DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Kotiah-Yovanovitch International School
HTML https://kyis.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Landon-Burchard-Durren Union
*****************************************************
#Post#: 28--------------------------------------------------
Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: December 5, 2019, 3:53 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
"Why do we have to eat all together," groaned Yardley. "We're
not in eighth grade any more!"
"Not everyone was here last year," Miella tried to soothe the
tall girl with hair cropped close like a boy's and moosed to
little standing peeks like well beaten egg whites. Yardley had a
twill bolero jacket over the top of her tank top or halter so
she could pass dress code. Her ears were pierced in multiple
places.
"How long are we going to have to do this for?"
"Probably several dinners a week. I need to see your faces
before I'm enforcing curfew or quiet time." That was the reason.
That was the truth. "Please help me with this table Yardley."
Yardley gingerly grabbed the table and helped Miella walk it
until it met. Then the two of them got a third table. It was
Sunday and Marion from upstate New York had blown a large
percentage of her allowance on a trip to the Metropolitan Museum
of Art and a restaurant lunch. Marion had just come into range
on the Kotiah-Yovanovitch app. That meant the BMX-220 bus had
just crossed from the Bronx into Yonkers about eight miles to
the south. Now it would creep through the lights on Central
Avenue.
As for the other ten girls, they would trickle in as their
afternoon activities ended. Miella tied her flame red scarf to
the bracket that held a spider plant and waited. They came in
slowly, being fed through the long line. Miella sat toying with
her drink and a laptop. One girl was in broken down riding boots
and worn jeans. Another wore leggings and a cotton sweater over
a leotard. One wore slippers that should never see pavement.
Another had wet hair indicating a Sunday afternoon shower and
huge, fuzzy slippers that perhaps indicated a nap. One girl had
a full tray of food and profuse apologies.
Zia saw the scarlet scarf before she grabbed her dinner. Marion
had promised they would eat together, but Marion was nowhere to
be found. Zia tried not to think about this as she washed her
hands in the bathroom on the first floor of
Landon-Burchard-Durren. She had to wash her hands because they
were covered with newsprint from the Sunday Times (New York
Times) that a kind teacher had left in the study hall. An adult
had told her that if she had nowhere to go, she had to go to
study hall and wait for the dining LBD to open up.
Zia realized she was more lonely than hungry. She wandered over
to the table beneath the scarf. She did not know Miella well,
but the Sisters at St. Anne's had been mostly kind, except for
the aspirant prefects. "Afternoon Zia," Miella greeted the girl.
"What's up?"
"Is everybody back yet?"
"I think there's four still missing," Miella chirped.
"You haven't seen Marion yet?" Zia realized she sounded
desperate.
"I don't think she's on campus. Let me check." This really was
so embarassing. Zia still stared at the screen. "She's about
eight blocks away from the gate. They'll probably get off down
by Harstdale Avenue and then walk in. That OK?"
Zia shrugged. She loathed her desperation. She was glad the
other girls were off getting dinner or talking to eachother or
just not there. A girl with pizza on her tray asked to sit down
and apologized for almost missing Miella. "Are we going to have
to eat dinner together every night?"
"I'd like to do it more nights than not," Miella explained. "You
don't want to only see me when you have to ask for something do
you?"
The girl who was big and swarthy shrugged. She had on a gray
sweat shirt and sweat pants. There were gold hoops in her ears.
Zia wondered if she should get dinner. She wondered if the menu
was the same as yesterday. She'd been such an idiot she hadn't
read the menu.
She decided to slip away and sneak a look.
LBD Dinner 8/30/20
Main Line
Roast Turkey
Blackened Pork Chops
Salmon Filet
Spinach Feta Baraka
Dressing
String Beans
Carrots
Cold Bar
German Potato Salad
Cranberry Sauce
Fresh Fruit
Assorted Baked Desserts
Specialty Station 1
Pizza by the Slice
Specialty Station 2
Sizhuan Stir Fry
Beef Fried Rice
Have a Great Week!
"Well," thought Zia, "That was a start. They give us all that
food, but we just spend the days rattling around." Zia was not
sure what she wanted. The swim test that afternoon and church
that morning were distant memories. Was all this inchoate
longing, the beginning of temptation?
#Post#: 29--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: December 5, 2019, 4:18 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Marion still had sea legs from the bus. New York was impressive.
She wanted to see more of it. She vowed to save all her
allowance so she could buy whatever lunch she needed and pay
tickets to whatever attraction was part of each trip. She
thought about texting her mother while she waited in line for
dinner, but there was no line.
Marion raced up the stairs and used her D-Card to enter the
dining hall which like last night, was crowded with strangers.
