Leftovers: A Novel (17 page)

Esther looked out towards the audience. “Then it’s a good thing you won a washer!”

•  •  •

Vivian had less than three weeks to prepare for her Jubilee trip to Florida. As odd as it may sound, considering her upbringing, she had never flown in an airplane. In fact, she had never traveled outside of New England.

She had already booked a hectic Tupperware party schedule for the entire month of April but luckily, Babs and Stew were going to take over the dates during her five day absence. There were a million and one things Vivian had to do to prepare for the trip, including buying a few lightweight summer dresses, hats and a set of luggage. And Babs was more than eager to tag along giving Vivian advice and fashion tips. Together, like two teenagers getting ready to go to their first dance, the women bopped in and out of stores up and down Main Street like there wasn’t a care in the world.

Meanwhile, a black Mercedes Benz was slowly making its way through the center of town. Driving it was an unusually nervous Irene Lawson. Every time she passed someone walking along the sidewalk she slowed her car down to scan them carefully. Ignoring other drivers honking at her, she came to an abrupt stop to avoid running a red light.

“Where the hell is she?”

She rested her elbow on the steering wheel and dropped her chin into her palm, looked to her left and then immediately perked up.

Vivian juggled a large, medium and small carry-on case of matching luggage as she squeezed her way out of Sutherland’s Department Store.

Irene illegally pulled a U-turn right there in the intersection while still at the red light. She narrowly missed another car and pulled into Sutherland’s parking lot, stopping just short of Vivian.

Frightened she was going to be run over, Vivian dropped the luggage and lunged out of the way as Irene got out of the car. She pretended not to see her daughter and walked right past her to the store’s entrance.

Vivian did a double take. “Mother?”

Irene slowly turned around and acted completely surprised. “Vivian? Is that you?”

“What are you doing here?”

Irene looked up at the store’s sign. “I’m buying some . . . Sutherland’s.”

Vivian awkwardly embraced her as Babs came out of the store loaded down with purchases. She managed to put on her happy face. “Hey Mrs. Lawson, how the heck are you?”

Irene studied her. “Do I know you?”

The happy face instantly disappeared. “Uh . . . no. No, you don’t know me at all.” Babs turned to Vivian. “I’ll wait in the car. And good luck.”

Irene took out a hanky and dabbed her face with it. “Maid 4 said she thought you did a drive-by.”

“You make it sound like I’m a hit man.”

“You didn’t even have the decency to stop and say hello? I’ve been worried sick, Vivian.”

“About what?”

“You! I haven’t seen or heard from you since you walked out on me at the Banam Club.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“I called numerous times and the phone company said your line was disconnected.”

“I lost the house.”

Her mother looked at her like she was mad. “What do you mean you lost it? How can someone lose a house? I called Patrick at the precinct and he wouldn’t take my call.”

“It’s Paul and I divorced him.” Vivian picked up the large suitcase.

“Hmm, smartest thing you’ve ever done. Where are you going?”

“I’m flying down to Florida.”

“On whose dime?”

“Tupperware’s.”

Irene had to think for a moment. “You’re a Fuller Brush man?”

“No. I sell Tupperware.”

“Cosmetics?”

“No,” Vivian said with an irritated tone as Irene headed for her car. “It’s Tupperware. You’re the one who said, ‘Plastics, plastics, plastics.’”

“Why would they fly
you
of all people to Florida?” She opened her car door, got back in and slammed it shut.

“Because I’m the top selling regional . . . ”

Irene started the engine cutting Vivian off. “My life is extremely lonely now. Can’t you keep in touch with your own mother?”

Vivian was beyond confused. “I’m . . . sorry. I should have . . . ”

“I’m going to be late.”

Vivian pointed to Sutherland’s. “What about the department store?”

“Is that what it is? No time for idle chitchat.” She leaned her head out of her window allowing Vivian to kiss her cheek, which she did quickly and reluctantly. “A door-to-door salesperson.”

“I am not. I host parties.”

She shifted the gears. “Thank heaven your father is dead because this would kill him.”

Vivian couldn’t believe what she had just said.

Irene examined her face. “And that lipstick is all wrong for your skin tone.”

She pulled out of the parking lot and sped off as Vivian watched her, completely baffled.

“Mother, you bought it for me.”

•  •  •

Later that night, Stew was cooking up a storm in Babs’ kitchen. He pulled a roast chicken out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove to rest. Then he added butter and cream to a pot of potatoes and started mashing them.

Babs flew down the staircase and noticed the dining room table set for two. “It smells like Thanksgiving.”

He looked at the sexy dress she was wearing. “Who is it tonight?”

“You make me sound like a tramp!”

“I could break out into a song about this.”

They both laughed as he spooned roasted vegetables onto a platter.

Babs ran to the hall mirror and checked her make-up. “So I met this guy who’s divorced, has two grown children and lives in the basement apartment of his mother’s house.”

“Sounds like a keeper.”

Babs stuck her fingers into the mashed potatoes, scooped out a clump and tasted it. “Someday you’re going to make someone a great wife.”

He slapped her hand. “You just figured that out?”

“How long have you been slaving over this?”

He looked at the clock, took an apple pie out of the oven and placed it on a cooling rack. “Just three and a half hours.”

Babs grabbed her coat and handbag. “She’s going to love it. Don’t wait up for me.”

“I never do.”

Meanwhile, Vivian was sitting in the upstairs hallway, talking on the phone.

“Darla, this is so exciting. Karen and Paula are interested too, so I can train you all at the same time.”

