usually just wanted to watch TV anyway, while I was not prepared to sit
out the rest of my life glued to a TV screen and neither was Brenda. One night Brenda
and I were watching a movie when, about halfway through, the film suddenly stopped and
there was an announcement over the loudspeaker, which at first I didn’t
understand.
‘They’re calling your name,
Iris. They want you to come to the manager’s office right away,’ said
Brenda.
‘Oh, God, no, something must have
happened to the baby!’
We scooted out of our seats and rushed up
the aisle towards the exit. Scared half to death, we went to the foyer, and there was
Bob, with Wayne in his arms. ‘Come on,’ he shouted. ‘Your son’s
been crying ever since you left and I want to go to bed.’
Everyone was staring at us and I could have
died of shame at the idea that people might think I was neglecting my baby, and at the
spectacle my husband was making of himself and me. I wasn’t sure if I hated Bob or
myselfmore. On the drive home, I clung to my small son and cried.
Eventually I glanced at Brenda. She looked back at me and shrugged, as if to say,
‘Don’t look at me. I don’t know what to say or think either.’ I
dreaded the scene that might erupt when we got home, but there was no scene. Bob
didn’t say a word, just took off his clothes and went to bed, while I sat there,
crying and rocking Wayne, all the time thinking what a terrible person I must be.
Shortly afterwards, Bob said he had a
surprise for us. I thought he must be trying to make up for our recent trouble.
‘We’re going on vacation,’ he said. ‘Someone at work told me
about a place in Michigan that’s cheap and right on a small lake. They have cabins
for families and you can either cook your own food or arrange to have meals
included.’
‘Where is it?’ I asked.
‘It’s called Paw Paw Lake and
it’s in Coloma, not too far to drive, and it’ll be cooler there. What do you
think?’
‘Sounds great.’ The change of
scenery would do us both good. Perhaps we’d be able to get closer again, rekindle
the flame that used to burn so brightly.
Excited, we made plans for our holiday.
Summer was just about over and Bob told me it would be beautiful in Michigan, with the
leaves on the trees beginning to change colour.
‘Autumn comes to Michigan earlier than
it does in Chicago,’ he told me, ‘and it won’t be as crowded as it is
in summer time. That part of Michigan is famous for its apples, so we’ll have to
bring a couple of bushels home for Mom to make into apple sauce.’
‘I can hardly wait!’
So, off we went on a week’s holiday.
I’d be able to tell my family back home that I’d visited another of
America’s many states.
The resort we’d booked into was a
series of small, very old cabins, furnished to a minimal standard, but it was perfectly
adequate for our needs. On the first day, we drove around the area, checking out where
everything was, especially the grocery since we planned to cook most of our meals. The
second day was glorious: the sun was shining and it was still warm during the daytime.
We borrowed a couple of inflated rubber inner tubes and floated around on the lake for
hours, that being my only option since I couldn’t swim.
Wayne had a grand time, taking turns with
each of us to paddle around in the rubber dinghies. At one point, Bob had apparently
hung around the old wooden dock with him for too long because when I hauled Wayne out of
the water his little legs were covered with black things. I screamed, and soon Bob was
beside me.
‘Oh, my God,’ he said,
‘they’re leeches! Quick! Get the salt!’ I ran into the cabin and got
the shaker. By the time I returned, Bob was pulling leeches off Wayne’s legs, and
when we sprinkled salt on them, they curled up and fell off.
‘We can’t go in the water any
more,’ I told Bob. I was still shaking with fright, and I knew I had nightmares to
look forward to, but Wayne grinned. He didn’t
out the rest of my life glued to a TV screen and neither was Brenda. One night Brenda
and I were watching a movie when, about halfway through, the film suddenly stopped and
there was an announcement over the loudspeaker, which at first I didn’t
understand.
‘They’re calling your name,
Iris. They want you to come to the manager’s office right away,’ said
Brenda.
‘Oh, God, no, something must have
happened to the baby!’
We scooted out of our seats and rushed up
the aisle towards the exit. Scared half to death, we went to the foyer, and there was
Bob, with Wayne in his arms. ‘Come on,’ he shouted. ‘Your son’s
been crying ever since you left and I want to go to bed.’
Everyone was staring at us and I could have
died of shame at the idea that people might think I was neglecting my baby, and at the
spectacle my husband was making of himself and me. I wasn’t sure if I hated Bob or
myselfmore. On the drive home, I clung to my small son and cried.
Eventually I glanced at Brenda. She looked back at me and shrugged, as if to say,
‘Don’t look at me. I don’t know what to say or think either.’ I
dreaded the scene that might erupt when we got home, but there was no scene. Bob
didn’t say a word, just took off his clothes and went to bed, while I sat there,
crying and rocking Wayne, all the time thinking what a terrible person I must be.
Shortly afterwards, Bob said he had a
surprise for us. I thought he must be trying to make up for our recent trouble.
‘We’re going on vacation,’ he said. ‘Someone at work told me
about a place in Michigan that’s cheap and right on a small lake. They have cabins
for families and you can either cook your own food or arrange to have meals
included.’
‘Where is it?’ I asked.
‘It’s called Paw Paw Lake and
it’s in Coloma, not too far to drive, and it’ll be cooler there. What do you
think?’
‘Sounds great.’ The change of
scenery would do us both good. Perhaps we’d be able to get closer again, rekindle
the flame that used to burn so brightly.
Excited, we made plans for our holiday.
Summer was just about over and Bob told me it would be beautiful in Michigan, with the
leaves on the trees beginning to change colour.
‘Autumn comes to Michigan earlier than
it does in Chicago,’ he told me, ‘and it won’t be as crowded as it is
in summer time. That part of Michigan is famous for its apples, so we’ll have to
bring a couple of bushels home for Mom to make into apple sauce.’
‘I can hardly wait!’
So, off we went on a week’s holiday.
I’d be able to tell my family back home that I’d visited another of
America’s many states.
The resort we’d booked into was a
series of small, very old cabins, furnished to a minimal standard, but it was perfectly
adequate for our needs. On the first day, we drove around the area, checking out where
everything was, especially the grocery since we planned to cook most of our meals. The
second day was glorious: the sun was shining and it was still warm during the daytime.
We borrowed a couple of inflated rubber inner tubes and floated around on the lake for
hours, that being my only option since I couldn’t swim.
Wayne had a grand time, taking turns with
each of us to paddle around in the rubber dinghies. At one point, Bob had apparently
hung around the old wooden dock with him for too long because when I hauled Wayne out of
the water his little legs were covered with black things. I screamed, and soon Bob was
beside me.
‘Oh, my God,’ he said,
‘they’re leeches! Quick! Get the salt!’ I ran into the cabin and got
the shaker. By the time I returned, Bob was pulling leeches off Wayne’s legs, and
when we sprinkled salt on them, they curled up and fell off.
‘We can’t go in the water any
more,’ I told Bob. I was still shaking with fright, and I knew I had nightmares to
look forward to, but Wayne grinned. He didn’t
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