Marion glanced at the menu and decided to get pizza, but she'd
have a drink first and... She remembered the red scarf. Marion
deposited her tray by the beverage bar and sauntered over to
Miella's scarf.
"Your roommate is looking for you," Miella, the Suite Advisor
greeted her.
Zia, poor Zia. She hadn't called or texted the girl all
afternoon. Well, Zia hadn't given her her phone number. Had they
really both been so stupid? The answer was of course yes. Marion
poured herself some Hawaiian Punch because caffeine in Coke
keeps you up at night. She went to the salad bar for some
spinach salad with lots of cucumbers and then got a huge slice
of white pizza with assorted vegetables from the Pizza-by-the
Slice Station.
Zia had dinner already and was picking at her turkey, dressing,
string beans and cucumbers with Thousand Island. Zia also had
her full glass of milk. "How was your day?" that sounded so
dorky, but it was the only thing Marion could come up with. "I'm
sorry I didn't text you, but we need eachother's numbers."
"I wouldn't have answered when I was in church or the pool, and
they take your phone in study hall."
"How'd you end up in study hall?" Marion asked. "Especially when
you have nothing to study," Marion thought.
"I got caught wandering around and so I had to go," Zia
answered. "I read the whole Week in Review in the New York
Times."
"New York was amazing. You should have gone."
"I needed to go to church."
"Ladies!" announced Miella in her "I WANT YOUR ATTENTION
YESTERDAY" voice. "This was your first day in weekend
activities. Let's try to help each other get the most out of
this place."
"How are we going to do that when it's over?" asked Zia.
"Tomorrow is Labor Day and Tuesday is also a day off. Most of
you tried different things. Maybe we can give each other ideas
how to spend our time."
A girl with bangs nearly in her eyes shook her head. "Why don't
we go around the table and tell about the best and worst things
that happened today."
"I thought we were talking about activities," Yardley spoke up.
"Where did the best and worst things happen?" Miella responded.
"Touche," thought Zia.
Yardley went first. "After brunch, I played volley ball and
when that broke up, I phoned Miella for a pass and went to White
Plains. They had great handbags in Nieman Marcus. There was a
beautiful white leather one that was almost as big as a
messenger bag. I so wanted it. That was the best and the worst
thing that happened."
"Why was it both best and worst?" asked Miella. Marion already
knew the answer, which was both honest and groan worthy.
"There's no effing way I can afford that handbag which is the
most beautiful purse in the world. OK?"
Zia went next. "I took the swimming test."
"Is that best or worst?" Miella coaxed.
"Both," Zia spoke up. "I was the last kid to take the test, and
I barely made it down the pool. I signed up for beginning
swimming for PE."
"Did you pass?" asked the big kid in gray sweats.
"Barely. If I get practice and take the beginner class, I'll
really learn to swim."
Marion remembered her own swimming lessons in France. She was
ten, easily the oldest girl or boy. The lifeguard had been
maternal and patient. Marion still had to jump in the water feet
first, because she could not dive, but thankfully she would not
drown. It must be harder to take swimming lessons at fourteen in
a strange country.
Up and down the table the girls' stories went. The girl in gray
sweats played basketball and drubbed a clumsy sixth grader who
got mad at her. The girl in fuzzy slippers had been horseback
riding in the afternoon and came home stinking, but showered so
her roommate would not complain. One girl had forgotten to sign
up for activities and ended up in study hall all afternoon.
Then it was Marion's turn. "I saw a beautiful blue vase with
white flowers on it at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It made
me think about the person who painted it. Then we walked down
Fifth Avenue and got to see where all the rich people lived and
how private and locked up it all is. Nobody knows the secrets
they have."
"Except their spouses and children," snorted a girl with curly
hair and glasses who went next. Zia tried to exchange a look
with Marion, but Marion couldn't read it.
#Post#: 30--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: December 5, 2019, 4:30 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
"OK, so what can we learn from the stories everybody told at
this table?" Miella was back in teacher mode again.
"Pick an activity or you get stuck in study hall," announced one
of the girls.
"Great lesson. Anything else?"
"We're into all different things," said Yardley .
"What might make life more interesting?" Miella asked.
"If we tried something outside our comfort zones," Yardley
replied.
"How might we do that?"
"We can share where we are going?" a plump African American girl
entered the conversation.
"OK, so how could we do that?"
"We can text our friends,"
"Is everyone here your friend?"
"Yes... I mean... That's an awful question."
"It's not and you know why."
"Yeah but you don't say somebody is not your friend."
"I didn't say everyone here was an enemy."
