AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Did you clean out your closet?” I asked her curious what treasures she was foisting off onto unsuspecting ladies this time.
“Only the mid-seventies. I can’t tell you how badly I wished for floral denim bellbottoms to come back in style.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” I winced grateful that my generation, or at least most of it had skipped that retro look the second time around.
“If you can manage it, bring them over today.” Aunt Helen said sweetly and I knew it was less of an asking and more of a direct telling and considering I was here pet sitting pretty much all day I wouldn’t mind leaving the house for a solo trip that didn’t involve doggy breath or chew toys.
“I’ll leave in about ten minutes.”
“Excellent, now put my babies on the phone please. I haven’t spoken to them in forever.”
“Yeah, great.” I walked back inside and rested the phone down on the counter as the dogs looked at me, all three cocking their heads at the phone. Aunt Helen was talking to them in a high pitched voice cooing and calling them out. Pumpkin woofed and the little shit Roswell growled while Bailey sat looking back and forth between me and the phone. I shrugged as if to say, hey guys, this is your crazy ass mother, I just live here temporarily. It took a few minutes but once Aunt Helen was satisfied I hung up the phone grabbed the keys and made like a bandit out to the car.
The Women’s Club was located on the opposite side of town and gave me a chance to drive around and explore for a few minutes while I navigated parking. Old towns like this one had a small community lot and luckily for me it had one spot empty considering it was summer and tourists were traipsing back and forth between stores and restaurants.
I opened up the back door and pulled out a few bags. They were heavier than I thought they would be and dragging them would only tear the black plastic. I’d have to carry them in one by one.
“Oh my goodness, darling let my daughter help you.” The older woman nudged her younger version toward me.
“Mother.” The younger one smiled through her grumpiness and Chanel suit I recognized from the spring catalog. For a small town, these ladies were dressed exceptionally well.
“Oh come on C
atherine. Anyone can see those are donations.”
“You’re right. My Aunt Helen sent me over. I’m pet sitting for her this summer and apparently the seventies were dying to have a new home before she left.”
“Oh fabulous.” The older woman clasped her hands together ushering her daughter over.
“Fantastic.” This seemed to excite the woman named Catherine and she eagerly took a bag from my arms while I picked up the last one following them inside.
“You know; we’re short a Bridge player. Do you play?”
“Oh, uh not really.” I never played a card game in my life unless helping my dad with Solitaire counted when I was kid. I loved matching the cards up but that was the extent of my card playing abilities.
“Excellent, we’ll get you set up. You can call me Nana Halle and this is my daughter Crabby Catherine.” She smiled and patted her hair like this was all normal.
“I’m Winnie. Winnie Grey.” It felt awkward introducing myself this late in the game but they smiled and letting me follow them inside.
Part of me worried that these ladies were regular card sharks or something. Since I was cut off from my usual funds, I prayed they played for quarters or something more manageable. The check from Aunt Helen hadn’t cleared yet and I didn’t want to have to run across the street to the ATM so they wouldn’t break my legs with their cane or hunt me down at Helen’s house shaking me down for quarters or whatever we would be playing for.
“We’ll teach you the ropes. It’s an easy game once you get started. I taught Catherine and my granddaughter to play, but Kristen is too busy to join us today.”
“Mother, I told you she’s got…”
“I know what that girl’s got, Catherine. She’s got a crush on that plumber boy who keeps waving his pipe around when he really needs to plug up Kristen’s sassy mouth.”
“Oh my god.” Catherine looked mortified and about to apologize, but I waved her off. I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy playing bridge with these ladies after all listening to some local gossip about people I would probably never see again.
Ms. Halle filled me in that her daughter was a local judge and her son-in-law was the high school football coach. She lived in Vermont and visited regularly but loved her peace in the mountains.
We were a few rounds in when Ms. Halle leaned over to give me a few pointers. Her powdery scent filled my nose and her hands shook pointing out which cards I should keep and which I should get rid of.
“Tell me dear, are you dating anyone?” Ms. Halle was non-pulsed dealing out cards for the next game. Catherine ignored us attacking her pile of cards with the jurisprudence I expected from a judge or at least what I’d seen on TV.
“Not presently, but I’m only visiting and will go home at the end of summer.
Ms. Halle hummed to herself and we played the next round. Catherine put her cards down when her phone buzzed and she excused herself mumbling about ungrateful children.
