Developed that Stomach Look at a Glance
September 19
It’s sort of fun meeting all the “Just wait” women in town. They never look you in the eye. They’ve all developed that “stomach” look-a glance that starts at your feet and slides up to the middle of your anatomy, begins again at your head, slides down to the same spot and hangs there like a leech. I wish I had a belt buckle that would suddenly pop open and wave a flag and yell “Bingo!” I’m rather enjoying being such an important person. I don’t doubt that I’m pointed out along with the spot where the British landed, for after all I’m the first of the “there’s-not-much-to-do-in-the-winter-anyway” crop of expectant mothers.
September 2 1
All in all, life is good. The Ruppcls came out this weekend. I wore my slacks, went swimming in the river, walked as many miles as they did, stayed up just as late, and laughed off without a blush their usual razzing about what year was it that I was going to have that long-heralded-child.
Took them down to the Reiner estate, andafter watching their complete eye-popping admiration-told the Reiners yes, we’d love to live in their house!
We move next week.
Right away quick I called all the real estate people in town about the chances of renting our house while we live the life of Reiner at Rambleside. They all assure me that that will be “duck soup”provided we are willing to rent until March I. There’s the fly in the soup. The Reiners want to come back in February, so between some time in February and the first of March, we’ll have to choose between a hollow stump and a Bridgeport hotel. By that time maybe I won’t be able to get into a hollow stump. I won’t admire being a free floor show for the lobby sitters in the hotel either.
Oh well, who am I to fight with fate?
I have just completed a little deal with Patrick.
We must, of course, continue to pay rent on our house even though we don’t live in it. “Now,” said I, in a rubbing-my-hands-together voice, “I’m going to do all the work of renting the house, so can I have anythmg I can rent it for for myself? After all, the budget’s all worked out with that much rent deducted each month. You don’t want to upset all that bookkeeping you did SO beautifully, dear? Let’s just continue to figure that rent money as out, and anything I can make I keep.”
He fell for it. Maybe he was just showing off his generosity to the guests, but he fell for it. All I have to do now is rent the place and collect the money.
September 22
Started my business career. I’ve been showing people through our house all day long. Haven’t approved of any of them as yet, and can’t say I’ve done too well convincing them that the two and a half story living-room really heats beautifully all winter long, or that the separate coal-burning hotwater heater is just no trouble at all and never goes out. (After two years of struggle with the eternal flame Pat’s best record is eleven days without relighting.)