"I don't mean it that way I mean... OK, I don't know most of the
kids here. You can't be friends with a stranger, but it's
weird."
"Want to get to know your suitemates better?"
"How can I do that, I mean, I guess it takes time."
"We're all going to pick our activities for now, and you can
decide to go on one with a suitemate if the activity interests
you. OK, everyone, phones out and let's turn on your
Kotiah-Yovanovitch app..."
There was a trip to the New York Botanical Gardens on Monday and
there were only two seats left. Marion glanced at the
particulars. The New York Botanical Garden was in the Bronx. She
wasn't sure the Bronx really counted as New York. It started at
1pm which meant no lunch. Cheaper trips, she realized filled up
first.
"What do you want to do?" Marion asked Zia.
"Practice my swimming."
"You passed..."
"Not really, I'm going to get better."
"Let's see if the pool is open..." This wasn't going to be so
hard. You had to work at becoming a friend. Swimming would take
up half the day. In the afternoon there was a Historic
Hartsdale-White Plains tour. Zia found it. It was free, and
there were ten places left. "I'd like to see more of White
Plains," Ziia spoke up. Of course she had already chosen the
morning activity, but Marion liked to swim. Maybe seeing
Historic Hartsdale-White Plains would be more fun than a
Botanical Garden trip where you did not have to buy lunch. The
Bronx was after all closer to Westchester.
Marion showed Miella her and Zia's selections, and Miella
alerted the others to the free walking, historical tour. Several
girls looked at each other. "Those tours are a lot of walking,"
Yardley advised. Zia shrugged. The kid who got stuck in study
hall decided she would go along with Marion and Zia. "The more
the merrier," Miella chirped. Marion thought of the eleventh
grader on the bus and the boys arguing about Thompson seedless
grapes. "You have to build everything from the ground up here,"
she realized.
#Post#: 47--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: December 15, 2019, 8:45 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Marion, Zia, and Kristen returned to campus late enough that the
line to get into the dining hall was half way down the stairs,
and thus manageable.
"That's the last walking tour I take!" Kristen complained. "What
an effing waste of time!"
"You really think so," Zia spoke up.
"Don't tell me you liked it!"
"I like how old Westchester is. Only the missions in Texas are
as old," Marion decided that Kristen needed to be tag teamed.
"Here is a cannon. It's a fake cannon and oh my! There's a
placard about a battle nobody ever heard of that happened long
ago. How exciting!"
"I like history," Marion held her ground.
"So do I," Zia joined the team.
"Yeah but you're not even from the United States!"
"So history isn't important?"
"I'm more interested in what happens now," Kristen recovered.
The line began to move. It moved six steps, stopped and then
moved four steps. That left two steps.
"You mean like current events?" Marion asked.
"Yeah, but not the stuff in the New York Times. I mean like
Rolling Stone or People."
"That stuff about actors and actresses and singers is all fake
you know," Zia argued back.
"Come on move," complained a boy a few places back in the line.
"They just moved the effing line."
Zia, Marion, and Kristen tapped into the dining hall. Marion
reminded herself to check for Miella's flame colored scarf. It
was tied under the same old spider plant. Then it was time to
check the menu.
LBD Dinner 8/31/20 -- Labor Day
Main Line
Baby Back Ribs
Bar-b-que Chicken
Popcorn Shrimp
Southern Fried Tofu
Corn on the cob
Herbed zucchini
Cold Bar
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
Tailgate Coleslaw
Fresh Fruit
Assorted Baked Desserts
Specialty Station 1
Pizza by the Slice
Specialty Station 2
Hunan Stir Fry
Chicken Fried Rice
Happy Labor Day!
"What are you going to eat?" Zia asked Marion.
"Southern Fried Tofu," Marion replied. She liked the name. At
the main station the corn on the cobs looked tiny and fat. She
guessed they came from the corn factory, and had the zucchini
instead. The server only gave Zia one small ear to go with her
bar-b-que chicken. At least there was sweet and sour cabbage
thought Marion, though Zia stuck with cucumbers with Thousand
island. Not seeing any interesting pies, Marion snagged a
nectarine for dessert.
She carried her tray to Miella's table which was already
crowded. "Sorry we're late," Zia greeted the Suite Advisor.
"It's OK, I was explaining about tomorrow and signing up for
electives. You'll each see a time on your app of when you can
go. It's first come first served for a lot of the classes, but
some of you have time constraints. How many of you have a
special offering?"
Zia stopped cutting up her chicken breast and raised her hand.
So too did three other girls. "If you have one of those," Miella
explained, "the three pm elective slot disappears. That's where
your special offering goes."
"Wonderful," sighed the swarthy girl in a blue t-shirt and gray
yoga pants.
