For Rita and Eddie Brown the balance of the summer of 1978 was a slow return toward normalcy. They both recognized, though they never spoke the words, that it would be a new normalcy, different from just a few months before, different from that of all human beings save those who'd suffered the unspeakable, the unimaginable loss of a child. But progress on some fronts was clear. Eddie had returned to his weekend gigs with the band and was back to his six- day week at the store. Rita, with very strong prodding from Margaret had begun working the lunch counter at Richmond's Five and Ten. She worked Tuesday through Saturday; eight-thirty to five and Margaret Brodsky was her boss. Individually, the parties within the Brown marriage were doing fine. But collectively there was much to be desired.
Big Bob had spent two weeks in his old house, nursing, comforting, encouraging, cajoling, all in all doing a pretty damn good job at making up for years of being a piss poor father. He hadn't evened things out, that would take more years than Big Bob would have left on earth, but he was of great help to his daughter and he knew it. And he would carry that sense of satisfaction with him back to West Virginia and his new life.
Maryann stayed very close with Rita right on up to the time she went away to college. She had dreams of teaching elementary school and had been accepted at several New York State universities, finally choosing Cortland. Eight hours away by car, it might as well have been twenty-eight. She'd be home only on the winter holidays until next summer and losing her was difficult for Rita. The sister relationship they'd had through most of high school, had lost and then at least partially regained, had over the summer become stronger than ever. And as probably the strongest sign yet as to the rehabilitation of Rita, she did a wonderful job of masking her true feelings when Maryann, obviously torn, nevertheless offered, truly offered, to put off school for a year to stay around her friend.
Margaret and Randy, the couple, had become good friends, going- out friends with Dennis and Sherry Brown. As fellow members of Rita and Eddie's support team, they'd been thrown together on enough occasions to form a bond that would stay intact for many years to come.
By October, Cooler Head's permanent position as Rosco's house band ended. That ending coincided with the demise of Rosco's, a demise caused not from what common sense would have predicted (lack of business) but because Rosemary Cola, the very unattractive Rosemary Cola, had met a very rich widower and would be relocating to his winter home in the Bahamas. Before leaving she sold her place to new owners who had a stated intention of refurbishing and expanding by buying out the stores on either side. Tommy had met with them but the meeting didn't give him much reason to believe his band would be better off than any other band in getting work at the new place. The term "new direction" had been dropped by the new owners several times leaving their promise to "be in touch" rather hollow. But Tommy did leave his back room meeting at Rosco's with a smile, for as he was shaking hands good-bye who should be walking in but Rosemary and her wealthy new beau.
"Tommy, I'd like you to meet David Warner. David, this is Tommy. He's the leader of the band I've had playing for me the past year."
"Pleasure to meet you, son."
"How do you do, sir." Tommy stuck out his hand toward the smartly dressed gentleman and watched as Rosemary gently guided David's arm up and toward Tommy's hand.
"Son of a bitch," Tommy thought. "Old Rosemary hooked a rich blind guy. Well, good for her."
More for Eddie's benefit than anything else, when Tommy learned Rosco's was no more he called a meeting of the band. He leveled with the guys but promised to keep his eyes and ears open for a regular gig next spring and encouraged them to do likewise. He knew the Rosco's set-up would be very difficult to duplicate but kept his best face on about it.
"Listen, we've got a good reputation, we've done some things, we've got a chance." And then he told them a lie, the first lie he'd ever even considered telling his buddies.
"He says he's got too many bands to officially represent us, but he's going to be keeping his ear to the ground for us. He really thinks he can help us. He just needs a little time."
Truth was, he'd left several messages on Rich's machine and had spoken to Rich's girlfriend who promised to have Rich get back to him. That was weeks ago and Kramer didn't appear to want anything to do with their part-time band. But Tommy, like everyone around Eddie and Rita, was willing to do whatever it took to keep away or, in this case, prolong any bad news from coming into their lives.
For Rita, her best times were behind the counter with Margaret. Given more freedom to experiment, the two of them had compiled a menu far more wide-ranging than F.W.Woolworth regulations had allowed. Several chicken dishes to please the senior citizens, half-pound burgers to lure Shelter Island's would-be stud population and three different salads for calorie counters of all ages. And sundaes! Margaret had taken to calling Rita the "sundae specialist" and would suggest to anyone mulling over a choice for dessert, "Why don't you let me bring over our 'sundae specialist,' maybe you and she can come up with a concoction not on the menu." And Rita loved those little moments, smiling all the while she and the customer were volleying ideas back and forth. And when she would bring over her creation and see her smile matched by the customer she'd get some of the few warm feelings her current state seemed to allow.
When Eddie Brown was a baby, Sherry would marvel at his
patience. If she were late with his bottle he might get a little
fidgety, if he needed to be changed he'd have to be wet or soiled
a long time before crying. And as a child growing up he seemed to
have less of a problem than the rest of the world in waiting for
good things to happen or bad things to stop happening. And he had
been patient with Rita. It had been nearly four months since the
baby's death and though she had gotten to or close to her old
self in most ways, Rita could not bring herself to enjoy sex with
her husband. It had taken more than two months before she let him
do anything more than kiss and hold her and another few weeks
before the first of a handful of real sexual relations. But she
had been barely a willing and never a committed partner. The last
time they made love Eddie had found it difficult to stay
involved. When it was over he decided that he would wait for her
to bring up sex. It had now been three weeks and even patient
Eddie was getting impatient.
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Material Copyright © 1998-2003 by Jim Bearden