Mrs. Swan

Beverly Swan was a friend of my mother’s. Well, sort of a friend. She was BigBro’s best friend’s mother so a friend by circumstance.

Both my father and Mrs. Swan’s husband took the train to work every day so she and my mother would take turns driving and picking them up from the station. After dropping them off in the mornings Mrs. Swan would stop by our house for coffee. It got to be so often my mother had to come up with a way to politely discourage her. My mother told her, ‘I have chores to do Beverly, so when you see the shades drawn that means I’m busy. When the shades are up feel free to drop in.’

Our living room was dark most mornings!

When she did come for a visit she and my mother would sit at the kitchen table and chat amicably. Sometimes I would sit with them. I was fascinated by her lipstick. She wore BRIGHT RED lipstick that would rub off on her two front buck teeth. I couldn’t stop looking at them!

To keep me quiet and occupied at the table my mother would give me a snack. One of my favorites was pistachio nuts. I liked to crack them open, amass a little pile and then eat them all at once. But when Mrs. Swan was there I didn’t get the chance. As fast as I could crack them she would reach over and gobble them up!

I was annoyed but couldn’t say anything…..be polite to your elders and all that.

I wish I had a good ending for this tale but I don’t. I just learned not to eat pistachios when Mrs. Swan was around!