02 Tommy & Renée
Renée was always a good girl. She was the only daughter of Marta, and Sven Jorgensen. Her older brother, Bjørn was always in and out of minor trouble especially after going to the movies, and seeing those street thugs in action. Svein and Marta hoped their daughter wouldn’t be quite so problematic. But who knew with kids these days? They were exposed to so much with movies that talked, and magazines that had women willing to smile at cameras with little, or no clothes on to speak of.
Sitting at the dinner table one night, Sven’s eyes suddenly opened as he realized his daughter was no longer a little girl. “Mama, have you spoken to Renée about the birds and the bees?” He whispered.
“No, Svein I haven’t. She’s just fourteen you know. Would you like more bread, dear?”
Sven took a slice and nodded his head toward his teenaged daughter. “Mama, you’d better take a look.” Renée had carried her dirty dish to the sink, and was filling up the dish pan with sudsy water.
Marta nearly had her eyes bug out when she saw the spot of blood on the back of Renée’s new plaid pedal pushers. “Oh, Sven, she is so young, and so tiny...” She whispered to her husband. “Renée, honey, let the dishes soak for a while. Go to your room, and Mama will come talk with you in a minute.”
Renée obeyed. She was afraid that Mama was going to have to go back into the hospital. It seemed Mama was losing her battle with what ever it was that sapped her strength. Mama entered the room, and pushed a few strands of honey blonde hair out of her eyes that had escaped from her loosely tied bun.
“How are you feeling Renée?”
“I feel fine Mama, how are you feeling?”
“Oh, tired as usual, but let’s not talk about Mama. Does your tummy feel okay honey?”
“Yes, Mama. My stomach is fine.”
“Ummm... have you been to the bathroom?”
“Mama? No, why?”
“Renée, Mama doesn’t know how to tell you this. But, ummm... You’ve probably noticed some changes in your body. You are ummm, developing.”
“Yes, Mama. I couldn’t help but notice that. The girls in gym class tease me.”
“Tease you? Why tease?”
“Because they’re... they’re all well off. Mama I don’t care that we’re not. Really I don’t, but Mama they make fun of me because I still wear an undershirt, and not a training bra like them.” Renée wiped tears off her cheeks. “Mama I’m sorry. I know you can’t work. And it’s all Papa can do to keep a roof over our heads, and put food on the table. Mama, can I work? Please? Can I baby sit? Anything a girl can do, I could try so I can buy some of the things I need. Mama, the girls are so mean.”
“You know Papa,” Marta sighed, “he feels if his children work, it will look like he can not provide for his family. But, I will talk to him. Mama will see that you get a trainer bra one way, or another. But, there is something else, Renée. Did you see anything on your panties when you went to the bathroom?”
“No, Mama. I keep myself clean.”
“I know honey, but well, you see, when a little girl grows up and her body changes, she gets ummm, she gets a, a period. It comes once a month, it lasts a week and ummm, it flows from your private place.”
“Mama? Is, is it normal?”
“Yes, dear, it is. You will have your period until you are old. It’s part of being a woman.”
Marta gave her daughter a wide ring of elastic with things, something like garters, hanging down front and back, and a thick bulky pad to attach to it. “Always wear dark clothes on the days you have your period Renée. If your period should leak through, you won’t ruin anything light in color. You must soak your pedal pushers now, in cold water. Never use hot with blood, or you will set the stain. Always cold, and use plenty of soap, and scrub the fabric hard between you knuckles. Keep yourself clean too, Renée. Nobody likes a dirty girl. Wash yourself with soap. It is very important to always be clean. Soap and water is cheap, and poor doesn’t mean dirty.” Marta hugged her tall, slender daughter.
If Renée thought that year was tough, she was in for the shock of her life when she got to be a sophomore in high school. She knew all the cheers. She tried out. Renée had long flowing natural blonde hair, and blue eyes like both of her parents. And, with strong, slender, long legs, she had ‘the look’. Renée could jump as high, do the splits, cart wheels, back flips, you name it, but she was not picked for the squad. She wiped a tear from her eye, but it was okay. She could still watch the basketball team practice. She would love to go to the games, but it was impossible. Games cost money, and she had none. Well, very darn little anyway from the few babysitting jobs she was getting. Seems she’d nicely get fitted with a good bra, and the darn things would erupt again. Then, there was the issue of pads. Every three weeks she needed another package of them. Money always went for necessities, never for anything fun.
Tommy was cute. All the girls thought so. She liked him from the first day of school when he held the door for her. Rumor had it, his parents owned the Ericsen Thoroughbred Ranch, but who really knew for sure? There was no one Renée could ask. The snobby girls only laughed at her home made dresses, and looked down their noses at her few store bought clothes. He was nice to her though. The girls would all giggle and swoon when he walked by, but Renée could tell that it annoyed him. She couldn’t force herself to act like that in front of a boy, any boy let alone the cutest, most popular boy in school.
