A FBOW excerpt in sequence: The Truce
Chicago, Illinois
July 7, 1958
“So you spent the whole weekend with your wife...” Dropping his end of two four by eight paint and cement splattered plywood sheets on the growing stack alongside the curb. “...how’d it go?”
Dropping his end at the same time. “Great! Really great, Earl.”
“You two...” starting back into the nearly completed parking structure for another load of plywood, “...getting back together?”
“Earl, trust me, we’ve already gotten back together.”
Not catching the double meaning, “That’s good. Lippy. Hope it works out for you.”
Both grunting as they lifted their unwieldy load… “By the way, you hear from Transco?”
“Yeah, meant to tell you, I’ll be starting on the ‘second’ , right after labour day.”
“It’s really a good company, Lippy. My dad’s been happy with them.”
Lakeside, Michigan
July 7 through September 2, 1958
Paradise Found
Separated from four AM on Mondays—when Mitchell drove directly to the job site—to seven PM on Fridays, when he returned to Lakeside where he and Marsha quickly fell into an extremely enjoyable way to greet each other and spend their summer days together when —as newlyweds, their love and lovemaking, practically knew no bounds.
As he always drove to Lakeside directly from the job, he was always dirty and sometimes downright filthy.
On most Fridays he would take a shower, then have a nice dinner that Marsha had prepared and then, if Michael were awake bounce him on Da-da’s shoulders to the most private spot that they could find on the beach and wait until he fell asleep. Or if asleep, drive to the beach access and as gently as possible carry him to wherever Marsha spread a blanket and then—when dark enough and all others had left the beach— one at a time ‘skinny-dip’ then return and wrap into a huge beach towel until the other returned and cuddle… Well, actually more than ‘just’ cuddle… Usually ‘much’ more than just cuddle.
On some evenings, taking Michael they would drive into Union Pier and eat at either the ‘Palladium’ or at the ‘Union Pier Bowling Alley’.
The hamburgers were better at the bowling alley but Michael giggled and laughed at the continues ‘dinging’ and ‘donging’ of the banks of pinball machines in the Palladium, so most often ate at the Palladium.
Weekend days together were spent as most young couples in love spend their vacation days in a small vacation town: sunbathing, swimming, taking long walks— in Marsha and Mitchell’s case, pushing a buggy… and professing and acting uponheir love.
When the passion ended, though, especially during the lonely, pre-dawn trips back to Chicago, Mitchell often wondered: when summer was through, would his life… would their lives revert to the argumentative, dispassionate life he and his wife had lived.
Once alone, Marsha would likewise wonder: When summer is through, will our lives go back as before?
Having matured throughout Marsha Lipensky’s self imposed exile, her mind often returned that in the — less than three years of their marriage she had been the cause of two major separations that could very easily have ended her marriage…
Ended her life with the boy then man that she had always loved.
Realising that it was she that had engineered her—very early on pregnancy saddling the boy/man she was married to with responsibilities he was far from ready to assume.
Realising that the boy/man she was married to might not be the most ambitious of men but that Mitchell Lipensky was a ‘good’ man that would always do his best to provide, to take care of their son and herself and that she, due to her— now realising unbending stubbornness in ‘no’ way reciprocated.
Stubbornness aside... Or in this case stubbornness forthright: vowing to become more the wife and person her ‘good’ husband deserved...
Chicago, Illinois
July 7, 1958
“Walter Lewis Studio. Good morning.”
Knowing the inquisition he’d be facing that evening when he returned home from work.
Knowing he hadn’t called to tell his parents that they were together again.
Overflowing with renewed re-found love and wanting to make things easier for her husband.
Also, recently...
Happily discovering her heretofore hidden ‘randy’ streak and admitting to her unbending stoutness, making a major decision— Marsha Lipensky’s first reciprocation:
What the hell, Marsha thought. ‘Then’ is over with and now’s a new beginning, so what the hell!
“Myra, hi! It’s me, Marsha.”
Shocked! Moving it from her ear, Myra looked at the phone questioningly, then replaced it.
