by Matt L. » Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:36 am
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ~
Mabel greeted Gretchen and Albert upon their arrival home as a mom would after her children returned after a long day at school.
Hugging both of them, Mabel in turn asked about their day.
Albert promptly went first, “I loaded up a couple trucks and then mopped the back room, later me and Ed fed ants to a spider.”
Gretchen’s expression curdled, Ew, gross! You boys ain’t got nut’n better to do!”
“It was cool…” Albert defended his leisure pursuit, yet Mabel interrupted, fawning over Gretchen.
“How was yer day, sugar? Did you have fun with Bonnie?” Mable inquired while strumming her fingers through Gretchen’s wilted locks.
“Well, Bonnie was working, that girl really cleans up in tips”. Gretchen began casually but automatically geared into excitement when bringing up the dance, “But we done talk about the big VFW dance! Bonnie says the whole town will be turning out and they have a juke box and a dance floor, I can hardly wait!”
“You girls ain’t got nut’n better to do than talk about a dance!” Albert wisecracked.
“You wanna get punched?” Gretchen rattled off.
Albert took a step back, the yellow streak on his back a mile wide, but Mabel harshly interjected, “Gretel! Enough of that nonsense! You’re a young lady and a young lady never gets involved in fisticuffs!”
Gretchen grimaced, her spine as rubbery as Albert’s, “I was only kidding.”
Mabel’s mood lightened, “Fine then. Now you two wash up and have some milk and cookies too hold ya until dinner.”
Gretchen and Albert bolted toward the kitchen; however Mabel secured Albert by the arm and pulled him back while his girlfriend rushed out of the foyer.
“Have a Coca-Cola instead of milk, I’ll explain later”, Mabel whispered to Albert.
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Gretchen and Albert played a video game together until Mabel informed them that dinner was ready and on the table.
Mabel provided Gretchen with another glass of milk while favoring Albert with more cola while they dined on hot dogs, corn bread, hash brown potatoes, green beans, and pizza rolls.
Mabel was very pleased that Gretchen devoured almost twice as much as Albert.
“Anyone want pie and ice cream?” Mabel asked once the dinner meal was thoroughly consumed.
Gretchen and Albert cheerfully answered in unison.
It was while the family was enjoying their desert that Gretchen brought up lunch with Bonnie.
“Momma…” Gretchen began, steering her pretty eyes toward Albert to respectfully include him, “..and Al, Bonnie invited me out fer lunch, so um, I mean after my chores are done.”
Albert impatiently questioned Gretchen, “You just saw her today, what the hell? I thought we’d hang out and have a Marvel movie marathon and then play the new Spiderman game I got…”
Mabel was far more considerate, at least on the outside, “Why not?”
Turning to Albert, Mabel quelled his apprehension, “You can goof off with Jelly Belly all you want when she gets home, let her spend time with her friend.”
Mabel gazed over Gretchen with a grin which was silkily smooth, her tone bubbly, “You deserve being round female people yer own age, and Bonnie is a fine example of Southern charm. She does provided some positive influence, doesn’t she now, girl?”
“That she does, Momma, Bonnie is my best friend, she thinks of me like a sister”, Gretchen said while slurping away a spoonful of ice cream.
“That’s an ideal description I do believe”, Mabel demurely smiled, “Sisters. Is Bonnie as excited about the dance as you? Is she bringing a beau?”
Gretchen engaged in a mouthful of ice cream and pie before replying, “I guess so, but I haven’t a clue who’s taking her, that never came up.”
“Probably sum college weasel fella”, Albert chimed in.
Gretchen expressed her candid opinion, unaware of the slobbering stream of ice cream oozing from the corner of her mouth down to her chin, “I reckon I don’t know. I wish ol Larry Bumstead be taking her. They were a couple in high school, and he is cute. Too bad Bonnie thinks she’s better than him now. You know, like he’s a regular fella and she’s into smart, genuine profession types.”
