Jack went home feeling tired but also feeling happy that the program had gone so well.
The other Companions went to their respective homes with warm and happy feelings about the joy they had given, and oh, yes, and other warm and happy feelings about which we need not speculate too deeply.
To be continued.
Feedback always
welcome:
Author’s Note: I had fun with this chapter. I just hope Ed won’t take all my clever puns and jokes out. I hope my readers will let Ed or me know that you like the puns.
Advisor Comments: I am crushed that the esteemed author would accuse me taking out any of his puns and jokes. I can see it now when Gene Rogers and Roy Cassidy come for dinner they will arrive on Scout and Silver. When they leave, they will jump on their trusted steeds with a Hi-yo Silver and a Kemo Sabe and ride off into the sun set. I ain’t going to say Moe until I get the next chapter. E
Posted: 11/02/07