Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20A | 20B | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25-26 | 27 | 28-29 | 30
PART I
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
31
“ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?” Marina murmured when Dot joined her on the sidewalk for their trek to school Wednesday morning.
Dot shook her head. “Did Trey say anything about what happened Saturday?”
The day the world fell down on top of Dot.
“I haven’t seen him any more than you have. Maybe after school he’ll … ”
“Maybe.”
They walked the rest of the way to school in silence. Dot, who usually couldn’t stop talking or bouncing around, was dragging her feet, clutching her books to her chest, and hanging her head.
Marina felt like doing the same, especially since Ruthie and her pals had noted that for the last two days, neither Trey nor Gene had picked Marina and Dot up after school, and they had heard through the grapevine that neither man had shown up at Kresge’s Monday and Tuesday. They may have been able to pass that off if Dot had confronted life as blisteringly defiant as usual. But her hurt was too fresh and Sister Albright wouldn’t allow Dot to stay home over a broken heart.
Both Marina and Dot were silent throughout classes. P.E., a class they both hated, was at least more horrible than what had happened Saturday. Marina still had hope Trey would be at the bottom of the front stairs of Paseo High School when final bell rang, but he wasn’t.
“I don’t want to go to Kresge’s, Marina,” Dot said dully.
“But what if—”
“Dot!”
“Dot!”
“Dot!”
The boys descended on her like they always had before manly Gene Luke had sauntered in their midst, parting them like Moses parted the Red Sea. While Dot brightened up to half her old self, it was only a show for Ruthie and her clique. Marina sighed. Before Trey and Gene, Marina would have felt hurt and left out of the flock of boys around Dot as they walked, but now she was simply sad.
“When I have a daughter,” Dot muttered resentfully once she’d shaken the boys and they were alone again, “and something like this happens to her, I’m going to take her out to get ice cream and shopping and, and, and … ”
“You’re going to college, remember?”
Dot hesitated. “Yeah. Sure.”
Saturday, during their second jaunt to Elmwood for another picnic, a taciturn Gene had taken Dot off for a private walk only to tell her he would not be seeing her anymore, as he was twenty-two and she was sixteen—an immature sixteen. He had left the cemetery, leaving Trey to squire both girls home.
Trey had dropped Dot off after Marina because, Dot had told her, he wanted to offer his apologies for the way things had gone. Perhaps. Dot didn’t remember much of what Trey had said to her. She thought maybe he was truly sympathetic, but it didn’t matter.
“Dot,” Marina said resolutely, “we’re going to Kresge’s.”
Dot sighed, but didn’t argue. She, too, had hope that Trey would be there to shed more light on the situation. Marina’s only hope was that Trey hadn’t dumped her, too, but that hope was slim.
Her heart turned over in her chest when they entered Kresge’s to find Trey holding their table. Dot dashed forward and slid into the seat across from him. Trey’s mouth twisted with sympathy and he shook his head.
He stood for Marina to slide into her seat, but instead of sitting beside her he said, “Marina, I have an appointment and can’t stay. I didn’t want to miss another day without letting you know.”
This was it. Marina could barely look him in the eye, somewhat because he wouldn’t look her in the eye. “Are you … I … ” She couldn’t say it. “Too?”
“We can talk about that later.” He touched his fingers to his forehead. “Ladies,” he muttered, then he was gone.
Just like that.
Marina sighed, her chest aching, her eyes stinging. “We even get dumped together,” she said with a little creak in her voice.
“Let’s go home,” Dot said listlessly.
“I’m hungry,” Marina said just as listlessly, “and Mother’s taken to watching every single bite I take.”
“Oh. All right.”
They ate onion rings in silence while Dot did math homework and Marina continued to read Elmer Gantry. When the basket was empty, Marina ordered another, and another flip.
Dot frowned. “That’s not like you.”
“I told you. I’m hungry, and Mother’s making liver’n’onions tonight.”
Dot grimaced and went back to her homework.
