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#Post#: 145--------------------------------------------------
The Other Family Table II
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: February 4, 2020, 12:50 pm
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There was a line for lunch. There was always a line for lunch,
Corianne reflected. Of course metal shop had gone very badly.
She wasn't sure for what she hoped. Her concept for a
frieze/sculpture illustrating Psalm 148 was approved but her
mechanical drawing was all wrong. Mechanical drawing was like a
swim test for klutzes. Her stepmother, dad's current wife, out
in Indiana would tell her to pay attention and concentrate.
Neither of these helped all that much when Corianne thought
about it.
She decided that she was the same way with her mechanical
drawing as the poor older girl in intermediate swimming was with
diving. She stood endlessly in four foot deep water struggling
with surface dives, though lately she had switched to squatting
and kneeling dives by the edge of the pool. This had to be a
change for the worse because the poor, older girl looked like
she was paying for the sin of her klutziness, whereas Corianne
at the mechanical drawing tables by herself looked cool and
normal. If there was another kid there, she still looked cool
and normal.
Her mother in the Emriates, was more realistic about Corianne's
mechanical drawing woes. "Keep at it. It gets better with
practice like everything else," her mother had emailed. "My
mother doesn't have to deal with my emotions," Corianne thought.
She also told herself that at least she had a good idea for a
project.
Still it had hurt that she'd been alone with her humiliation in
shop class that morning. Tikvah who needed to figure out how to
distress metal, had been sent with a pass to the library to
research the techniques she wanted to use, by viewing YouTube
videos.
She was grateful Tikvah had found her in the lunch line. "How'd
the drawing go?" she asked.
"It sucked," answered Corianne.
"You find any way to make metal look old?"
"A couple of things. I think I have to learn chemistry. It sucks
to be ten."
"Only if you let it," said a voice that was too young to belong
to a teacher. Had Suri and Jupita parked themselves behind them
in line intentionally? That was a good question. Corianne
figured out that metal shop with mechanical drawing or a trip to
the library let out earlier than Advanced or Beginner Aquatics.
Whatever Suri and Jupita had before lunch let out a bit later.
Coincidence still sucked though.
"I'd rather be an adult too or at least in high school," Tikvah
consoled Corianne.
"You two are crazy," Suri told them. "Mind your own fucking
business," thought Corianne.
"You like not knowing stuff?" asked Tikvah.
"I don't care about school stuff. Most people don't. You just
have to act like you do in class," Suri explained. Jupita
nodded.
"Do you have metal shop?" Tikvah asked.
"Why would I take metal shop?" asked Jupita.
"Because it's better than health or music," Corianne replied.
"Yeah, but we're not on Team Six. Team Six is for weirdos," Suri
explained.
"Takes one to know one," Corianne sing-songed.
"Speak for yourself. How come your parents didn't visit this
weekend?"
"Mom's in the Emirates."
"Where the fuck is that?"
"Near Saudi Arabia in the Middle East."
"You mean like I ran?"
"I see you don't care about geography," Tikvah took a swipe.
"Why should I?"
"Cause you'd sound a bit less like an asshole," Corianne
answered.
"Oooohhhhhh...."
"Fuck yourself," Corianne added.
"Such language."
"It offends her virgin ears but her mouth is another story,"
Corianne answered.
"I realize it is very exciting to learn cuss words for the first
time," an older girl in front of Corianne waded into the
argument.
"You're so sarcastic," Corianne told the high school student.
"We can wield our own cudgels, you know." This was a great
expression, and Corianne figured a cudgel was a weapon, though
she was not sure what kind. All she knew was that one wielded
weapons so cudgels were weapons, and the expression made sense
and sounded grown up.
"Yes, and it's so interesting to watch," high school student
told Corianne, Tikvah, Suri, and Jupita.
"Don't listen if we offend you," Corianne replied.
"Yeah," Tikvah added. Suri shook her head so her perfect, golden
braids jumped and danced. Jupita looked at her shoes. "Coward!"
thought Corianne. Just then the line moved. They were nearly at
the door and Albina stood against the wall in a scrum of other
Suite Advisors.
