The Cherry Pickers by Gregory C. Randall

Author:Gregory C. Randall [Randall, Gregory C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781957548043
Publisher: Wise Wolf Books
Published: 2022-08-01T23:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

Doug returned late Friday afternoon. He slid out of the sticky seat of the sedan, stood, stretched, adjusted his straw hat, slammed the car door, and then took a long look around the farm. It had been his fifth trip this summer. His back was killing him. Anne walked out the kitchen door, holding it so it would not slam.

“Why are you looking so happy?” Anne asked as they met halfway across the lawn. He swept her up in his arms and, after a more-than-routine kiss, said, “We’re all going to the movies tonight; haven’t been all summer and tonight will be perfect.”

“What gave you that idea?” Anne asked, hooking her arm around him.

“Jimmy, in the design studio, saw Gregory Peck in Moby Dick last week in Chicago and said it was the greatest movie he had seen in years; said we just had to see it. And coincidentally as I was driving through Acme, the big billboard at the drive-in announced in three-foot high letters, Moby Dick starring Gregory Peck and Orson Welles. Well, there you are and that’s where we’ll all be tonight.”

“You know your dad and mom won’t be interested. Your mother will say, ‘since a decent movie has never been made from a book, there is no reason to support their foolishness by buying tickets.’”

“Yes, I know, but we need a chance to get out and the boys will really like the story, maybe they’ll even read the book. I know Mom has it somewhere in the library, or she did until the storm.”

In the kitchen, the boys were doing their summer study work under the sharp eye of Liz. Both jumped when Doug walked through the door; Liz had kept their eyes glued to their papers even when they first heard Doug’s car in the driveway. Charlie was reading the paper.

“Everything okay at home?” Howie asked.

“All good,” Doug said. “But the flower beds need weeding, and the lawn just can’t seem to get mowed often enough. Other than that, everything is A-OK. Even your goldfish are still alive, every last one of them.” Doug turned to Anne. “The Burkes put their home up for sale. He was transferred to Minneapolis. In fact, he’s there now, will be back in two weeks, then they’ll pack up to be there in time for school.”

“Bobby’s leaving?” Bill asked.

“Sorry, champ. Yes, she’s leaving in a few weeks, and I don’t think you’ll have a chance to say goodbye,” Doug said. “You should write her a letter and have her send you their Minnesota address.”

“That’s the third family in the last year to come and go on the street. Everybody coming and going, never staying long, getting promoted, then on to another new city. It is tough on the kids and even tougher on the women. I am glad you don’t have to do that.” Anne sat on a kitchen chair and swirled the iced tea she’d been nursing most of the afternoon.

“I like my job, in fact, I almost love it, but it’s getting to be a pain to keep driving back and forth.

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