One day, a Friday evening, Ruth ben Aerie, our librarian who was wheelchair tied, called me and asked me to take her cousin, Milton Susser and his Army buddies around to show them the Foundation. She had done me many favors and there was no way I could say no.
The candidates at the officer school slept alphabethically, and consequently the five people I met were all from the end of the alphabeth. Five of them, from R to W. I showed them the treatment areas, including the pools. And the dining room and the cottages where we pts lived. And then I shwed them FDR's cottages. They were very interested in all of it. They were very polite and said 'thank you'. They said they would be back next week end if the Army let them. The R person was very handsome and I looked forward to the next week end. One of the Ses had a car. And that was their way of travelling. W was married and spent every week end in his hotel room writing to his wife and drinking orange juice.
Next weekend came and they were all back. Ruth B had lined up dates for all of them except W. We all went to Pine Mountain Tavern where there was a Juke Box and we danced till it closed. R seemed to think I was his date. He was a polo player in civilian life. I had never met a polo player and I didn't know whot polo playing was. He as very disappointed and obviously was used to more adulation.
Next morning one of the Sess came around and asked if it was possible for him to swim in the out-door pool. I asked Ruth and she said yes.
I was wearing red nailpolish and as we were talking I could tell red polish was not acceptable in Ses world. All of a sudden he held me under water until I promised never to wear red polish again. THE NERVE I finally had to give in. Only because of lack of air.
Next Tuesday I got a letter from S saying R seems to think you are his and DD seems to think she has a monopoly on me. What are we going to do about it. signed S
Meanwhile I had sent an SOS to a friend in NYC saying I need a bottle of green nailpolish before next weekend. It arrived in time and when S saw me in the pool, I had green polish on my hands and on my feet. It was an ugly sight. S was practically speechless. He said I could wear red polish .
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13 comments:
Oh you are so feisty!!! Love it!
My grandparents met right before the war, and my grandmother was a little older, close to 30. A vibrant, independent woman by today's standards...closing in on spinsterhood in those days I suppose.
She had built and co-owned a home with her brother, in what was a small seaside town. She met my grandfather when he sold her shoes in the city, and she boldly invited him to visit.
When they married he had no idea she was 4 years older, because it was impolite to ask a women her age. We also found out later that they had lived together before getting married. Tee hee!
Black nail polish REALLY would have done the trick.
this is exciting! your storytelling abilities are wonderful.
I love how you handled that man who said you couldn't wear red polish! You GO girl!
Thank you so much - I am finding all of this so interesting.
I had an older brother, age 4, who died of polio in the Canal Zone in 1952.
It was not a time talked about at all in our household. Both of my parents are dead now. I know very little firsthand.
Frankly, this really helps me!
~Mad(elyn) in Alabama
www.xanga.com/madewyn
(I hope you publish this all some day!)
Oh I LOVE the story about the red nailpolish and the green nailpolish! Perfect revenge!
I am enjoying your stories so much. I miss my own grandparents every single day and all the stories they will no longer tell me. It feels a bit like your tales bring me a little closer to them.
Gosh, Mom, don't you just love all the loving and supportive comments from all these wonderful people??? It's such fun for me to read all your posts though I've read and hear your stories before. What a masterful job you're doing!!
Excellent way of handling a man. :)
I probably missed something, so apologize for a most likely stupid question - what is ses or sess?
Grandness!!! Green polish--the brilliance of that!!
I read your blog every day! I love your independence and wit! Please keep it up!
Much Love,
Jennie
TheCrazySheepLady - she's using last name initials, so Ses = someone (or more than one) with a last name starting with S.
I'm enjoying the heck out of this, although I have to admit, if anyone held me under water to make me never where red nail polish I probably would have stalked off and never talked to him again - although your way of handling it is better.
Glad you changed his opinion of red nail polish!
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