Stew dished the mashed potatoes out into a serving bowl and placed it on the table along with the vegetables and roast chicken. As he was lighting the candles on the table, Vivian hurried down the staircase not even noticing what he was doing.

“Stew, that was another recruit. That’s eight this week.”

“Great,” he said half-heartedly as he saw her open the front closet and take out her coat.

“Sorry I can’t stay for dinner. Darla, Karen, Paula and I have decided to start work tonight. Trying to get as much done as possible before I leave for Jubilee. Can I borrow your car?”

Thrown, he hesitated.

“Stew, were you going to use it? I can call one of them and be picked up.”

He used all his strength not to show his disappointment. “No. No, I’m not going anywhere.” He handed her his keys.

“Thanks a million,” she said as she took them from him. “Don’t wait up.”

She dashed out the door, leaving Stew standing there in a daze.

“I never do.”

After a moment, he looked at the table and then blew out the candles.

•  •  •

The day of her trip, Babs and Stew drove Vivian down to Boston but it took twice as long as usual because it was raining so hard. They feared she would miss her flight but once they reached Logan International Airport it was a relief to discover that the plane was delayed due to weather.

It was still stormy when Eastern Airlines decided to let the passengers board the plane and prepare for takeoff. Terrified of flying, Babs tried to convince Vivian to wait for better weather but she laughed it off. Vivian had already been through enough hardship in her 25 years that she had developed a rather fatalistic approach to life.

“Babs, if something goes wrong it goes wrong. If I’m going to die, why not let it happen during my first, thrilling flight, through the sky!”

“Honestly Viv, that’s just morbid.”

“Maybe you should wait,” Stew suggested.

“But it would be disappointing not to meet Brownie.” Vivian handed her boarding ticket to the airline agent and turned back to them. “You’re both being ridiculous. They wouldn’t let us fly if it wasn’t safe.”

Babs and Stew gave each other a worried look.

“Wish me luck!” Vivian laughed as she ran out onto the tarmac.

Everyone boarding the four-engine propeller plane was dressed as though it were the opening night of a Broadway show. The stewardesses all looked like high-fashion runway models and the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer seemed like they were plucked right out of central casting.

Vivian was beyond excited as she sat down in her window seat. The plane carried 40 passengers and it was packed full. And once they were cleared for takeoff and the pilot started up the engines, Vivian glanced out of her round porthole window and laughed at the sight of Babs genuflecting and Stew praying.

Sitting just in front of the wing, the roar of the propellers was deafening as they taxied down the runway in the light rain. The man sitting next to Vivian broke out into a flop sweat.

“Are you all right, sir?” Vivian asked.

Whether he chose not to hear her or couldn’t, he popped a pill into his mouth, closed his eyes and gripped the seat’s armrests with white knuckles.

The plane picked up speed and even Vivian was a bit concerned when she felt the nose of the aircraft lift up, sensing they just weren’t going fast enough yet to take flight. Within moments they were air born and instantly the plane bounced up and down and side to side due to turbulence.

Luckily, Vivian wasn’t prone to motion sickness, but as she looked around at others suffering in the airplane, she quickly discovered what the little white bags were for.

And once they reached an altitude of 22,000 feet, they were suddenly cruising above the bad weather and into pure sunshine at the remarkable speed of 300 mph.

The stewardesses appeared and the flight turned into a glamorous party, high in the sky. Drinks were poured and delicious food was served as they were propelled towards Tampa, Florida.

Out to the world, the man seated next to Vivian slept through the entire trip. But she wasn’t going to miss a single detail. She soaked up the trip like thirsty sponge. Vivian had always marveled at the fact that such heavy ships like this could get off the ground and soar through the air but the beauty and awesomeness of looking down upon the earth from so high up was something she could never have imagined. She loved every minute of it.

And although the landing was a bit bumpy and the runway seemed a little too short as the pilot aggressively put on the plane’s brakes forcing everyone to lurch forward, it didn’t faze Vivian at all. She was now in sunny Florida.

She knew it would be warm and tropical but she was surprised the moment they stepped off of the plane. It wasn’t just hot and humid, the light was brighter and the balmy breeze coming off of the gulf water mixed with the scent of citrus in the air was intoxicating.

After she retrieved her luggage she noticed a woman standing near the exit door holding a large sign.

Welcome to Jubilee
Tupperware
Dreams Do Come True

Vivian was escorted to one of several buses that were full of dealers, managers and distributors from all over the country. The Jubilee attendants were welcomed, filled in on everything that was going to happen during the next several days and were taught the Tupperware theme song as they were bussed the hour and a half trip to the headquarters in Kissimmee.

Vivian was lucky and she knew it. Brownie’s invitation to the Jubilee was being paid for by Tupperware. Most others had to pay their own way. A secretary had contacted her before she left and informed her that she was would be staying at the Orange Blossom Trail Motel a few miles away from the celebrations. She would be bussed back and forth each day to all the events. The single story non-air-conditioned units built in a half circle embracing a less than enticing swimming pool were nothing fancy or even worth writing home about but Vivian didn’t care. This was the first time she had stayed in a motel, out of town, out of state, by herself and she was ecstatic.

At first she thought the Tupperware song was a bit corny and just kind of hummed along but eventually she got caught up in the excitement everyone was feeling and she started singing out louder than anyone else.

Looking out of the bus window as they traveled inland, Vivian was amazed at how flat the terrain was. Any other person coming down from the lushness of New England would have thought Florida looked as bleak and barren as the moon. Up north the blazing yellow forsythia had already reached their peak while the pink blossoms of the dogwood and crabapple trees were just beginning to open up.