Surviving the Seasons by Fern Kupfer

Author:Fern Kupfer [Kupfer, Fern]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-56835-9
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 1987-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Clearly, Joel was happy. He had plans. He talked with enthusiasm about the interviews he’d had already with Kodak and IBM. Sally Ann would teach junior-high math.

“I never had a head for figures,” June said admiringly, passing around a casserole made of green beans and melted yellow cheese. “I can barely balance a checkbook.”

“We figure we’ll be able to save Sally Ann’s whole salary.” Joel sat with his arm along the back of her chair, looking smug and satisfied. By dessert he was making little rubbing circles along her bare neck.

“We’ll be saving for a house,” said Sally Ann with some authority.

Across the table Cheryl snorted, rolling up her eyes in disgust.

“What’s the matter, Cheryl? I suppose you and your beatnik friends have better plans—going to California and hanging around on the beach?” Joel said. Ordinarily, he would not have the courage to confront her with sarcasm, but then he felt cocky, buttressed by Sally Ann’s firm support.

Cheryl took a sip of black coffee and gave him a look of elegant disdain. “Joel, no one under forty years old uses the work beatnik anymore, and yes,” she said speaking very distinctly, but wearily, as if she couldn’t possibly expect him to understand, but she was going through the motions anyway to tell him because it was the right thing to do, “yes, I would find it hard to anticipate working as company robot for IBM and living in a tract house in some godforsaken frozen suburb of Buffalo, New York.”

“Rochester,” said Sally Ann, looking venomous. She held her dessert fork like a spear.

“Whatever,” Cheryl said, dismissing the whole of upstate with a wave of her hand.

June tippy-toed back through the swinging doors for more coffee, but Harry had already begun clearing away the cups.

Later, when Sally Ann and Joel had driven off to Baldwin to visit Sally Ann’s parents, June buzzed around Harry like a fly, following him around from room to room.

“What do you think, Harry? What do you think about this?” June held her hands clasped in front of her as if she were holding a bouquet of flowers.

“He seems to be satisfied,” Harry said, stopping to light a cigarette on his way down to his basement workshop. He was doing some shelving then for the back room.

“I think she’s good for Joel. She’s very directive,” June said, her voice high with a kind of desperate enthusiasm.

Cheryl was coming down from the upstairs bathroom smelling like Clairol Final Net and marijuana.

“Oh, she’ll put a fire under Joel’s ass, that’s for sure.” Cheryl was hooded eyed and had a sleepy look.

“What do you think, Cheryl?” June asked nervously. “I mean, I know a girl like that would not be your cup of tea … but what do you think about her for Joel?”

“I don’t know, Mom.” Cheryl took a tablespoon filled with creamy peanut butter and was making concentric circles around in it with her pinky. “Hey, you know it’s Joel’s life. If he wants to do this marriage trip … you know, he’s a big boy now.

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