At supper, Mother inquired as to whether Trey would be at services that evening since he hadn’t been to Sunday worship.
“I don’t think so,” Marina muttered, now picking at her food. “He … ” She took a deep breath and confessed, “Gene broke up with Dot Saturday.”
“Oh, is that right!” Father said, shocked. “I thought he— That is, Mr. Dunham told me Mr. Luke was smitten with her.”
Marina shrugged helplessly. “We thought that, too, but he told Dot she was too immature for him and he wouldn’t see her any longer.”
“Is that why you were home so early?” Mother asked, also a little surprised.
“Yes. Trey took Dot home.”
“Uh … ” Father seemed rather more shocked and distressed by that than Marina would have thought. “He— And Mr. Dunham? He hasn’t been around at all?”
“He met us at Kresge’s today, but … ”
Father and Mother waited. “But … ?”
“I think he broke up with me too.” Marina repeated the conversation.
“Marina,” Mother said stiffly. “You may not think so now, but you two are lucky to be shed of those men. There’s something not right about twenty-four-year-old men wanting to walk out with sixteen-year-old girls.”
“Gene’s twenty-two.”
“That is still six years older than Dorothy and Mr. Dunham is eight years older than you. It is not right,” she insisted. “There is nothing fascinating about sixteen-year-old girls to men of that age and circumstance. They wanted something from you two, and I hope to God they didn’t get it.”
Marina’s shoulders slid forward the tiniest bit, waiting for Father to contradict that, but he didn’t. Instead he said, “If Mr. Luke broke up with Dorothy because she is immature, then I can only presume Mr. Dunham broke up with you for the same reason. I expected better of you, Marina.”
That was what she got for allowing herself to play and be bright like Dot.
Mother sawed at her liver’n’onions. “I suppose you’ve worked having a beau out of your system now?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “May I be excused from services tonight? Dot won’t be coming.”
“Absolutely not,” Mother replied archly. “The world doesn’t stop turning because your heart is broken. I doubt Dorothy’s mother would disagree.”
Marina shook her head. Sister Albright had at least said it with more sympathy.
She looked down at her plate and, regardless how hungry she was, knew she could not take another bite. “Mother, may I make supper tomorrow? I— There’s something I want to try.”
“What?”
“Spaghetti and meatballs.”
“I think that’s a fine idea!” Father said.
Mother’s mouth tightened. “Is my cooking not good enough for you, dear?”
“It’s delicious,” he said. “However, I would rather you tend other needs in the congregation than be burdened with kitchen chores when Marina is willing to take over.” A little cheered, Marina didn’t dare exchange conspiratorial glances with Father. “Mrs. Holcomb did just have another baby, and I overheard you tell Mrs. Dial you would minister to her.”
“Hrmph. Why are you bothering with that? Meatballs are meatballs.”
“I thought so too, but then Trey took me to Correggio’s. Theirs are simply atrocious.”
“That is true,” Father murmured, before sipping his coffee.
“How do you know?” Mother asked sharply.
“The deacons and I had our last quarterly meeting there.”
That seemed to stump Mother. “Oh.”
“I didn’t say anything to Trey because he seemed to like them, but I could not abide more than two bites and I know I can do better.”
“I for one am absolutely certain you can,” Father said. “Did you have anything there you liked?”
“The antipasto, which was olives and prosciutto, and then after the entrees came, I said I couldn’t eat another bite, but Trey asked if we could switch plates because he’d rather have the meatballs than his dish. Pasta alla Norma. That was lovely, and I would like to try that next week, if I may. We had cannoli for dessert—”
“What is cannoli?” Mother asked.
“I would describe it as fried puff pastry rolled into a tube, with sweetened cottage cheese stuffed inside. They were good, but I wouldn’t make them even if I could.”
“Why not? That sounds delicious.”
“They were bland. I didn’t like them enough to spend time learning how to make them.”
“Oh.”
“Did you try the calamari?” Father asked.
“No.” And now she would never get to.
“What’s calamari?” Mother asked.
“Deep-fried squid.”
