Monday is Story Day

Good Day All - As usual it's been busy around here.  Yesterday, was our Annual Thank You Luncheon for our volunteers in our little community.  It was fun and because I'm a volunteer for other things, I didn't have to do much of the work, just reap the benefits.

We had a slight cold spell here, two days only but it got pretty cold at night so we brought in some of our more less tolerant plants and thank goodness we did.  On another note, though our daffodils are blooming - I love seeing them.  I hope the iris I planted the year before last bloom this year - last year they didn't.  Does anyone have any gardening tips on these beautiful delicate flowers?  I could use the help.

I love that the days are getting a little longer, well the daylight hours. You know what I mean. Have you noticed?  

Here's the continuation of the story of the last few weeks. Recap here. Wasn't sure how far I wanted to take it, so I backed off a little.  I think it may be done, what do you think?

I looked around the room and felt totally out of place.  There were little groups of people gathered around the room and I tried to decide which group looked the most welcoming.  Since the only people we knew were the host and hostess and they were missing, I found a group that had mostly women, figuring they would be the most open.  It wasn’t until I got closer that I realized they were all smokers.  I really did hate the smell of smoke but a whiff told me it wasn’t just tobacco smoke I was smelling.  As I got closer, I realized they were all passing around the cigarette which, obviously wasn’t a cigarette at all.  I believe the term back then was ‘doobie’. When I was in college and where we lived in Washington,  alcohol was the drug of choice, not marijuana.  I didn’t want to seem like a prude so I joined the group anyway and was immediately handed the ‘joint.’   Unsure of what to do, I was urged to just take it and inhale.  I did and have never been a smoker thought I was going to die.  I began coughing up a storm.  Laughter ensued among the group as I choked on that damn smoke.  One of the women offered me some liquid and I took a large gulp until I realized it was not water that was being offered but her drink – it must have been pure vodka – and I swore I thought I might explode.  I wasn’t sure which was worse, the coughing fits from the joint or the large swig of vodka.  I’m quite sure my face was red and not only from embarrassment.  It was then that Rod appeared and put his arm around my shoulder.

“What’s wrong, honey?  Are you alright?”  All I could do was shake my head.   He excused us from the group and took me outside for a breath of air.

“Honey, I think this is a far different group of people than we are used to.  Maybe we should just excuse ourselves and go on home.”  I nodded in agreement and we went back inside to say our goodbyes.

The next morning, neither Rod nor I spoke about the previous evening.  I think we were both in a state of disbelief.  It was such a different world. Obviously, the world had changed since we lived here.  I wondered if everyone lived this way now or did we just happen upon a neighborhood of like-minded people and if so, I wasn’t sure I wanted to get too comfortable. After all, we had not only our daughter to consider but also Rod’s position of responsibility and my possible return to teaching.

Later that same day, the hostess of the previous evening showed up on my doorstep.  Unsure of what to say or do, I held open the door and offered her a cup of coffee.  When we sat down, she started to explain the previous evening. 

“I’m sorry about last night.  I get so wound up when I’m having a party that I got a little tipsy beforehand to settle me down.  My husband has a different way of settling me down and when we came back to the party I noticed you and Rod were no longer around.  Was everything okay?’

I’m quite sure she was aware of my discomfort as I squirmed around in the chair and hemmed and hawed before answering.

“Oh, I can see you’re a little upset.  Don’t be.  I realize not everyone is comfortable with some of the things that went on.  I usually spend a little more time with guests and try to let them know what they can expect.  Not everyone indulges in the same way and I apologize for your discomfort.  I can assure you not all parties are the same.”

“Some of the things were definitely a surprise. We have a daughter and I don’t want her to think that her parents are complicit in anything illegal and dope is definitely illegal.”

“It’s not hard drugs, only marijuana.  It’s readily available and here in California, there is not much worry about law enforcement bothering anyone for use.”

“Still, I don’t mean to be stuffy or unfriendly, but I would appreciate it if you not include us in future parties where we might encounter this sort of thing.  We have too much at stake with my husband’s job and me trying to get hired by the school board.”

“I understand.  My husband was not pleased with me when he found out you had left.  He asked if I had warned you in advance and when I told him no, I was in trouble.  He told me this morning to come here and apologize and that he will deal with me when he gets home.  My husband may be progressive in some ways but in others, he’s a throwback.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m embarrassed to share this, but you might as well know, it’s common knowledge around here.  My husband still believes in being the head of household and takes me to task when I overstep the boundaries he has set.”

“Oh, I think I know what you’re saying without actually saying it.”

“You do.”

“Yes, I do.  My husband is old-fashioned that way too.”

“Really,”  Right then I knew we had formed a lasting bond.  Shortly thereafter, Lindsay came home from school and Rhonda left.

I couldn’t wait to tell Rod about the conversation.  Later that evening, when Lindsey was in bed, I told him about my visit with Rhonda.  After I finished telling the story, Rod invited me to join him in our sound-proofed bedroom.  There I was lectured about the evils of going along with the crowd and how I was never to accept another party invitation without knowing, in advance, what will be happening at that party.  Just to make sure I understood what he was saying, he removed his belt and welted my bare bottom into further understanding.

I wondered if Rhonda was getting the same lecture and if she'd be available for a sit down the next day?

See you later for more Aimless Ramblings.