Tommy always spoke to Renée when they passed in the hall. He always paid attention to what direction she was going, trying to figure out her classes. They shared none, and her lunch hour appeared to be just after his. She always bought a carton of milk, and sat alone by the window where she ate her brown bag lunch. Her eyes were as blue green as the sea, and always seemed to be focused on something just beyond where she really was.
He hoped to work up the courage to start a conversation with her in the gym after school. They were going to announce the selection for the cheerleading squad. He felt she was the best, and knew in his heart that she would make it. He didn’t know she’d already been informed that she didn’t. Basketball practice was rough that afternoon. Coach pushed harder, and yelled louder than ever at his boys. Tommy let it roll off his back when he got chewed out. He paid attention to the advice Coach gave, but the ass chewing was nothing compared to what his father could give. He went to the locker room, stripped down, grabbed a towel and headed for the shower. The guys were talking about the previous weekend, and who got how far with whom. He didn’t know who they were talking about, and didn’t care. In the back of his mind all he wanted was a basketball scholarship so he could go away to school. He knew what he was up against since his parents were so filthy rich, they could probably float God a loan, but he wanted out of their, especially his father’s, dictatorship. It felt good to wash the sweat off. He towel dried, slipped into his street clothes, and dumped his basketball uniform into his gym bag.
Tommy walked out of the locker room, and could see that Brad Hinkley had a girl pinned against the wall behind the bleachers. He heard his spiel.
“So what, Renée? Maybe if you’d loosen up a little, and quit acting like such a stuck up snob, maybe the girls would like you better.”
“Brad they aren’t going to like me no matter what. I live on the wrong side of the tracks, and can’t compete with anything they have, so just forget it.”
“Renée, I can change all that. If you were my girl, they would have to accept you.” Brad had weaseled his leg between her thighs and started to lean in to kiss her.
Renée wasn’t about to be his play thing. She knew as soon as she fell for him, he’d dump her just like he had so many other girls. Besides, there wasn’t that much to fall for as far as she could see. Sure he was, or had been the top basketball star, but that didn’t change the fact that he was an arrogant punk that took advantage of it at every opportunity. Reacting fast, Renée came up with her knee and racked him. As he doubled over she smacked him on the back of the head with her shorthand book. Brad couldn’t do anything, but gasp.
“You can get out of here, and leave the lady alone from now on Hinkley. And, don’t try to cause any trouble over this either. I witnessed what you did, and I’ll have you thrown off the team in a heartbeat if you try.”
Still gagging, and gasping Brad kept shaking his head no, and waving his hand as if to say “no way.” He backed away, and entered the empty locker room where he collapsed, and moaned until the hurt went away.
“Where on earth did you learn to do that?”
Renée looked embarrassed. “Ummm, I have a brother named Bjørn. He is very protective of me. He taught me how to defend myself when he can not be around to do it for me.”
“You have an accent. Are you from here?”
“Yah, I was born in this country. My parents came from Norway with nothing but clothes on their back, and my brother during the war.”
“I’m of Norwegian descent, too. Only I think my ancestors came over with Erik the Red.”
Renée laughed at his humor. It was the first time he’d ever seen her smile let alone laugh. “So, how did you get a name like Renée? That doesn’t sound Scandinavian at all.”
“Yah, that is true . My mother wanted to name me something different. There was a French lady on the boat named Renée, and Mama liked the sound.”
“It is a beautiful name, and the way you say it sounds like music.”
“Thank you...” Renée looked forlorn.
“Tom, or Tommy. Which ever you prefer. My full name is Thomas Ericsen.”
“Thank you Tommy.”
“Hey! Renée wait up! How come I didn’t see you at the sock hop Friday night?”
“Ummm, because I didn’t go!” She smiled.
“Here, let me take your books. I’m in the class next to yours this hour so we’re going the same way. Are you going this Friday?”
The girls sneered as she and Tom walked by.
“No, I’m not going this Friday either.”
“How come? Don’t you like to dance?”
“I don’t know if I like to dance, or not since I’ve never been to a dance. Tommy, my parents won’t let me go. Without an escort, they say it looks like I’m there to be a pick up. They have funny ideas sometimes. I always hear ‘back in the old country...’ Oh, well.”
Tom ran his fingers through his sandy blond hair. His parents hadn’t noticed that he now was wearing a DA like the Rebel Without a Cause gang. Tommy thought that leaving the strict confines of his upbringing was the best thing in his life so far. His parents felt that he just needed to sow his wild oats, mingle some with the “riff raff”, then he would return to “his own kind.”
“Renée would you like to go?”
“Well, yes Tommy I would, but I just told you-”
“No, I mean would you like to go with me?”
Renée said yes, and it was the beginning of a beautiful teenage romance. She stayed slim, but it was so much fun being “Tommy’s girl.” He’d buy her malteds and French fries at the soda fountain. They’d dance to the Top 10 tunes on the Juke Box. Before long, they were winning dance contests. By Thanksgiving, Renée was wearing his ring with miles of angora yarn wrapped around it. Needless to say, the girls were even meaner, vindictive, and jealous. Renée never noticed, she only had eyes for Tommy. And, he only had eyes for Renée.
