gracious, and as intimidating as Wonder Woman, stood in front of the array of brown bags she had brought in earlier and put on the kitchen counter. She had her hand on the radio dial, haying just switched it off. “Sorry, Louise, can you go watch TV news in the other room? I can’t work with the radio on.”
“Barbara,” Louise said in a careful tone, “I know you brought some things, but I have a dinner prepared. Tell me what you have, and we’ll work this out.”
The woman put a hand on Louise’s shoulder. “No, you tell me what you have. Chicken breasts, did Tessie tell me? And vegetables, for stir-fry? No problem. Now, I just want you to show me where a few things are and then you can go sit down with Tessie while I take a half hour or so and make you ladies dinner.”
Louise wasn’t up for an argument over who would cook dinner, especially when she didn’t particularly love cooking. What the heck, she could turn over her kitchen to a bossy stranger.
It was a little harder than she thought it would be. After finding out where the corkscrew and other obscurely placed utensils were, Barbara gently shoved her out of the room.
During all this, Tessie had said nothing, but had found the bar in the cabinet in the recreation room, fetched ice and water in a pitcher, and was ready to offer Louise any kind ofdrink she wanted. Louise was faint with what her jocular husband called “guest adjustment” those first delicate moments with guests when the hosts found out what they had to put up with. “Why don’t I have a nice stiff vodka and tonic?” She was a poor drinker and knew she shouldn’t drink at all. It gave her headaches, and sometimes altered her perceptions, as she told Bill. Yet who was there to embarrass? Why, these nervy women might even admire her more if she hung one on and told them all off, tree murderers that they were!
Donna was missing. While Tessie prepared her drink, Louise excused herself and went to hunt down her third houseguest and thwart any evil plans she might have.
She found her in Janie’s bedroom, which had a large alcove with some sun and therefore housed family plants on glass etageres. Donna was rearranging the plants. Louise gasped at the woman’s nerve; she was a little surprised, for she had thought Donna was a more introverted guest.
“I know they may not look so good,” the woman apologized, self-consciously brushing her blond hair from her face, “but I just moved them a bit to give them better light.”
Louise conjured up a patient tone of voice: “I used Bill’s light meter when I arranged these plants, and the differences in light requirements seemed to be insignificant.”
Donna reached out and touched Louise’s arm in a gesture of repentance. “Louise, it was just an experiment. Let me move them back to their former positions.”
Louise pressed her lips together. It was a moment of truth: she was either going to hate these women or love them. “Really, it’s okay; let’s not bother. We should go back. Tessie is making drinks.”
As they passed her kitchen, she gave a nostalgic look in, as if she were someone who had been banned from the premises.“Hi-i,” said Barbara, as she heard them pass. She didn’t bother to turn to them, but simply gave them a little wave with two waggling fingers raised in the air over her shoulder. Her long curly hair was bobbing above a cookbook she apparently had brought with her, for it looked like none of Louise’s. Things were boiling merrily on the stove and the oven was on preheat.
Louise’s shoulders sank. Talk about being taken over by enemy hordes. Genghis Khan had nothing on these three. She and Donna went to the recreation room, where Tessie awaited her; she was ensconced in the recliner chair, drink and snacks at her side, a stenographer’s notebook and pen in her lap. “Now, Louise, we can’t waste a minute. I want to interview you for the story we’re doing on you as Plant Person of the Year.”
Two
“Barbara,” Louise said in a careful tone, “I know you brought some things, but I have a dinner prepared. Tell me what you have, and we’ll work this out.”
The woman put a hand on Louise’s shoulder. “No, you tell me what you have. Chicken breasts, did Tessie tell me? And vegetables, for stir-fry? No problem. Now, I just want you to show me where a few things are and then you can go sit down with Tessie while I take a half hour or so and make you ladies dinner.”
Louise wasn’t up for an argument over who would cook dinner, especially when she didn’t particularly love cooking. What the heck, she could turn over her kitchen to a bossy stranger.
It was a little harder than she thought it would be. After finding out where the corkscrew and other obscurely placed utensils were, Barbara gently shoved her out of the room.
During all this, Tessie had said nothing, but had found the bar in the cabinet in the recreation room, fetched ice and water in a pitcher, and was ready to offer Louise any kind ofdrink she wanted. Louise was faint with what her jocular husband called “guest adjustment” those first delicate moments with guests when the hosts found out what they had to put up with. “Why don’t I have a nice stiff vodka and tonic?” She was a poor drinker and knew she shouldn’t drink at all. It gave her headaches, and sometimes altered her perceptions, as she told Bill. Yet who was there to embarrass? Why, these nervy women might even admire her more if she hung one on and told them all off, tree murderers that they were!
Donna was missing. While Tessie prepared her drink, Louise excused herself and went to hunt down her third houseguest and thwart any evil plans she might have.
She found her in Janie’s bedroom, which had a large alcove with some sun and therefore housed family plants on glass etageres. Donna was rearranging the plants. Louise gasped at the woman’s nerve; she was a little surprised, for she had thought Donna was a more introverted guest.
“I know they may not look so good,” the woman apologized, self-consciously brushing her blond hair from her face, “but I just moved them a bit to give them better light.”
Louise conjured up a patient tone of voice: “I used Bill’s light meter when I arranged these plants, and the differences in light requirements seemed to be insignificant.”
Donna reached out and touched Louise’s arm in a gesture of repentance. “Louise, it was just an experiment. Let me move them back to their former positions.”
Louise pressed her lips together. It was a moment of truth: she was either going to hate these women or love them. “Really, it’s okay; let’s not bother. We should go back. Tessie is making drinks.”
As they passed her kitchen, she gave a nostalgic look in, as if she were someone who had been banned from the premises.“Hi-i,” said Barbara, as she heard them pass. She didn’t bother to turn to them, but simply gave them a little wave with two waggling fingers raised in the air over her shoulder. Her long curly hair was bobbing above a cookbook she apparently had brought with her, for it looked like none of Louise’s. Things were boiling merrily on the stove and the oven was on preheat.
Louise’s shoulders sank. Talk about being taken over by enemy hordes. Genghis Khan had nothing on these three. She and Donna went to the recreation room, where Tessie awaited her; she was ensconced in the recliner chair, drink and snacks at her side, a stenographer’s notebook and pen in her lap. “Now, Louise, we can’t waste a minute. I want to interview you for the story we’re doing on you as Plant Person of the Year.”
Two
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