"I see your baby sitter is here," high school student sunk one
in.
"She's just being friendly that's all," Tikvah answered.
"Besides we have important stuff to discuss. Only high school
kids get to gossip."
"I see." High school student made a face. Corianne wished that
Albina who probably overheard the argument would give her girls
a thumbs up for taking on someone older and not all that smart,
but adults just consider kids' arguments noise pollution, but in
a way that's better than taking sides especially when it's
siblings or kids the same age.
Albina took a blue rag that had once been part of a t-shirt from
her purse and tossed it to Suri. "You and Corianne put the table
together and tie this to something so the rest can see. Then you
can go get lunch. I'll wait out here for the stragglers and come
in with them." Suri gazed at the t-shirt rag as if it had
cooties. Then she glanced at Corianne. Corianne shrugged.
Putting a table together with Suri was no worse than struggling
with mechanical drawing in metal shop.
#Post#: 146--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Other Family Table II
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: February 4, 2020, 12:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Corianne let Suri pick out the closest two tables to the
beverage bar. She would have preferred somewhere quieter, but it
was best to get this over with. Tikvah was probably already at
the menu. Suri gave her table such a hard slam it made
Corianne's table rattle. "There," she said to everyone and no
one and loped away.
Corianne slipped over to the menu. She was thinking about her
mother in the Emirates and her father in Indiana. Then she
wondered where Suri's parents were. Who knew, and besides, kids
ended up in boarding school because parents had their own lives
and it was a convenient way to neglect kids but not really
neglect them so parents' could do their own things, whether it
was making a career, marrying for the sixth time, whatever. It
made sense. It was not really cruel, but in a way it was
difficult to deal with.
Corianne turned her attention to the menu that Tikvah was also
perusing. "You OK?" Tikvah asked. "No," Corianne said.
"She really hurt your feelings."
"No she didn't. It's my own thoughts that are sad."
The menu said:
LBD Lunch 9/15/20
Main Line
Rigatoni A la Gricia
Giant Turkey Won Tons
Salmon Salad Sandwich
Brown Rice Vegetable Bake
Broccoli Florets
Baked Stewed Tomatoes
Cold Bar
Tailgate Potato Salad
Pepper Hash
Apple Sauce
Fresh Fruit
Assorted Baked Desserts
Specialty Station 1 -- Quick Bread Bar
Swiss Cheese Roll Up
Raisin Pistachio Bread
Specialty Station 2 -- Deep Fried Delites
Fried Naked Pablono Peppers
Zucchini Sticks
Tuesday is the busiest day of the week.
The menu made lunch difficult in a good way for Corianne. She
headed to the beverage bar first, which prolonged the good
decision. At least the main course today was a no brainer.
Salmon salad was too good to pass up. The sandwich was even on
nice, firm whole wheat bread and she got the soupy, stewed
tomatoes in a small bowl and passed up the broccoli in favor of
pepper hash which turned out to be coleslaw with pretty red
peppers, and there was a nice, fresh apple for dessert because
it was not good to have sweets all the time. Shayla's parents
had it partially right.
Corianne was at the cold bar when Suri nearly bumped into her.
"You got a problem?" Corianne asked.
"Not really," Suri responded. "But I gotta tell you.... Lianne
is in the shitter."
"What happened?"
"She mouthed off to the teacher in geography. That's what
Rupinder told me. I'm not on the same team as Lianne. This
school's too fucking big."
"I like a big school."
"Corianne can you just be a bit normal at lunch and for the rest
of the day. I know that's a stretch for you."
"I'm supposed to make you happy because Lianne is in trouble."
"No, you're supposed to be normal for Lianne's sake. She's
really hurting. She misses her mom."
"What about her dad?"
"He's probably long gone."
"Doesn't everybody miss their parents?"
"If their parents love them... Yeah I think everybody does."
Corianne took some pepper hash. "What the fuck is that you're
going to eat?" Suri switched the subject.
"They call it pepper hash. I call it coleslaw."
"OK... And you like fish too. I'm glad you're not a Suite
Advisor. No wonder you kiss grownups' assholes. Just don't do
that today OK."
