Suzie’s House 34: Lost Boy
Previously, in Suzie’s House:
After having fought their attraction to one another, Drew and Suzie were finally overcoming the barriers between them when Ben, Suzie’s son, came home. Ben was supposed to stay with his father, from whom he is estranged. Ben walked out when he couldn’t get his father to listen to him.
“Mom?” Ben tapped on the door to his mother’s office. Funny, she hardly ever closed it. He tried the knob, but it wouldn’t turn. The door was locked.
He knew she was in there. The light was on, and he could hear a lot of rustling. Was that a zipper zipping?
“Mom,” he said a bit more forcefully.
“Just a minute, Honey.”
“Mom, I need to talk.” He’d been desperate to talk to someone all day, starting from when his teacher, Mrs. D, slapped a corrected quiz on his desk with that odd kind of twitchy smile she got when she was going to do something nasty.
Sure enough, she’d given him an F. The thing was they went over it in class, and his answers didn’t use the same words as hers, but they meant the same thing and she didn’t make anyone else use the exact words.
And then there was that whole big scene in the hall when Mom showed up looking for him. She looked so upset, but Mrs. D. wouldn’t let her alone long enough for her to say anything. Ben thought maybe she was upset about his grades, but he never got a chance to explain, and then the Vice Principal made him go home with Dad when it wasn’t even the weekend and he should have been going home with Mom.
It was all messed up, totally whacked, because all the way home he kept thinking about how Dad yelled at him about him not being his real self with his mother. That wasn’t really what Dad yelled at him as he walked out, but that was the thing that bugged Ben.
What Dad yelled was that Mom was fooling around with both Drew and Vin, which was totally not fair because Dad fooled around with women all the time and Mom never did it with anyone.
Only when he said he needed to talk just now, the sound of rustling stopped, and laughter started. It wasn’t mean laughter. It was low and quiet and not meant for him to hear. And it wasn’t just Mom either. There was someone else in there, a man, who was laughing with her.
Ben couldn’t think of any good reason why his mother and a man would be in her office with the door closed. What’s more, all that rustling sounded a lot like clothing being put back on. His mom WAS messing with someone, and considering the way they’d been keeping the front door locked, and not letting people visit, it had to be either Drew or Vin.
Ben felt betrayed. He had been so sure when he told his Dad that Mom fool around that she didn’t. She made him feel like a liar.
“Never mind,” he called through the door. He headed up the stairs to his room instead.
If Dad was right about Mom, was he right about Ben too?
It was true that Ben did behave differently with Mom than with Dad, but he always thought it was his Dad’s fault. It wasn’t like he wanted to be different with each of them. And he wasn’t really such an angel with his Mom either. Not all the time. It’s just that Dad wasn’t going to approve of him no matter what he did, but Mom always looked so pleased and happy and proud when Ben did something good.
But maybe there was something more too it. Maybe he was a little afraid too. Maybe he thought if he did something wrong Mom would let Dad win the custody battle they always had going.
Ben shuddered. It was bad enough staying with Dad on weekends. Living with him all the time? He couldn’t even get through tonight. How was he supposed to live with the man all the time?
Ben pivoted to the right at the top of the stairs, his hand resting on the knob at the end of the railing. This was home, not his father’s apartment. This was where he was supposed to be. He let his fingers trail over the railing all the way to the end.
He stopped in front of his room and looked across the hall at the door to Mom’s room. Everything was different now that they had boarders. At first Ben thought it was neat. It still was neat, but maybe not such a good thing if it meant Mom found someone who might not want him around.
At least one guy wanted him around. Ben wasn’t sure what to make of him. He said his name was John. He drove a silver Jeep Cherokee with white-wall tires and had bright red hair. He was the same guy Ben had seen hanging around the bus stop the last week or so.
While Ben was walking home the guy had pulled up and talked out his window at Ben. He said he was a member of a special club for good drivers, and that he though Ben would make a good member. Ben told him he couldn’t drive. The guy offered to teach him.
That would be cool, learning to drive before any of his friends. Ben would have said yes but he knew Mom wouldn’t like it. Besides, it was kind of creeping, like some guy who offers you candy if you’ll get in the car with him. Only this guy just said “Think about it,” and drove off.
Ben sat down on his bed.
“Ben.” Mom called from the stairs. Ben could hear her feet moving fast. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” He would have said something like why wouldn’t he be, but something made him hold back.