"You must have known when you signed up," [color=#004bdd]Yardley
commented.
"I want to learn Cad/Cam. I'll admit it, but nobody rides for
free," blue t-shirt expounded.
"That's the way it goes," Yardley replied.
"Let's get the four of you taken care of first. Blanda, you have
CAD/CAM. That means you get to pick a PE choice and an elective
to go in the alternate elective spot which is right before
lunch.
"Great," complained Blanda. "Now everything will be picked over
every day. Of course I could eat tofu."
"They don't have tofu every day," commented Miella. "And there's
always plenty else to eat."
"You don't eat tofu," complained Blanda. Miella was forking at
some sort of Chinese meal that must have been the stir fry.
"That's cause there's plenty else to eat."
Marion thought the southern fried tofu was actually quite good,
but she said nothing.
"So what can we do for your gym Blanda? Want to take aquatics?"
Blanda shook her sweat soaked, Raven locks. "I can take regular
PE if I have to. I'm not that big a klutz."
"OK, it's age mixed. Now what about an elective?"
"Most of the choices are going to suck, aren't they?"
"It's not the full selection."
"Do they have regular computer lab...let me check." Blanda
opened up her app and found what she wanted. "Let's hope I get
an early time," she said to one and all.
"OK, Faith, you're keeping up with your Mandarin. That means you
are in that pre-lunch alternate slot too. What do you want to
take for gym?"
"Do they have yoga?" Faith, an Asian girl with permed hair with
blonde tips asked.
"You know what to do?" Miella answered. There was no yoga in the
mid-day alternate slot, but there was social dancing, which
Yardley informed the table included way too much square dancing,
and square dancing was unbearably dorky. Faith said she'd takeit
anyway. For her elective, Faith decided to get her health
requirement over with. "Sounds good to me, " quipped Miella.
"Now Zia, you have Kikuyu in the late afternoon."
"You have what the fuck!" exclaimed Yardley.
"Kikuyu is a language in Kenya," Zia explained. "These beads
spell out the Kikuyu word for courage." Zia lifted her beaded
D-Card necklace from her neck. "I can speak the language sort of
but don't read it and write it. I need it for the future."
"You going back to Kenya?" asked Yardley.
"Of course I am. Kenya is one of the most prosperous countries
in Africa."
"That can't be saying much."
"Don't you call my country a shit hole."
"Ladies...please..." Miella tried to calm the fight. "Zia, you
are already in beginning swimming for PE. What are you going to
do for an elective."
"I'd like some sort of music," she answered.
"Let's see what they have...." Zia already had her app open. "It
says only twenty places," she answered.
"Let's hope you draw an early time. What's your second choice?"
"I have to take the health course don't I."
"You do... Now is anyone at this table taking swimming for PE or
would like to?" Girls stared at one another. Slowly Marion
raised her hand but she said: "I'm in intermediate swimming, not
beginner."
"It doesn't matter. The classes use the same pool. You could
take your swimming at 11am and this way Zia will at least have a
suitemate in the locker room. This way it won't all be middle
school kids and girls trying to get out of doing anything.
That's really demoralizing. If you signed up for swimming, you
like it."
"It's better than other sports. Actually I do like swimming.
It's the only sport I like," Marion glanced around the table to
gauge a reaction. "Then let's put you in the 11am PE and then
you need to pick out another elective."
"Do they have art...oh I need to check." There was a general art
class limited to twenty students. It wold either be art, Marion
realized or health.
"OK, that leaves Yardley. "I'm taking Czechoslovakian," the girl
explained and Marion gave Zia a look. True, it could have been
nothing more than an amusing slip of the tongue, but the
language of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic was
Czech. Czechoslovakia had ceased to exist when Marion was small.
"OK," Miella continued. "That means you need an 11am PE. Would
you like to take swimming."
Yardley shook her close cropped head as if marbles would rattle
inside it. "What would you like to take?"
"It will have to be general PE," Yardley ended the conversation.
"And what about an elective?"
"Art if they have room. Otherwise, I'm stuck with health..."
"Well, that's everybody. Has anybody's time come up yet?"
Faith announced: "Times don't come up until 7pm."
#Post#: 48--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: December 15, 2019, 9:37 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
"OK, now let's look at tomorrow's activites... Come on, you
won't want to end up in Study Hall with nothing to study. Now
because of elective registration, everything is on campus. Let's
see what's available."
"How are you going to get Marion into 11am elective if she has a
normal schedule?" asked Yardley.
"I'm going to request an override," answered Miella. "Next,
let's look at those activities.