Corianne hoped Albina would not add insult to injury. Tikvah was
already back at the family table. On her tray was a bowl of
Cinnamon Apple Captain Crunch, cold milk, Cheese Doodles, and
Pecan Sandy cookies. There was also more milk to drink.
Corianne took a bite of her sandwich. "But it's not fair,"
Lianne told Ms. Albina.
"I wasn't there to see it happen," Albina tried to be
diplomatic.
"The teacher is...she's mean," Rupinder cautiously ventured.
"OK," Ms. Albina answered.
"I was out late. I was really tired," Lianne wheedled.
"I can't change this," Albina passed the buck. "It's just one
afternoon. And it's study hall in a different room. Do your
homework and you can email your parents when we go up to the
penthouse."
"I don't want to email my parents!" Lianne all but screamed.
"Then listen to music or play computer games or watch TV. Do
this right and you get the evening off."
"You make it sound like a...vacation," Jupita entered the
conversation.
"It's not as bad as Lianne makes it out. It's just a schedule
rearrangement."
"And what would be really bad?" Rupinder asked.
"Community service where they make you do some kind of
disgusting menial chore like pick up papers or wash dishes
behind the cafeteria or take out the trash and stomp it down."
Lianne blinked and started to quietly weep. Her pasta dish was
quietly congealing on her tray. Even her potato chips sat
untouched. "Come on," Albina urged her. "Eat."
It took Corianne a while to realize that Ms. Albina had either
not seen or else forgotten about this afternoon's lunch line
argument with a high school kid. Kids are invisible until they
annoy someone or otherwise break the rules.
#Post#: 156--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Other Family Table II
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: February 25, 2020, 6:23 pm
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Albina's girls, minus the two who were happy to get passes to
the high school library, played flag football on the quad
against Kadie's suite which did not cream them as badly as
Albina suspected they would. Nelia and Jupita were both good gym
students and put their knowledge to use. Kadie made a reset to
first down six adult size paces. All the girls were good with
that.
About half way through the game during which Jupita kicked a
field goal that impressed several boys passing by, throngs of
kids began to filter across the quad. Most of them were polite
enough to circle the "playing field." The problem was that they
were heading to dinner in Landon-Burchard-Durren. Several of
Kadie's girls forgot about the game and craned their necks after
the suites full of kids heading for the line. Albina reminded
herself. It was a line, not dinner. It was just a line.
"Come on we've got a game!" snarled an actually, enthusiastic
Kadie. "Can we go early tonight?" wheedled Lianne. "Positively
not," Albina answered. "We go between 5:45 and 6:00pm. That's
our schedule. You want to play games or wait in line?"
"I'm hungry," another girl whinged. "Let's play!" yelled Albina.
"It's second down and six paces now go..." Albina's suite was on
offense. Suri threw the ball to Shayla. It was a short pass and
Shayla knew what to do. She was fast and had sense enough to
dodge a raft of "it's" who were after her flags.
"Nice," commented Kadie. Albina's bunch were on first down once
again, and the goal was actually close. Within a couple of plays
they managed to score a touch down and another Jupita kicked
another nice "field goal" and they were ahead ten to seven.
They'd probably lose their lead, thought Albina. The teams were
evenly matched, and football was really nobody's sport. Still
the girls were serious and kept their eye off the "lucky"
students on their way to the line. They even ignored the high
school girls who ogled them as if they had never seen kids play
flag football before. So it went. At 5:45 the game was over, and
Albina's suite lost by one field goal or three points. Kadie had
her own star kicker, a small kid named Malia who had learned to
place kick from her older brothers, one of whom was at prep
school. The other brother had developmental issues, but he could
still kick a football.
Albina pulled out her phone and checked the app. Two green dots,
Corianne and Tikvah were on their way from Crosby-Magnoni at the
deliberate speed of hungry girls. "We're on time!" Corianne
proclaimed. "No problem," answered Kadie. "I'm starved,"
complained Lianne. "Rupinder and Jetta it's your turn to set up
the table! Use the football to mark it."
"Let's line up at the main bar!" called out Kadie.