Mother’s eyes bugged out and she gulped.
“It looked wonderful going by.”
“Well! I certainly hope you are not going to attempt to recreate that!”
“Oh, no.”
Father pulled his linen off his lap and patted the corners of his mouth, then arose. “Mother, Marina, if you will excuse me. Sermons don’t prepare themselves.”
Thursday, Dot refused to go to Kresge’s, but again Marina pled hunger, which was not in any way feigned. “I didn’t eat supper last night and you know how much I hate Mother’s greasy fried eggs.”
Once home, she got to cooking immediately and by the time supper was ready, she was almost stuffed. Still, she ate a whole plate of her meal. That would have raised Mother’s eyebrows if she knew how much she’d eaten at Kresge’s and snitched while cooking.
“I must admit these are delicious,” Mother sniffed. “Not too spicy at all.”
They weren’t spicy enough for Marina, but she only said, “Thank you.”
Friday, the last day of school, ended with no Trey at the bottom of the steps of Paseo High School. The girls trudged home silently, Ruthie’s taunts following them. They silently agreed that there was no point to going to Kresge’s. They planned nothing for Saturday because, after all the fun things the men had taken them to do, window shopping had lost its appeal. Marina made supper again, collected compliments from both Mother and Father, and accounted for her semester’s marks, which were commendable if not spectacular.
Nobody expected Marina to be spectacular at anything and life would go on as it had before Marina met Trey.
Only now she knew what she was missing.
31
If you don’t want to wait 2 years to get to the end, you can buy it here.
I’ll be buying your pirate book shortly. Wife is working through this one.
Also, a Kromulent first.
Very kromulent.
YAY!!!!!
Dot shook her head. “Did Trey say anything about what happened Saturday?”
The day the world fell down on top of Dot.
Uh-oh….
Saturday, during their second jaunt to Elmwood for another picnic, a taciturn Gene had taken Dot off for a private walk only to tell her he would not be seeing her anymore, as he was twenty-two and she was sixteen—an immature sixteen. He had left the cemetery, leaving Trey to squire both girls home.
Trey had dropped Dot off after Marina because, Dot had told her, he wanted to offer his apologies for the way things had gone. Perhaps. Dot didn’t remember much of what Trey had said to her. She thought maybe he was truly sympathetic, but it didn’t matter.
Ouch.
“Oh, is that right!” Father said, shocked. “I thought he— That is, Mr. Dunham told me Mr. Luke was smitten with her.”
I note a slip-up.
They wanted something from you two
And there we go… Mom puts it out in the open.
She might be evil [YMMV], but she’s far from stupid.
“Mom puts it out in the open.”
Given what I’ve learned about her over these many weeks, she can put it right back in again.
“I thought so too, but then Trey took me to Correggio’s. Theirs are simply atrocious.”
“That is true,” Father murmured, before sipping his coffee.
“How do you know?” Mother asked sharply.
“The deacons and I had our last quarterly meeting there.”
Another slip-up.
Actually, I thought it was a pretty nimble recovery.
Who knows? It might even be true.
Only now she knew what she was missing.
You can’t go home again.
Thanks Mojeaux!
You’re welcome!
*looks up sleeve, sees tricks*
All that food talk?
She is so knocked up.
Yep.
NEW LIFE INSIDE ME CRAVE SUSTENANCE. FEED ME!
OT: Matt Welch, who promotes Jared Polis as semi-libertarian has trashed RFK Jr. in an article, citing things Kennedy said 10 years ago. No, I don’t think RFK is a good choice, but the article offers not even one concession to anything Kennedy has said challenging covid BS. But Polis, now Polis is someone we should run for president.
but the article offers not even one concession to anything Kennedy has said challenging covid BS
Not surprising.
I heard, and I forget where, that the reason the LP did nothing about the Covid bullshit is that a CATO bigwig was pro-lockdown.
Also consider Ron Bailey. He argued the pro-lockdown side at FreedomFest 2021 (though to be fair, he did say that lockdowns were only justified early on) plus consider his pro-vaccine mandate stance.