Mom looked so relieved as she came up to the door to his room. Relieved, and very glad to see him. It made Ben feel good. “I thought you were supposed to stay with your father.” She didn’t sound judgmental, just worried.
“That’s what the Vice Principal said, but he doesn’t have the right to say where I sleep.”
Mom smiled, looking surprised and pleased. “That’s right. He doesn’t.”
Drew came up behind her. His hair was mussed and his clothes too, which wasn’t like him at all. His eyes were sharp like a cop, but he smiled like he was glad to see Ben.
Something inside Ben let go. If it was Drew that Mom loved, everything would be OK. Drew understood him. Drew liked him. Drew pushed past Mom, and came into the room.
“Ben, there’s something we need to talk about.” He pulled up the chair from Ben’s desk, and sat leaning forward. “Have you seen a tall, thin man with red hair?”
Ben wasn’t sure how to answer. He didn’t want to say yes if it meant he would get in trouble with him mother.
“He drives a silver Jeep. If you see him, you need to let one of us know right away.”
“Why?” Ben felt almost belligerent asking.
“He’s the man who shot Vin.”
All of a sudden Ben’s stomach felt funny, like it had turned into a block of ice.
The previous was Suzie’s House 33 : Suzie and Drew Sitting in a Tree
This is Suzie’s House 34: Lost Boy
Next is Suzie’s House 35 : A Tale of Two Brothers
The Romance Novel Magnetic Poetry Kit
We also have something going with a toy Mr. Al gave me last Valentines Day. It’s a set of magnets with words on them.
The makers of this thing clearly had certain things in mind. You can tell by the way the words were arranged when they first came out of the box.
We have since moved them around a bit. The kids get a real kick our of playing with them. For instance, this is one my son came up with:
I suspect we will be seeing more of this on Gerbil TV.
Alice
In The Bathroom
As I’ve mentioned, my household is filled with weirdness. Strange little dioramas, projects, and such will pop up in various places with little rhyme or reason. One of the places I find it most often is in the bathroom.
We’ve seen many a pitched battle on the counter.
There have been odd infestations in the shower.
And now and then the toys well get together for some sort of confab.
I’m not sure, but I suspect Mr. Al is party to most of it. I know the kids are. I’ve seen one child leave the bathroom with some sort of scene going on, then seen another leave to find the scene have been radically changed. Ok, all right. Now and then I put my two cents in too.
Alice
Gerbils
I seems to me that Gerbil TV should start with gerbils.
The only problem with that is it can be very hard to get a good picture because gerbils are fast, and my camera is not.
Still, I mangage to get a few. Now if only I could understand all of them.
Alice
Asian Chicken Salad
Serves: 4
The fruit that tops this salad helps to make an already healthy dish packed with even more vitamins. Reprinted with permission by Public Health – Seattle & King County.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked chicken, skin removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup carrots, grated
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 mandarin orange or tangerine, divided into sections
1/2 cup nonfat Asian or Oriental-style salad dressing
black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, cilantro, cucumber, and dressing. Toss well.
2. Top with green onions and tangerine sections. Pepper to taste.
NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 125.5
Fat: 0.9 g
Carbohydrates: 19.5 g
Protein: 10.9 g
This is another good one that came through the Spark Net newsletter. What changes did I make? The salad dressing. I combined 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp dill, and a sprinkling of caraway seed. Oh, and sometimes I leave out the onions.
Bon Apatite
Alice
Plans
I’m going to do something a little different this week. For the last few months I have been doing a recipe on Monday, Tudors on Tuesday, some random type thing on Wednesday and Thursday, Suzie’s House on Friday and some hit-or-miss randomness over the weekend. This week I’m going to do the recipe on Monday and Suzie’s House on Friday, but the rest of the week will all be Gerbil TV.
I promised to do Gerbil TV months ago, but ran into problems with my digital camera. I still have some problems with it, but at least now I can download the pictures. Don’t worry, I won’t post anymore incriminating photos of the Jane Austin action figure and Gumby. This week the Gerbils will be taking a different form.
Next week will start a new schedule for me. Well, almost new. I’ll still have my recipe’s on Monday, and Suzie’s House will still be on Friday. Mr. Al’s take on history is moving to Wednesdays with his new series “The Georges”. He seems to think you are all mostly interested in the Prince Regent, and will start with him. Over the weekends I’ll be posting promo blogs for some of the ladies I’ve met over at www.RomanceDiva.com. I’ll warn you now that I haven’t read the books they are promoting, so can not endorse them but some of them look fun. Tuesdays and Thursdays I’ll be posting Gerbil TV or random musings.