"We don't have to do that do we?" asked Tikvah.
"Of course not," Albina told her. "Do you think I'd waste your
time?"
"Thanks mora," Tikvah forgot that Albina was not a teacher.
Albina thought of Tikvah's Amazon package nestled in her
backpack. Facing a half way contented bunch of ten year olds is
much easier than facing middle school girls in abn ugly mood,
Albina told herself as she headed to the menu.
#Post#: 157--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Other Family Table II
DIR By: StoryGod
Date: February 26, 2020, 10:42 am
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LBD Dinner 9/16/20
Main Line
Peruvian Beef Stir-Fry
Shanghai Chicken and Broccoli
Baked Flounder with Black Bean Sauce
Vegetable Egg Rolls
White Rice
Asian Green Bean Medeley
Cold Bar
Tropical Cole Slaw
Mixed Vegetable Kim-Chi
Canned Pineapple
Fresh Fruit
Assorted Baked Desserts
Specialty Station 1 -- Quick Bread Bar
Rye Buns
Apricot-Cherry Bread
Specialty Station 2 -- Deep Fried Delites
Kale Chips
Yucca Fries
Three down and two to go!
Albina mused on how Kadie might deal with this menu. Albina did
not have to deal with anything except Suri and Shayla
complaining. Jupita was too cool to complain and headed off to
the bread and junk food bar to vote with her feet and mouth.
Tikvah went to the dry cereal and junk food bars as a matter of
principle. Albina got salad with chick peas, whole wheat bread
and butter, and Tropical Cole Slaw as a matter of habit. Most of
her Kadie's girls had either the beef or the chicken with rice
and green beans or a salad and a piece of pastry.
Tikvah as usual had Cinamon Apple Jacks, pecan sandies, milk,
and orange juice. "What are those green things?" Suri pointed to
Corianne's plate. "Kale chips," the girl answered.
"This is your last hurrah for deep fried delites," commented
Albina.
"They'll have something different on Friday. They always change
on Friday," Corianne replied.
"It's usually carbs or crap," Kadie told everyone.
"Crap is the staff of life," taunted Albina.
"Depends what kind of crap," interjected Jupita.
Kadie asked: "Are any of your girls going to services for Rosh
HaShannah.
"Yes," Albina replied. "Tikvah is doing Thursday night on campus
and Friday and Saturday at Young Israel of White Plains."
"How is she going to get there?"
"I walk," Tikvah did not like being talked about as if she
wasn't there.
"How far is that?"
"Four miles."
"You going to do that both days. I guess there are some really
religious kids here."
"You guessed right," mocked Corianne.
"Do her parents know she is living on cereal?"
"One does and he approves. The other hasn't asked. By the time
she does, they'll bring pizza back. Remember policy. They serve
cereal so someone can eat that."
"Are they really going to bring pizza back?" asked Tikvah.
"Who knows," Albina replied. "There's no reason they won't. The
school year is a long time."
"The fried stuff is weird," complained Lianne.
"It's pretty good," Corianne answered. "Lots of variety."
"You liked it when they had beans," Suri commented.
"Bean salad is good," Corianne responded.
Meanwhile, one of Kadie's girls who had spent the afternoon in
detention told her tale of woe. There had been two high school
students stuck in detention for smoking cigarettes. The
detention hole was in Oberto-Magorian which meant the high
schoolers looked big and out of place at their desks.
Humiliation came as part of the punishment.
"What did high school kids do to get into detention?" asked
Suri.
"I think they were smoking cigarettes in the bathroom," the
detention victim replied.
"Don't you get thrown out of school for smoking?" asked the
second detention victim.
"Not the first time. And it always depends on how the teacher
feels. Ms. Gross has her bun screwed where it shouldn't be."
"Girls!" Kadie was a stickler for propriety.
"I didn't say anything wrong," the girl answered. "Ms. Gross
was the one who made me miss flag football."
"Yes, but she can make you do it again. She can make you scrub
the floor with a toothbrush."
"They'd really do that," Albina asked.
"They can. It's community service. The rules around here are
simple: 'Don't offend the people in power.'"
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