I can’t imagine one legitimate justification for any lockdown whatsoever.
See, this is why libertarians can’t catch a break. Saying the quiet part out loud is Bad And Wrong And Stuff™, and you’re heartless if you say it.
The virus was going to do what the virus was going to do. A lot of people were already going to lose their lives. It’s not a “So what?” but more of a “What do you expect to be done to stop a natural process?” Might as well ride it out while acting normally. And a lot of people lost their lives who needn’t have if they were allowed proper medical care for the OTHER conditions they had. A lot of cratered teeth out there, too (like, since WHEN hasn’t dental care been necessary?).
“Flatten the curve.” Okay, and then what?
Sure.
I’m just stating what Bailey’s position was. Lockdowns were justified but only early on.
I think Bailey is not a libertarian no matter what he says.
Well, the stage is indeed set for the next act.
It’s always darkest just before sunrise. I have high hopes for Trey.
Thanks Moj. Now to wait another week. Pickles and ice cream go well together.
🤮
Let’s see what Marina thinks about pickles and ice cream.
It does seem Marina is handling this a bit too well, which starts to lend credence to Gene’s suspicion of her running a con on Trey.
Gio, not that it matters.
*looks up sleeve again, sees MOAR tricks*
I’ve always thought the sleeve was the worst place to store those.
Depends on how they’re constructed. I could put a secret pocket in a sleeve, easy peasy.
She knows what she wants.
I don’t think the New England Patriots realize that teams can have an offense in the NFL. The couldn’t score worth shit last year, so they draft three defensive players. Apparently they hope to win every game 3-0.
It’s mystifying. Belichiick’s drafting has always been his weakness but this seems reckless.
Oh, and the Bruins are a game away from losing in the first round of the playoffs after mowing through the league in record fashion during the regular season.
Mother.
Fuckers.
I thought I was being properly pessimistic with my Bruins postseason expectation but nooooope. They’re not getting out of the first round playing like this.
On a different note, I start a new job within the same workgroup at work two weeks from Monday. Moving from managing a team in manufacturing to one in logistics. I lose my shift differential to go to days, but I do get a small bump in base pay. I’ve done production/mfg management for 20 years, but never logistics. Hopefully this new experience will open up a higher level management position in the future.
Congrats on the move! Hope it’s all you hope for.
Logistics is a big deal. I’ll bet you have more opportunities ahead.
Huzzah!
Steven Crowder is now the leading story just about everywhere. He is going scorched Earth in return threatening to release all material the courts will unseal.
Crowder comes off like an asshole in that clip, but god damn if I’m not tired of the sanctimonious bullshit and the piling on. He’s an abuser, he’s gaslighting her (fuck that word) yada yada.
The word abuser has about as much meaning in the modern culture as racism or fascist does.
Prurient interests aside, why should I care about this guy?
If it’s just a dumpster fire, that’s fine – nothing wrong with enjoying a spectacle
As far as conservative commentators go, he has one of if not the largest following. He’s on Youtube, but his audience is bigger than just about anybody’s.
Sub ‘progressive’ for ‘conservative’ and it’s the same result – no reason I’d care.
Dumpster fire it is.
Slumbrew gets it.
Well, I explained why it’s newsworthy. Whether you care or not is up to you.
I personally care because it’s another media culture war dogpile based on bullshit. I care because it’s a giant stinking example of human hypocrisy.
All the people jumping in to comment on his marriage based on that clip? I’d like to take their worst arguments with their spouses or exes and post it for the world to see. Because I’m going to wager they’d come off just as bad if not worse than Crowder in that clip. They may be different kinds of assholes, but they’ll look like assholes all the same.
It’s also the same crowd going after him that got Depp cancelled based on deceptively leaked and edited videos.
Same crowd or payback for Crowder bitching about DW and contract negotiations?
I asked why I should care about this guy, not why it’s newsworthy. I didn’t care about Depp either. Yes, everyone jumping on those guys over bullshit, selectively-edited videos should know better or are just malicious. But that’s nothing new.