Mabel sipped her coffee, deceitfully commenting, “Sometimes a girl wants to explore opposing types, though it’s a misleading endeavor. Soon enough the lush dream proves artificial and she’ll resume her sensible ideals, recognizing the man she had dismissed as being her sole interpretation of true love despite his dirty finger nails and paltry income.”
Gretchen momentarily gaped at Mabel with her mouth wide open, eventually resuming her pie and ice cream, “That’s too heavy for me to quite rightly understand but youse like sum old philosopher woman.”
Mabel cracked a weird smirk, “Momma knows best, and wouldn’t it be bliss if I shared my wisdom with Bonnie? Be a shame if that pretty thing ignored Larry’s gumption to court her and she ended up a spinster.”
Gretchen collected another sample of cake and ice cream on her spoon, “I wouldn’t worry about Bonnie, she’s got the mind to get hitched to a professional working type man from the city.”
“A city type…” Mabel cackled, “…does she not appreciate the beauty and serenity of rural culture and all the finer things our town has compared to the big city?”
Gretchen shrugged her shoulders, gobbling up another spoonful.
Mabel stood up, a quaint smile forming over her pudgy face, “Finish up your desert, darling, and then commence washing the dishes. I need to show Albert a couple things in the backyard.”
Gretchen thought nothing of it and agreed, but not before requesting another helping of pie and ice cream.
“Go on, that’s what it there fer!” Mabel sweetly answered Gretchen’s request.
___
Mabel and Albert hiked out to where a grove of oak trees sheltered them from the sun, a decent distance from the Cabbage mansion. Mabel was quiet but Albert bellyached the entire trek.
“Don’t she see enough of Bonnie? I swear, Bonnie is against us being a couple, if I wasn’t friends with her old man, I’d tell her off.”
“Simmer down”, Mabel finally resorted to calming her boy, “Gretel should have at least one female friend her own age..”
“But Momma, she supposed to be my girlfriend”, Albert griped.
“Gretel is your woman, and next week commence the deed correctly and she’ll have no need to stray.”
“What about Bonnie?” Albert huffed.
“I have special plans for Bonnie, but I gotta tell ya why you should stay away from the milk fer awhile.”
Albert stood with both hands to his hips, “Yeah, yeah Momma?”
“I got a new package from Acme, this included a drug that shrinks fat cells….”
Albert unsmilingly uttered, “Sorry, Momma, I don’t follow ya. I thought you wanted Gretel fattened up?”
Mabel playfully elbowed Albert’s belly, “Coz it hoodwinks the body into thinking it’s starving. Once she’s off the drug, the fat cells will multiply like crazy.”
“But Gretel just stuffed herself at dinner?” Albert questioned.
“Well the drug doesn’t curtail a person’s appetite, Gretel’s just happens to be a big eater.”
Albert nodded, “Ah, now I got’cha.”
Mabel grinned like a cat who ate the canary, “In no way did I forget about Bonnie when I ordered this shipment, however I’m going to need Dr. Gordon’s help to pull this off.”
Albert remembered Dr. Gordon was a retired brain surgeon which caused him to snicker.
Mabel affectionately laid her hand over Albert’s shoulders, “In a week Bonnie will have to contend with her own worries, another six months and Bonnie will be the passive friend, looking up to Gretel and needing her support and approval.”
“Like, swapping their personalities?” a bug eyed Albert inquired.
Mabel gestured forward, signaling to begin the trek back to their home.
“Something like that but not really”, Mabel casually shared the devious outcome to her plan, “Gretel will remain as she is personality wise but as for Bonnie…”
Mabel walked shoulder to shoulder with Albert on route back to the house, “…her manners will improve with her overhauled temperament and looks.”
“Gretel said they’re like sisters”, Mabel added with a chuckle, “A year from now that’s what people will think when they’re seen together!”
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The remainder of the evening Gretchen and Albert spent together in perfect harmony. Mabel’s talk had quelled her boy’s jealousy over Bonnie. They played video games until one in the morning, joking and laughing and snacking.
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