confided. “What do you think of Karl?”
I got up and walked over to the window without answering her. She scooted off the bed and grabbed my arm and said, “Let’s go take a walk and get some fresh air.”
We exited the room, and Florence introduced me to just about everyone in the hallway as her college graduate godson who was going to be a famous screenwriter. All the residents were impressed and remarked how proud Florence was of me and talked about me all the time.
~~~~~
Dr. Mikowsky interrupted Michael, “Did Florence give you the love you didn’t get from your mother?” This was the first time Dr. Mikowky broached the subject since Michael’s breakdown the week before.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Michael asked.
“I guess since she had no children of her own, she felt a closeness to you, being that you were her godchild,” the doctor continued.
Michael looked puzzled and asked the doctor, “Did I say Florence was childless?”
“Well, I assumed since you did not mention any children …” Dr. Mikowsky said.
Michael leaned forward, furrowed his brow, and with intent in his voice said, “Dr. Mikowsky, Florence had four children. They are all married, successful, happy, well-adjusted adults. She was a great mother, and her children’s ability to lead independent lives was a testament to her skills as a parent. Florence may have had her problems with prescription pills — and alcohol later in life — but she was probably the best parent of all my mother’s friends. Her children were the most self-confident people you ever met, and she never spanked any of them.”
The doctor was surprised to hear this. In his years of practice, he had assumed that individuals with problems with addiction made the worst parents, but Michael had proclaimed Florence the best parent among these five women. This piqued the doctor’s curiosity, and he wanted to know more about the other women as parents.
“Michael, other than Myra, did Rona have any other children?” Dr. Mikowsky began.
“Yes, she had a son, who eventually took over the delicatessen.”
“How about Arlene?” the doctor asked.
“She had two children. One lived at home and worked on her master’s degree for about 18 years, and the other worked in Feld’s Department Store with Arlene and William, selling mattresses. He was never management material.”
The doctor wrote all this down and asked, “And, Doreen’s children?”
Michael had to pause before answering this one, “Let’s see. Two of her sons are working in sales, and one drives a garbage truck. One took over his father’s real estate business. They mostly manage low-rent apartments and parking lots now.”
“Any other children?” the doctor asked.
“She had a daughter who is a very well-known porn star,” Michael added. “Strange isn’t it, Doc. I grew up hearing these things only happened to the goyim .”
Dr. Mikowsky could not believe what he was hearing. He had drawn personality sketches of each of the women and speculated how their children would have turned out, but Michael had managed in answering his questions to turn his predictions upside down. He looked down at the pad, jotting down the last thing Michael said.
“The weirdest part of all of this is that Florence was always being criticized by the other women behind her back, yet her kids were all perfect,” Michael said.
Dr. Mikowsky was growing more fascinated by the dynamics of this group of women, yet he was developing a fondness for Florence and could understand why Michael adored her so much.
The doctor looked up and smiled at Michael, thinking to himself, “Look at him. One would assume he came from the most well-adjusted and stable environment. He is personable, even-tempered, handsome, intelligent, successful, yet he comes from one of the most screwed-up environments I have ever encountered.”
“What are you thinking?” Michael asked.
“Just how one should never assume anything,” he told
I got up and walked over to the window without answering her. She scooted off the bed and grabbed my arm and said, “Let’s go take a walk and get some fresh air.”
We exited the room, and Florence introduced me to just about everyone in the hallway as her college graduate godson who was going to be a famous screenwriter. All the residents were impressed and remarked how proud Florence was of me and talked about me all the time.
~~~~~
Dr. Mikowsky interrupted Michael, “Did Florence give you the love you didn’t get from your mother?” This was the first time Dr. Mikowky broached the subject since Michael’s breakdown the week before.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Michael asked.
“I guess since she had no children of her own, she felt a closeness to you, being that you were her godchild,” the doctor continued.
Michael looked puzzled and asked the doctor, “Did I say Florence was childless?”
“Well, I assumed since you did not mention any children …” Dr. Mikowsky said.
Michael leaned forward, furrowed his brow, and with intent in his voice said, “Dr. Mikowsky, Florence had four children. They are all married, successful, happy, well-adjusted adults. She was a great mother, and her children’s ability to lead independent lives was a testament to her skills as a parent. Florence may have had her problems with prescription pills — and alcohol later in life — but she was probably the best parent of all my mother’s friends. Her children were the most self-confident people you ever met, and she never spanked any of them.”
The doctor was surprised to hear this. In his years of practice, he had assumed that individuals with problems with addiction made the worst parents, but Michael had proclaimed Florence the best parent among these five women. This piqued the doctor’s curiosity, and he wanted to know more about the other women as parents.
“Michael, other than Myra, did Rona have any other children?” Dr. Mikowsky began.
“Yes, she had a son, who eventually took over the delicatessen.”
“How about Arlene?” the doctor asked.
“She had two children. One lived at home and worked on her master’s degree for about 18 years, and the other worked in Feld’s Department Store with Arlene and William, selling mattresses. He was never management material.”
The doctor wrote all this down and asked, “And, Doreen’s children?”
Michael had to pause before answering this one, “Let’s see. Two of her sons are working in sales, and one drives a garbage truck. One took over his father’s real estate business. They mostly manage low-rent apartments and parking lots now.”
“Any other children?” the doctor asked.
“She had a daughter who is a very well-known porn star,” Michael added. “Strange isn’t it, Doc. I grew up hearing these things only happened to the goyim .”
Dr. Mikowsky could not believe what he was hearing. He had drawn personality sketches of each of the women and speculated how their children would have turned out, but Michael had managed in answering his questions to turn his predictions upside down. He looked down at the pad, jotting down the last thing Michael said.
“The weirdest part of all of this is that Florence was always being criticized by the other women behind her back, yet her kids were all perfect,” Michael said.
Dr. Mikowsky was growing more fascinated by the dynamics of this group of women, yet he was developing a fondness for Florence and could understand why Michael adored her so much.
The doctor looked up and smiled at Michael, thinking to himself, “Look at him. One would assume he came from the most well-adjusted and stable environment. He is personable, even-tempered, handsome, intelligent, successful, yet he comes from one of the most screwed-up environments I have ever encountered.”
“What are you thinking?” Michael asked.
“Just how one should never assume anything,” he told
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