“The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.”
That’s not a recent quote…
Who said it?
Jefferson.
Tom had an ax to grind with newspapers.
Newspapers, religion, Adams, Hamilton…
Thanks.
He grinded something against Sally Hemmings…
A celebrity who’s a hypocritical and abusive douchebag? Holy shit, stop the presses! Crowder’s cardinal sin is he’s not fucking funny. I will admit though, I do like his show but, like Rogan, mostly depending on the guests and more recently for Landau.
I assuming he didn’t kill someone by fucking around with a gun on a movie set. So he’s got that going for him.
Baldwin? He did nothing wrong, not a thing…charges dropped my man while the armorer who can’t quite afford the same level of lawyer is left to twist in the wind.
The charges against him, based on what’s been made public, seemed thin. Not impossible to prosecute but pretty difficult.
I’m still waiting to find out how live ammo got on the set. Assuming their is proof it was the armorer, she has problems.
Yeah, I’m mostly kidding. When some yutz is told by someone they consider an expert that some dangerous piece of equipment is in a safe condition they tend to not question it any further and they act accordingly. Some kind of mild misdemeanor charge may have been appropriate though but I can see why they dropped everything.
Douchebag he may be, but I agree with both of you.
John Landis was acquitted, after all.
We can all join hands and call Baldwin a douchebag.
“The United States is wiring Ukraine with sensors that can detect bursts of radiation from a nuclear weapon or a dirty bomb and can confirm the identity of the attacker,”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-sends-shadowy-unit-atomic-experts-wire-ukraine-nuke-blast-detecting-sensors
Wellity wellity wellity well, I think I see a pretext in the making.
Because the use of a battlefield nuke isn’t an acknowledged part of Russian war doctrine?
In my opinion it’s far more likely that we or one of our vassals will use a dirty bomb as a pretext to gin up outrage to demand we enter the war kind of like the fake chemical attacks in Syria (or if not fake, false flag). If the Russians were being badly beaten I’d cede your point.
Losing is in the eye of the beholder. Seriously. If popular opinion in Russia swings against Putin because of this war, it would be unsurprising if he nuked some Ukranian cities to turn the tide.
I doubt it, in my view he’s a rational actor who wouldn’t want to risk the end of the world to win in Ukraine but we also shouldn’t be so intent on pushing him into a corner where he needs to decide whether he needs to do that or not based on self-preservation. It doesn’t look like that’ll be an issue though.
Who will nuke Russia for nuking solely Ukraine? I don’t see NATO doing it.
The Kremlin has no interest in nuking Ukraine. It would be counter productive to say the least.
A NATO army entering Ukraine from say, Poland, would be a different matter.
“Pinky-swear!”
I don’t know why they bother. No matter how ironclad the evidence is they’re so untrustworthy that no one will believe them.
No one? I’d say lots of people, both in and out of power would happily lap up whatever is being served. Particularly with a plausible fig leaf.
That’s true but those same people would believe that, or claim to but wouldn’t actually, even in the face of the most transparent fraud. For them a false pretext isn’t needed, just direction from someone in a position of authority. Some for example claim to believe the alternate Nordstream explanation but not many.
I wouldn’t assume anything about Nordstrwam. There are too many unknowns.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/new-evidence-on-nord-stream-2/
Why blow the pipeline when you control the slickest and can turn it on and off at will and why destroy your own bargaining chip to turn off the flow of weaponry in exchange for cutting the flow back on? Doesn’t make sense at all.
Control the spicket. Ugh…
False flag, weren’t going to be able to sell product anyways, couldn’t maintain pipeline, push up the overall price of gas or oil. Just off the top of my head.
False flag to what end? A very expensive false flag; they may have been able to sell the product and cracked NATO if the pipeline hadn’t been blown up-the promise of turning the flow back on was key in that endeavor; the market for Russian natgas is distorted beyond recognition already with China and other friendlies buying it at massive discounts-trying to push up the price of oil in a manner that would further bind you to someone who’s already getting it a massive discount would be nuts. As for ability to maintain, I’d think they had the ability to to at least half ass maintain it but I’m not sure on that one.