Marion knew it was her turn to choose. "I wouldn't mind swimming
again," she told her room mate.
"OK, let's do that, morning or afternoon?"
"Morning," Marion guessed. If one of them had to rapidly dress
and leave the pool early or show up late, they could handle it.
"There's some nice art activities for the afternoon," Marion
continued. "Are you OK with art."
"Not really, but I can take a look," Zia said. Marion realized
they needed a compromise, and Zia found it: "Candle making," she
said. There were five spots left too. "I saw them make candles
at Van Cortland Manner."
"There's probably room left for a third kid," Marion remembered
the previous night, but Kristen this time had the good sense to
avoid both swimming, for reasons Marion couldn't fathom and
candle making.
"Hey, Miella is teaching an activity!" Yardley blurted out.
"I've got twelve seats left for improv drama and nine places
left for the afternoon session," Miella put in a completely
shameless plug. "Want to sign up?"
"I'd rather play softball or go running," Yardley replied.
"Now that's really intelligent," Kristen spoke up.
"What's your problem?" Yardley asked.
"Running around and around the track is like a hamster running a
wheel," explained Kristen.
"Yeah but you get to get out there and move," Yardley countered.
"Someone has to do track and field," Miella tried to settle
things.
Marion wondered if it would come to blows or murder before the
end of the school year. Marion wondered if she and Zia would be
victims. Marion was glad Zia was turning out to be a quiet, and
civilized soul.
#Post#: 85--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: December 29, 2019, 10:27 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Both Marion and Zia knew the drill. Three kids, Faith, an
African American girl with pink extensions, and a short, plump
thing, were all there with Miella who half watched her lap top
and watched the table.
"If you eat the same thing every day, you can get through the
line very fast," commented Zia as she and Marion sauntered over
to the menu.
"Now is a good time to let her know," Marion thought. "They
moved my parents to a new sober home yesterday."
"Is that good news?" Zia asked.
"No, they took away their phones. The new home is very strict."
"Then maybe your parents will get cured."
"My parents are not trying to get cured."
Zia's face dropped. Marion knew the difference between a
clueless question and an insult. "They're trying to kill time
until their court date, but now we're cut off." Marion felt the
beginning of tears again.
"Can they receive mail?" Zia's question was clueless but well
intentioned.
"Yeah...I guess I need more paper." Marion blinked back only a
few tears. Unlike those who set speed records getting to family
table, Marion needed to look at the menu.
LBD Dinner 9/4/20
Main Line
Creamy Chicken Stroganoff w. Noodles
Meatloaf w. Gravy
Beer Batter Fish
Egg Roll
Maple Glazed Carrots
French Fries
Sauteed Cabbage
Cold Bar
Spinach Salad
Brown Rice Salad
Canned Pears
Fresh Fruit
Assorted Baked Desserts
Specialty Station 1
Burger Bar
Specialty Station 2
Extended plant Protein for Salads
Welcome to the Weekend!
"Well that is different," remarked Marion.
"They announced the change this morning," Zia reminded her.
"I try to tune the announcements out."
"You succeeded admirably."
"Yeah, well it paid off. Don't you think?"
"Maybe."
"What could I do about it. Now I know why those kids came back
so fast."
"You think the burgers are any good."
"I'm not into burgers."
"What you going to get."
"I'm checking out that extended plant protein."
Marion was glad the weather was warm enough for a cold salad
supper, with buttered bread on the side. She no longer felt much
like crying. She'd have to request more printouts or pay for
them. It took three days for the mail to reach Florida, and for
a few seconds, she imagined inundating her parents.
#Post#: 86--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: December 29, 2019, 11:07 am
---------------------------------------------------------
"I want to make sure everybody is set for the weekend, or at
least Saturday," Miella announced. She glanced around the table,
past the knowing sets of glassy eyes. "OK, phones out and let's
see your activities." Miella could not resist smiling as her
charges dug out and opened their phones. Miella made a mental
bet with herself that at least eight students had their Saturday
activities set up. She lost the bet. There were only six ready
to go.
Marion, who mercifully had a free tour lined up for Sunday,
wanted off campus again so had signed up for study hall Saturday
morning and swimming Saturday afternoon. Zia had done the same.
Two other girls were going on a Saturday morning cross country
team training run, and then shopping in White Plains all day. A
fifth girl planned to spend her morning in the ceramics studio
and her afternoon studying, and Blanda scheduled a spot in the
maker lab for Saturday afternoon and Saturday morning in study
hall.
"OK, how many of you want to spend all weekend in study hall,"
Miella began. She really did feel exasperated. Silence up and
down the table was a good sign. "OK, what did we discuss last
weekend about comfort zones...."
