A Penny's Worth by Nancy DeRosa

know.
I haven’t weighed myself in a while.”
    Charlene swept the group with raised
eyebrows. “What woman doesn’t know how much weight she’s lost?” Tittering
gaily, she leaned over and nudged Dolores. “Come on, is she for real? Look at
your clothes, they’re like practically falling off you Penny. Maybe it’s time I
take you under my wing and bring you shopping for new outfits.”
    Watching this exchange with her eyes and
ears not missing a word or gesture, Dolores barked, “That’s Penny for you, she
always walked to her own drummer. I doubt she even owns a scale, and I’ve never
known her to be into fashion. Help her, Charlene.”
    “The word is marched, Mom,” Penny
snapped. “You march to a different drummer, you don’t walk.” She turned to Charlene
and said icily, “Thanks for the offer to go shopping, but I’ve been busy and I
like to shop alone.”
    “You’ve always had great taste, Sis,”
Steve said with a wink.
    Dolores would not be usurped. “Whatever
the saying is, march or walk, who cares? You get my drift Charlene.”
    Charlene pouted. “I was only trying to be
nice. You could use some new clothes, Penny. From the look of you you’ve lost
fifteen pounds, maybe more. That skirt is practically falling off you.”
    “Fifteen give or take a few,” Dolores
added, studying her daughter with narrow eyes.
    “Wow,” Penny exclaimed, “All this focus
on my weight. Don’t we have anything else to talk about?” The crowd was thinning
as people headed to their cars. Penny desperately wanted to join them. “I think
we better go or there won’t be anyone to greet the guests.” The little hub she
was in had grown. A few of her aunts and uncles had joined them at the top of
the stairs.
    Charlene appeared not to have heard her.
She clacked her fingers. “I know why you’ve dropped a few sizes. You have a man
in your life don’t you? Am I right? Who is he?”
    Feeling her stomach drop and her throat
squeeze shut, she wondered if she was about to choke in front of everyone. At
least twelve pairs of eyes were watching her, waiting for an answer. She
blurted out, “I don’t think my new friend has anything to do with my weight
loss.”
    Dolores’ eyebrows rose as if someone had
just pumped in the Botox. “What friend?”
    She swept her hand helplessly. “Just
someone who works at the hospital.”
    Hand on hip, Charlene asked wide-eyed,
“It couldn’t possibly be a doctor now could it?”
    Penny felt the anger seethe in her once
again. She knew Charlene was toying with her. Not for a second did Charlene
think that she was dating a doctor. “As a matter of fact, he is a doctor, one
of the top surgeons at Wayside Hospital.”
    “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Charlene
looked around with a triumphant smirk. “So who is it?” “I know a lot of the doctors
on staff there.”
    Feeling her throat constrict again, Penny
spoke with a voice that sounded high and tinny to her ears. “It’s very early in
the relationship, so I’d rather not say right now.”
    Charlene looked at her with amusement.
Penny knew she’d been rumbled. Charlene offered lightly, “When the relationship
feels safe to you, perhaps then you’ll introduce him to us. I’d love to do
dinner with you and the mystery man .” Leaning in close, she whispered,
“You know I will hold you to that.”
    She thought of Dr Bruck and said softly,
“Yes, I know you will.”
    Dolores was staring as if Penny had been
caught stealing cookies. “I can’t believe you didn’t even tell your family
about this.” Turning to Charlene she exclaimed, “I told you she walks to her
own drummer.”
    “I just told you Mom, the word is march.
I march to a different drummer.”
    “Don’t you raise your voice to me. I’ve
had it with your thoughtlessness today as it is.”
    The group stepped back as if making room
for a catfight. Penny made a decision not to participate in the growing spectacle
that was about to unfold. Exasperated,