Blow one pipeline while leaving one functioning. Oil spikes in price.
I’m shocked. Shocked I say.
https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/28/intel-agencies-fisa-surveillance-undercount/
Are the Amica ads national?
What is this bullshit?! “We’ll have a good cry with you because we’re filled with empathy. “
Give me a good rate and pay my claim in a timely fashion, fuckers. That’s all i want from an insurance company.
What are you watching it on? I get my TV from Google. Recently I’ve been seeing ads for Blade Air. It makes no sense to air those ads in California.
No, I haven’t seen the Amica ads. I’m with you though. Just pay my claim. We aren’t buddies.
Maybe it’s just the regional NESN feed.
Better than the Amazon ad with the gap- toothed chick with the mustache. The close-up at the end is just revolting.
And of course that was directed by Olivia Wilde. As if she’d ever allow herself to be seen in public without suitable personal grooming.
The Mass Mutual guys get it, at least
https://twitter.com/massmutual/status/1579864689206448131
Yeah, that one is kinda cute.
Damn it, Kraken, now we have to go to Game 7!!
I’m very happy not to have seen that.
They must think you’re a high-roller with the Blade Air ads but, yeah, that makes more sense here.
I’m intrigued by Tailwind:
https://www.flytailwind.com/
I wanna take a seaplane from Boston Harbor to Manhattan.
I think I saw that show.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0098948/
I don’t even have to click.
Acktually, that’d be Cape Air
https://www.capeair.com
Let me have my fun.
That could be a fun flight. Landing in the East River would be something.
It’s this ridiculous Amica ad that’s on 20 times during every hockey game here:
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/1THy/amica-mutual-insurance-company-empathy-anthem-2
Annoying but better than that Amazon ad.
Real or fake?
https://twitter.com/OntWtf/status/1652106678341451778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1652106678341451778%7Ctwgr%5E78cbf513753cfe9e12443466462764c454aac3d0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ace.mu.nu%2F
Looks real enough. Also, lucky.
Shrapnel goes father and faster than you would expect. I have been surprised by chunks of metal that ended up entirely too close to me.
Corollary: Plywood walls on shanties do not stop grenade fragments so change how you clear rooms. (Lesson learned by unfortunate 82d Airborne infantry in Grenada and relearned in Panama.)
If movies have taught me anything, it’s that doors will not stop bullets but drywall will.
And that dining room table is impenetrable.
Holy cow.
That was lucky indeed. He’ll get a cool scar out of it, but he’s still got his eye!
My Dad told me 40% dynamite couldn’t be touched off by shooting it with a gun. He was wrong. Teenagers somehow live through those dumb ass teenage years.
Seven short….dun..dun…DUN!
Keanu Reeves making everyone love him all over again.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12026035/Keanu-Reeves-wins-Internet-adorable-video-meeting-nine-year-old-super-fan.html
https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1403902-keanu-reeves
Can’t say I’m familiar with his work since the ‘90s but River’s Edge was most excellent.
Good morning, Glibs. Have a great Saturday.
☕😉
Landline rings at 4:45 AM. Old man leaps out of bed, gets to the phone after the 4th ring. No one there, no dial tone, just a dead line. WTF?
Second time in the past month, nothing makes the heart beat like that. Then impossible to go back to bed, coffee for now.
Good morning.
Raining fairly hard here. Probably going to watch movies today.
Morning Teds’ and everyone else,
Looks like we’ve finally rounded the corner and Spring is here. A month late but still… a little snow left in piles. No rain in the 10 day forecast. Yea!
Rainy here today and tomorrow. Messing with my steak plans. 😒
Hey y’all.
Have a great day!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3_lIPESVTw
🎶🎶
suh’ fam
whats goody yo
TALL CANS!
Mornin’ all