If anyone would like to be a guest blogger here at Alice’s Restaurant, let me know. I’ll be glad to work you in.
Alice
The Newsletter
I’d like to thank everyone who signed up for the newsletter. This is my first ever newsletter. Not surprisingly there were a few glitches. If you signed up, but did not receive this week’s episode, please email me directly. I will be sure you get a copy. I greatly appreciate everyone’s patience with me as I iron out the details. Well… as much patience as my readers will allow. 😀
Alice
Suzie’s House 33 : Suzie and Drew Sitting in a Tree
Suzie’s head spun. She couldn’t get enough air, probably because she kept forgetting to breathe. If Drew didn’t stop kissing her, she was going to pass out.
Of course he wasn’t going to stop kissing her. The way he was slanting his mouth across hers, his tongue toying with her, she was pretty sure he didn’t want to stop any more than she did. She was doomed.
She reached up and threaded her fingers into his hair. It was short enough that she had to repeat the effort a few times before she got enough between her fingers to keep them there. That was when she realized she was as close to flat on her back as her love seat would allow, which meant he had her arched over an armrest.
He worked his way down her throat, and she dragged in a deep breath, which revealed….
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The previous was Suzie’s House 32: Respect
This is Suzie’s House 33 : Suzie and Drew Sitting in a Tree
Next is Suzie’s House 34: Lost Boy
A Visit to the Doctor's Office
I had a minor complaint that sent me to the doctor’s office yesterday.
I was told the doctor wasn’t there because she had injured her back. However, my condition was considered serious enough to be tested by the nurse. All they needed was a urine sample. Why they made me wait an extra day to come in for something the nurse could have done the day before is beyond me, but I won’t belabor the point.
They had me pee in a cup, then sit in the waiting room while they ran the test. So there I am, sitting in their hard-backed chairs with the tasteful, cloth covers when I notice something. Every chair in the room – about a dozen – had a stain on it.
I’m not one of those people who insists on a perfectly clean environment, but it strikes me as particularly undesirable for a doctor’s office to have stained furniture. I couldn’t help wondering where the stains had come from. I found my self eying the shape, color, and position of the stains, making guesses. I found myself on the edge of my seat, unwilling to relax when I knew there was a stain right behind me.
The nurse then came back from the lab and informed me that – gosh, gee – I was right. I did have an infection. She then precedes to ask all those nosey questions normally reserved for the examination room – which I never reached – across about 12 feet of space, including the receptionist’s counter and the receptionist herself. One question after another asked so quickly I didn’t have time to think about what the most accurate answer might be. I’m only glad the waiting room didn’t fill up until a few minutes later.
The result is that I’m not entirely sure I really got what I needed. I’m hopeful, but not absolutely sure. Yet I’m not about to complain. After all, they did try to accommodate me. That’s better than I might have gotten.
Alice
Made in China
There was a time, a few centuries ago, when Made In China was an assurance of quality. When I was a kid Made In Taiwan was a guarantee whatever it was would break. Now Made in China has become a new, deadly form of Made in Taiwan.
Remember the pet food that killed cats and dogs? Made in China.
Now there is a new recall, one for toys.
http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=232&z=7
http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=228&z=1
Make that two for toys.
I’ve got a new spool of thread. It says “Made in China” on the label. I guess I’ll have to thread my machine and take my chances.
Alice
Tudor Follies: the End of Henry
Just when we thought Katherine was bound for execution, she stop screaming and got smart. Lets see if Wriothesley faired as well. Take it away, Mr. Al. ****Henry, Katherine and assorted hangers-on were gambolling in the royal gardens when Wriothesley showed up with forty Tower guards in tow. Most likely Katherine and the ladies were gambolling. Henry’s gambolling days were a very distant memory by then. Henry took the Lord Chancellor aside and read him the riot act. Trick me into believing my loving wife was a heretic, eh? Bamboozle me into burning my Queen at the stake, huh? You never did like her; you and Gardiner. Get the hell out of my garden and take these goons with you or I’ll give ’em a new set of orders!