"If you go outside your comfort zone," quipped Kristen "you get
really uncomfortable."
"OK, but what about going just a little bit outside your comfort
zone."
"I'm not running cross country or going on a cemetery tour," the
girl all but snarled.
"How about stage makeup workshop given by drama club. They also
have a set making workshop," a plump girl munching a double
burger suggested.
"Drama club is gay," Yardley replied.
"What about the maker lab. There's two places left?" Miella
suggested.
"You make plastic things don't you?" Faith showed genuine
interest.
"That's the beginning but there's more to it," Blanda explained.
Faith signed on. It got easier after that.
Yardley decided cross country would suit her, and her
Czechoslovakian teacher wanted her to put in time in study hall,
but for some reason Yardley's name did not appear on the app, so
Miella finally did an override and signed Yardley in anyway.
"Phone troubles happen to anyone," Miella told herself. "That's
what she'd pretend it was."
"Thanks," Yardley told Miella as they walked back toward
Ferrante-Walker. It was a free evening. Already two girls had
asked permission to leave campus and return just before 1am.
They were blowing money on a movie. Faith wanted to meet with
friends of her family for a real Chinese meal Saturday night.
Even with the restrictions on credit cards, Kotiah-Yovanovitch
was a nest of pampered, rich kids, going to school and enjoying
themselves.
Miella tried to take herself back being fourteen and remembered
drama club tryouts. School existed for drama club. Drama club
was hard. She had been a loved and pampered public school kid,
when she thought about it.
"Thanks Miella," Yardley derailed Miella's train of thought.
"What for..."
"Putting me in cross country."
"No problem. Phones glitch."
Yardley shook her head. "You know it wasn't my phone," she told
Miella.
"OK, it wasn't your phone. How's the Czechoslovakian?"
"It sucks," Yardley replied. "How are the Broadway tryouts?"
"I don't have time for those. I'm a Suite Advisor."
"My Dad said you were in a Pepsi commercial. You were the lady
with the silver hat who swung on the trapeze."
"The silver hat didn't swing on the trapeze. I did."
"Fuck the grammar, you know what I mean."
"How much money do you think I made on that gig?"
"A thousand bucks."
"You're an order of magnitude off."
"What's an order of magnitude."
"Usually tens or hundreds."
"Fuck...I'm not good at math."
"OK $151.29"
"No shit...That's why they say actors starve."
"That's why I'm a Suite Advisor."
Yardley walked along silently. Then suddenly she lifted her
head. "It sucks for everybody then," she concluded.
"Sometimes it does," was all Miella could answer.
#Post#: 94--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: December 31, 2019, 11:45 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Marion knew she had to write her parents tonight. She'd written
her mother on Friday, but now it was nearly Monday. "I'll blow
all my allowance on printing," the girl thought. It was a dumb,
superficial kind of thought, when one thought about it, but she
thought it anyway.
Her parents, both of them, really needed her support down there
in Florida. "A fourteen year old away from home should be taking
care of herself, not supporting her parents," the nasty thought
came unbidden. "Go away!" she told the thought. "If you lived by
the world's shoulds, you would never understand my parents,"
Marion told the thought. The thought refused to budge. "Go back
to Uncle Niles and Aunt Judith!" Marion all but screamed
inwardly at the errant thought. "Fine stay and camp out," she
told it. "Go old and gray. Die and stink, and no one will bury
you."
"Marion, are you alright?" Zia asked. They were by the beverage
bar. It was family meal, and Marion realized she wanted
absolutely, no part, or her carefree suitemates talking about
their fun Sundays and the week ahead. The world was bigger and
yes, sadder than all that.
"They changed the menu," Zia continued to make small talk.
Marion guessed it was time to jump into the pool with the
world's most humongous cannon ball.
"How was church?"
"The congregation is quite cynical, but there's a boy who plays
the piano who has a superb voice."
"Do you know his name?"
"Laurence. He comes from Iowa and wears nail polish."
"Is he cute?" Marion was not sure nail polish wearing boys were
her type. She wasn't sure if she even liked boys all that much.
She still didn't, but didn't broadcast that fact. A lot of girls
found grown men attractive and they were more together and
handsomer than boys, but they were off limits and far away, not
worth the energy when one thought about it.
"He has a nice face." Zia lowered her voice. "I'm not sure he's
attracted to women."
"That could be a problem."
"I don't think I'm ready to date yet."
"Me neither."
Marion looked at the menu.