“Well, hello.” Attempting to sound as though her heart wasn’t in her throat. “How are you? How’s my grandson?”
“Fine! As a matter of fact, we’re both better than fine and… Look, Myra, what’s past is past, okay?” Not waiting for a response. “The reason I’m calling is because I know you miss Mikey and I’m calling to invite you and Walter, and the kids, too, to come to Lakeside next Friday and spend the weekend.”
More than shocked now, at a loss for words….
“ ‘Next weekend’?” Completely surprised at Marsha’s call, but knowing her son, was not all that surprised.
Asked in a questioning tone. “You two are together again, aren’t you?”
Marsha had been speaking sedately, without rancour.
“ ‘Yes we are’!” Now, though, her voice hardening, the tone of Marsha’s words coming as an ultimatum to accept the reconciliation… ‘Or else’!
“You ‘do’ want to see your grandson again! ‘Don’t you Myra’?”
Missing her grandson terribly, Myra was intelligent enough to realise her daughter-in-law was handing her an ultimatum, along with an olive branch, and if she didn’t take it…
In a way and for reasons Myra could not fathom, she did miss her daughter-in-law. Besides, Marsha had made the first move, hadn’t she? So…
“Yes, Marsha, we’ll be glad to come! I’m sure the kids’ll be only too happy to spend a weekend at the beach. I’m not too sure about Walter, though. It is the sailing season, you know.”
“Okay, Myra, that’s good… I guess Walter will have to make a choice then, won’t he?”
“Oh...” she said threateningly, “...’trust’ me, Walter will make the right choice!”
Marsha knew she would have to do some major rearranging to fit four more people in an overstuffed, two bedroom cottage.
But after all the weeks of loneliness, the thought of having company, of spending time at the beach with her son and Larry and Mortie, whom she’d really missed, delighted her.
“Look, Mitch will probably come straight from work, so if you like, the four of you can come as early Friday as you want so the kids can spend the whole day at the beach.”
“Thank you, Marsha...” Myra said sincerely. “...I really appreciate that! Tell you what… Do you have a grill there?”
“Yes. I even had Mitchell clean it.”
“Okay. Don’t you shop for anything! I’ll bring enough of everything for the weekend.”
“Okay, Myra...” adding just as sincerely, “...I’m looking forward to it… Bye.”
“Bye, Marsha and...” she repeated, “...thank you.”
“Walt!” Myra yelled. “You’ll never guess who just called and invited us for the weekend!”
Skokie, Illinois
He’d been sitting on the stoop waiting for him and bounding up as soon as the Ford turned the corner.
“Mitchie, hi! Guess what?” Morton asked excitedly. Then not waiting for an answer, “Me’n’dad’n’Larry are sailing to Michigan City on Thursday and mom’s gonna meet us there on Friday morning an’ then ‘guess what’? We’re gonna stay with you’n’Marsha’n’Mikey till Monday!”
Wondering how he was going to tell his parents that he and Marsha were together again, having spent the entire day concocting a forceful speech, of sorts, his mouth dropping open, “Huh?” Mitchell said. “Huh?”
Lakeside, Michigan
Knowing the tall, beautiful woman with a child— a ‘legitimate’ child, ‘did’ have a husband and was ‘not’ a threat, some of the previously unfriendly women on the beach did befriend Marsha, so now…
As an adult with a commuting husband…
With the exception of the spectre of ‘Nate’ Gordon Nathanson…
Lakeside, Michigan, did, once again, become a paradise for Marsha Goldman Lipensky…
So much so that taking the chance that Myra’s ‘mom’ obsession was no longer a problem, thoroughly enjoying that first weekend with her husband’s family, Marsha asked them to stay for another week.
And having a baby sitter to watch Michael so that Marsha and Mitchell might make nighttime trips to the beach to go skinny dipping ‘together’, and...
Wrapped within the huge beach towel do what followed.
“ ‘Fuck me’!”
Next FBOW excerpt in sequence: “ The Fat Girl”