Wriothesley dropped to his knees and begged Henry’s forgiveness. Fat chance! Lord Chancellor Wriothesley scurried away with his tail between his legs. Katherine was the picture of innocent astonishment when Henry returned. “Golly Snookems, what was THAT all about? How come the Lord Chancellor had all those Tower guys with him?” As angry as Henry was, the warrant DID have his signature on it. Tricked or not, it was kinda hard to explain. Henry decided the best explanation was none at all. He said nothing about the warrant. He told her it was all a misunderstanding. It was a guy thing and as the Head Guy, he’d deal with it. Katherine and the ladies could go back to gambolling. Which they did with joyous hearts.
In the end, no action was taken by Henry against either Wriothesley or Gardiner. And these gentlemen never bothered the Queen again either. More importantly, the Queen never argued with Henry again. Her ladies were forbidden to own, disseminate, acknowledge, discuss or even whisper about ANYTHING even vaguely heretical. Upon pain of instant dismissal. Everyone conformed, with a capital “C” to Henry’s church. She was still a closet Lutheran, of course. But she was so far back in the closet that no one would openly suspect her. Till the day Henry died, she was the Dutiful Wife Extraordinaire.
As the summer of 1546 moved into autumn, Henry’s health began to seriously deteriorate. Between the pustular ulcer on his leg and his great weight, Henry couldn’t move without the use of a specially designed chair with a built in crane, Henry knew he was dying. He wasn’t afraid to face it. He made out a detailed will and set up Edward’s Regency Council. Henry had always been a realist when it came to politics. He saw how England was changing, how it was moving in an undeniably Protestant direction. The Protestants would change his church, but the Catholics would destroy it utterly. Accordingly, he appointed men to the Council who held Protestant sympathies. He also took care to appoint Protestant tutors for Edward.
Wriothesley and Gardiner were appointed. Henry knew them well enough to know what they wanted above all else was power. They would amend their religious beliefs once they realized they might loose their jobs if they didn’t. This would also protect Katherine. Henry knew what she really believed, even though everyone had to pretend otherwise. In as much as Henry was capable of loving anyone, he seemed to have truly loved Katherine. For her part, Henry’s approaching demise genuinely upset Katherine.
He left Katherine something to remember him by. Jewels, plate and household goods for the rest of her life. He also left her his entire wardrobe. While this might seem odd to the modern reader, it should be remembered that fancy clothing in those days often had jewels sewn into them. They also had much embroidery work with gold and silver thread. The satin and silk fabrics were worth a considerable sum by themselves. She also received 1,000 pounds cash, the return of her dowry and whatever properties Parliament saw fit to bestow upon her. They were very generous.
Henry had done about all he could do to be prepared. The fact that the Regency Council would ignore some of Henry’s wishes before his body was cold should not be surprising. With Wriothesley and Gardiner on the Council, Katherine was banished from the court. She received her due, but they did not want her around Edward. They didn’t seem to care if Mary and Elizabeth hung out with her. They should have.
Eventually Elizabeth would enter Katherine’s household. She was thirteen. Elizabeth and Katherine would both live to regret this, but Katherine’s new hubby, Lord High Admiral Sir Thomas Seymour, would not. It is still a matter of debate how much Sir Thomas’s “attentions” toward Elizabeth affected her as concerns men and marriage; But that’s another story altogether. Suffice it to say that the Tudor follies continued. Edward was king and the Protestant reformation, begun in secret, was now moving into the open. Unfortunately for the Protestant cause, Edward would not be long on the throne.
With his death, his half-sister Mary would become Supreme Monarch. Mary moved with an implacable will to restore the Catholic Church. It would be a very dark period in England’s history. Much else in Henry’s will was ignored by the Council in the power struggle that followed his death. They fought over who would have the most access to nine year old Edward. More importantly, they fought over who would give orders in the King’s name. It became an unholy mess.
One thing was clear however; the people of London were grief stricken at Henry’s passing. As displeased as they were with Henry from time to time, they loved him all the same. Henry was a Londoner, one of them. He spent much of his time there and was proud to call it his city. When Henry died, quietly and in bed, on January 28, 1547, the city was plunged into mourning. It most certainly was not the end of the Tudor follies, but it was the end of the man. And with his passing, the end of an age.
Le Roi Est Mort! Vive Le Roi!
****
And thus ends Mr. Al’s take on the wives of Henry the Eighth.
Mr. Al assures me he will be ready to start up his take on the Georges very soon. I’d like to start them in September, but that’s only a few days away. If I can, I’ll be posting them in Wednesdays.
Cinnamon-Nut Swirl Cake
Raven, don’t look. This one starts with a box.