LBD Dinner 9/6/20
Main Line
Beef Tornadoes with Mustard Sauce
Chicken Breasts Florentine
Tilapia Francese
Cabbage Lasanga
Rosemary Potatoes Duchesse
Green Beans
Cold Bar
Marinated Tomato Medeley
Creamy Summer Squash Salad
Canned Apricots
Fresh Fruit
Assorted Baked Desserts
Specialty Station 1
Burger Bar
Specialty Station 2
Extended plant Protein for Salads
Have a Happy Week!
"What you going to get?" she asked her roommate.
"Florentine is with spinach isn't it?" Zia asked.
"I'm going for the cabbage lasagna." It was good to try
something new. Tomorrow there was art instead of swimming.
Tonight, she'd really put that letter, one for each parent in
the mail. "I won't give up," she told herself. "I won't listen
to the 'shouds' or my asshole aunt and uncle. I'll keep writing.
I'll be the lifeline. Back in the bad old days kids my age
worked in factories. When you think of it that way, writing
letters is a whole lot easier."
#Post#: 121--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: January 9, 2020, 4:57 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
"Alright," Miella tried to get the attention of eleven unhappy
souls who would rather be off eating in small groups or with
friends, but Friday and Saturday nights were family table, and
that was nonnegotiable. The one soul gone missing was Faith who
was out with an aunt who had come down from the city to make
sure her darling niece ate the foods of home and was not lonely
in her American boarding school.
"This weekend is logistically a bit strange. If you'll open your
apps you'll see why."
Girls nervously grabbed their phones. "Look at off campus
activities."
"What's Simeon in Chains?" asked Yardley.
"An off, off Broadway play, and a good one. It's taken from the
Bible."
Yardley snorted.
"That means I won't be on campus for most of Sunday and you
don't want to spend the whole day hiding in the suite or the
penthouse or in study hall."
Eyes blinked. "So the time is now to make plans and share them
if you have them."
Whispering and furtive side conversations followed. Miella
missed the fried tofu. She avoided the chilis relenos, because
she knew they would be edible but somehow inauthentic or not
like similar dishes where she grew up. Marion seemed to be
enjoying them however, dipping the melted cheese in the rice.
She also had a small dish of fried okra. Zia also had fried
okra, though she hadn't cared for the Irish stew and had started
again with the chicken dish.
At long last two girls looked up from their food. A girl in
pajama bottoms announced she was going running and window
shopping in White Plains. There were three takers for the latter
activity. "I'm going swimming Saturday afternoon," announced
Zia. Marion indicated she was coming with Zia. Kristen made a
face and said she was going to watch a dress draping
demonstration Saturday morning and spend Saturday afternoon in
study hall.
Marion announced she would work on her homework this evening and
Sunday morning, but would spend Saturday morning in the art room
working on preparing a silk screen for one of her
extracurriculars. Miella smiled. Other girls announced their
activities. They were fourteen. That was old enough to catch on.
They were squared away for Saturday, except for Yardley.
"Usually you want a balance," Miella explained. "Some studying
and something fun, unless you want an all day activity like the
trip to the theater."
"I don't know Simeon in Chains."
"I'm not offended. What would you like to do."
"I'd like to not have to make up my mind."
"You have to plan things out a day in advance here, because
activities fill up."
"The study hall doesn't. I have homework."
"OK, so lets put you in Saturday morning. You want the Penthouse
or Papke-Sienko?"
"Papke-Sienko, now what about Saturday afternoon."
"I can go running," answered Yardley. "OK, let's find that." It
took Yardley a while, but she found the informal athletic
activities, which included a long distance run.
"Have you thought of going out for cross country?" Miella asked.
Yardley had no answer. "You enjoy running," Miella rubbed it in.
Yardley remained silent. Then she craned her head around to
look out the window. It had just gotten dark outside, and the
sky was turquoise. "When is Faith coming back?" Yardley asked.
"She has a 1am or early ETA. That's estimated time of arrival."
"Just like a date or something."
"A date with her aunt," snorted Kristen. "At least Faith has
visitation. We don't."
"My parents are in Kenya," Zia reminded the entire table.
#Post#: 125--------------------------------------------------
Re: Around the Family Table I
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: January 10, 2020, 5:43 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
By late Saturday afternoon, it turned not only wet but cold. It
was going to get colder soon enough, not as cold as Malta -- May
it fall into the sea or become a target for nuclear testing --
but cold enough. Marion could feel all the places where her hair
wasn't dry. Zia at least did not worry about her hair. She
wanted to wait for the line to clear and get a start on some
work. Marion realized she was already behind enough she would be
studying Saturday night.
Oddly geometry felt good. Any activity felt good because it kept
her from worrying about that mental wound called parents in a
sober home. "Are you mad at your parents?" Marion asked herself
in a pretend adult voice. She answered she wasn't. Her parents
were currently in trouble for something a friend did while Dad
was in town and Mom was with him. That guest should not have
brought a thirteen year old aboard the Maria Gracia. The kid was
a bit younger than Marion. That was really a sick thing to do,
but Michael did it behind her parents' backs. That was the
truth.
Alas, the truth did not make things better, and Biloxi had been
different. The loud party and no one with wits about them enough
to dump the controlled substances overboard was stupid and
careless. Dad had not been driving The Ship impaired. He never
did, but partying indiscreetly in the People's Democratic
Republic of Mississippi was a dumb move. Now four kids got hurt.
God did that suck!
For the umpteenth time, Marion decided she was not mad at her
parents because there were plenty of other idiots ahead of them
in line, Benny in the old sober home, the police in Biloxi,
Niles and Judith, her disloyal brother who was old enough to be
loyal.
"If my parents manage to get in trouble a third time, will I be
mad at them?" Marion asked herself in the voice of a clueless
adult. "What is this baseball?" she asked back. "I'm not a
fucking umpire."
It was time to get back to her geometry. It was time to get to
dinner, and because it was Saturday, Marion did not bother
looking for the menu. Instead, she found the fiery red scarf
that told her it was time to sit with Miella at family table.
"They changed the menu yesterday," Zia made pointless small
talk.
"I know. I'm glad I got to try the baked tofu. At least they
didn't get rid of the salad bar."
Zia and Marion trooped to the menu, that several other kids were
perusing. There was something empty and sad about this whole
menu ritual, thought Marion.
LBD Dinner 9/12/20
Main Line
Turkey Bracciole
Beef Broccolitine
Tuna Rotini Fra Diavlo
Golden Tempe Rice Delight
Baby Carrots
Braised Cabbage
Cold Bar
Soba Tomato Salad
Creamy Green Bean Salad
Canned Pears
Fresh Fruit
Assorted Baked Desserts
Specialty Station 1 -- Quick Bread Bar
Home Style Parker House Rolls
Apple Rolly-poly
Specialty Station 2 -- Deep Fried Delites
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Zucchini Stix
May the second half of your weekend be as good as the first!
"You like something here?" asked Zia.
"The tuna dish sounds good. Fra Diavlo means from the Devil."
"You mean like the poster over your bed."
"Well this Diavlo bites with nice peppery fire."
Zia smiled. "I'm from the wrong part of Africa. What's Turkey
Braciole. I never knew they ate so much Italian food in the
United States."
"Italians are a big ethnic group in the east."
"Well do you know what it is?"
"Turkey rolled up with Italian stuffing."
"OK.... thanks."
"Hey I can read menus."
"You're a sophisticate."
"Not really," Marion replied and headed to the beverage bar,
because it is good to have a system.
"You know that's canned tuna," Kristen told Marion as she sat
down with her meal.
"That's what it says it is," Marion answered.
"Yeah, but it's the brown, fishy kind."
"You mean chunk light...that's the good kind."
"It's disgusting. It's cat food."
"Kristen what's your problem?" Marion asked.
"I'm in this shit hole school on a Saturday night," Kristen
replied.
"So would you be down in the city with your hundred fake IDs?"
Miella spoke grownup.
"I only need one ID, asshole" Kristen did not miss a beat.
"Marion, I have something for you," Miella ignored the unhappy
dog barking. She handed Marion two fat envelopes. Marion read
the addresses and... "Thank you! This is fantastic!" The only
question was where to open the prizes. What was in them was
probably packed with ugly emotion. It had to be. "My parents are
in prison," Marion reminded herself.
"Your parents wrote you. What's the fucking big deal?" Kristen
pretended to ask.
"They don't have email."
"Why the fuck not?"
"They're in a very restrictive sober home in Florida."
"Well isn't that special. At least you admit it. No wonder you
don't get visitation."
"Where are your parents?" Marion asked Kristen.
"Connecticut. What's it to you."
"Not much."
"So when do your parents get out of rehab?" Kristen sing-songed.
"When they're trial is over toward the end of the year."
"What are they on trial for?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Look you're not the only kid with addicts for parents, and they
think we kids are disgusting."
"My parents aren't disgusting."
"Mine are."
"My aunt and uncle are. They were the ones who've had custody of
me for a year and a half."
"How come they don't make it permanent."
"Because I won't let them."
"You don't get a fucking say. My grandparents took custody of me
when I was seven cause of what my parents were into."
"I'm fourteen. I have a say. I'm old enough to decide." "But my
siblings are not," Marion thought. She knew then, she would have
to open the letters somewhere private.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1