1 pkg white cake mix
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Grease and flour cake pan. Prepare cake mix as directed. Pour 1/2 of mix into pan, sprinkle with sugar mixture, then pour remaining cake batter into pan. Bake 45 – 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Drizzle with mixture of 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk.
Alice
Prelude to an Episode?
As you know, Suzie has been going on a while. I’ve been told that you really have to read some of the previous material in order to understand an/or appreciate the current episode. I would very much like to get more people interested in Suzie’s House. I hate to think potential readers will come to the blog, start to read an episode, and get so lost they chose never to read another.
I tried to put all the episodes together, or at least link to them all, on my web site but ran into a ridiculous number of problems. It’s easy to pull up old episodes simply by clicking on the Suzie’s House category button in the bar to the right, but they come up in reverse order. Besides, there are now over 30 of them. Even if they are mostly under 1000 words each, it’s a lot to as a new reader to read.
Do you think including some sort of recap each week would make a difference? Should I post it at the beginning of each episode or put a link to it? Would it be worth the time?
Alice
Suzie’s House 32: Respect
“I’m going out,” Ben said as he headed for the front door of his dad’s apartment.
“Out? Out where?” Dad came out of the kitchen with a dishrag in his hands, which was a real laugh because he hardly ever bothered to do things like wash the dishes.
“I don’t know. Just out.” Ben put his hand on the doorknob.
He waited a moment, shoulders tense and breath tight, expecting an explosion.
“Seems to me you should stick around more. You only just got here, son.” Dad’s voice was a little tight. He must still be on the Leave It To Beaver script.
“It isn’t like you wanted me here anyway,” Ben muttered. He didn’t turn around, but he didn’t turn the doorknob either.
“I said, you only just got here. Where do you think you’re going? You can’t go back to your mother’s house tonight. She’s probably entertaining someone right now.”
“What? You mean like Drew? Or Vin?” Ben turned around, and put his back to the door.
“She’s doing two men at once!?” Dad’s face went an ugly shade of red.
“Ewww, that’s sick, Dad. Mom isn’t ‘doing’ anyone. Not like you and your bimbo of the week program.”
“Shut up. Just shut up.” Dad took a step toward him, fists balled and eyes blazing. Ben yanked the door open with a rising sense of panic. He hadn’t meant to push his father too far. To his surprise, Dad stepped back, taking a deep breath.
“Look, if it were up to me I’d let you run wild. But I’m under some obligation to see to your safety and well being. The least you could do is help me out.”
Oh wonderful, Ben grumbled to himself. Instead of anger, this week’s featured emotion would be the guilt trip. Maybe Mom could get away with it, but not Ben’s father. You had to respect someone for them to be able to guilt trip you.
“Come watch some TV with me. There’s a Packer’s game rerun tonight.”
“I don’t like TV or sports, Dad.” Ben started to back through the door.
“Just a minute, boy.” Ben’s father dropped the towel on the easy chair and the fake friendliness from his voice. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
“Why not?”
If he told Mom he was going out, she asked where, then said something about being back in time for supper. Sometimes she said he should wait until some other time because they were going somewhere, or something. The point was, she always had a reason, and always told him what it was.
His father said, “Because I said so.”
“But why do you say so?”
“Quit back talking.”
Ben mouthed the words in imitation, screwing up is face, but carefully turning so Dad wouldn’t see.
“Why are you like this? When your mother’s around you’re this perfect little angel. Then I get you home, and you show your real self. Why can’t you be like this for your mother?”
“This isn’t my home,” Ben said. He walked into the hall before his father could say anything else to hurt him.
Dad followed him out. “She’s turned you against me, hasn’t she.”
“Mom has never said anything about you to me.” Ben stopped at the top of the steps and turned around. “Not like you. You’re always badmouthing her, and you know what? I’m tired of it! I don’t even think you should be saying stuff like this to me. If anyone turned me against you, it’s you.”
“If you set foot outside this building then you’re on your own, Ben. Do you hear me? You’ll have to find somewhere else to sleep. And don’t expect me to give you a ride to your mother’s house.”
“Fine. I’ll walk home.” Ben went down the staircase – a run of linoleum-clad steps with a brown plastic runner. He hated walking home, but it was better than spending one more minute than he had to with his father. “It wasn’t your night to have me anyway.”
The previous was Suzie’s House 31: A Sympathetic Ear
This is Suzie’s House 32: Respect
Next is Suzie’s House 33 : Suzie and Drew Sitting in a Tree
