1950s: The end of another war
Betty and Thomas arrive back home to the news that the Soviet Union's leader, Stalin, has died. There is large uncertainty of what this means, but as there is also news about the armistice talks moving forward coming shortly thereafter, Thomas hopes that it means peace, and a quick return home for his brother.
But mostly, life just goes on. Grace is a frequent visitor to the house, to Michael's great pleasure. Aunty is fun, and often takes the time to play with him when mommy is busy with the baby, who mostly cries and poops anyway. Betty is grateful for the help, as being at home alone with two children and a dog is not always easy. The hours Thomas puts in at the hospital are long, and he's often away and return after the children's bedtime.
His hard work pays off, however, and he returns home with information of a promotion to surgeon.
He fears that being a surgeon won't make him work less, but he hopes, as he hates missing so much of his kids growing up. To make up for it, he spends a lot of time with them on the days he doesn't work, teaching Micheal to count, and watching as baby Carl ages up to an infant.
For his birthday, Betty arranges a big party. The house is filled with people, both Betty's family and Thomas' crowd around the living room. There is good food, drinks, dancing and talking throughout the evening, and for Michael the added benefit of grandma's attention as she reads him to bed.
Meanwhile, in San Sequoia, Barbara is enjoying her new life. Sure the house is a bit crowded at times, and there sometimes is a bit too long wait for the bathroom, but it's exciting and thrilling and rewarding. While Norm struggles with his boring 9-5, Doug, Gordon and Barbara spend their days doing what they love. Doug and Gordon both have steady incomes, but Barbara doesn't have that luxury but instead the freedom to create what she wants and hope that it gets sold. Most of her paintings do get sold, even if they're not displayed in large galleries.
But it's not just the painting she loves. Most of her days she spends all her time at the art center. When she's not painting she's trying her hand at other things, such as sculpting or jewelry making. When Gordon and Doug get back from their studios they join her. They get a bite to eat at the restaurant, drink and chat in the book shop, or blow bubbles into the early mornings and dream away to a world free of social constraints.
Then comes the day the entire family has been waiting for. Mid 1953, an armistice is finally agreed upon, and like that, the Korean war is over. At this point, no one in the family knows if and when Arthur is returning, but one night, he's just there outside his parent's house. A bit skinnier, and with a nasty scar on his forehead, but whole and alive.
Josephine and Nash are delighted of course, to have their son back. They've been worried sick, with no news for too long, but here he is right in front of them. "I was in the hospital for a while," he says, and Josephine wants to hug him silly and yell at him for not writing that he were at the same time. She chooses to hug him extra long and hard.
Arthur is, of course, dead tired, and the next morning Josephine lets him sleep in late while she makes a big breakfast and lets everyone in the family know that he's home and fill the house with his siblings. Thomas even takes time off from the hospital to go and welcome his brother home and introduce him to his new nephew.
Arthur is happy to see all of them, but also overwhelmed. "How do you deal with it?" he asks his brother when they have a moment without the women close by. "By doing what feels important, and finding someone to care about," Thomas answers.
For Arthur, important means doing something to help the army develop it's planes, and so as soon as he can, he enrolls into Foxbury, just as he originally planned. He doesn't admit to anyone, even to himself, that he throws himself into university life just as much to get away from those who loves him as he does it because the subject interest him. He needs time to think, space to breathe, and the opportunity to be alone. He finds some of that at the newly constructed science building at Foxbury. State of the art modern, with ways to study things such as robotics, rocket science and physics, Larry's Lagoon as it's nicknamed by the students become his refuge from a mind that is spinning too fast.
The fact that Foxbury at this time only allow male students, at least at undergraduate levels, means it almost feels a bit like the military and therefore familiar. He needs familiar almost as much as alone at the moment. Gone is his adventurous streak, instead he feels the weight of gloom coming over him at times when there is no need for it. He hopes that it will go away with time.
But it's not always easy to be alone with a family that insist on inviting you everywhere. It's Alice's 60th birthday, and she's throwing a big pool party at her house. Cora has done the cooking, there are drinks and sunshine. With Arthur just being at Foxbury it's no distance so there is no reason to say no. The entire west coast part of the family show up, even Gordon and Norm who doesn't really know their aunt at all are invited. Even Barbara's boyfriend, not husband, Doug is invited, to Nash annoyance. He really does not understand why the concept of marriage is so foreign to them. But that doesn't concern Alice, who never really lived by norms anyway. She even finds the time to give Barbara some acting lessons, should she ever need them.
Still, as successful as the party is, Arthur is grateful when he's back at university campus again. Maybe one day he'll enjoy the big bashes once more, but for now, he prefers his own company and eating his meals in peace.
But mostly, life just goes on. Grace is a frequent visitor to the house, to Michael's great pleasure. Aunty is fun, and often takes the time to play with him when mommy is busy with the baby, who mostly cries and poops anyway. Betty is grateful for the help, as being at home alone with two children and a dog is not always easy. The hours Thomas puts in at the hospital are long, and he's often away and return after the children's bedtime.
His hard work pays off, however, and he returns home with information of a promotion to surgeon.
He fears that being a surgeon won't make him work less, but he hopes, as he hates missing so much of his kids growing up. To make up for it, he spends a lot of time with them on the days he doesn't work, teaching Micheal to count, and watching as baby Carl ages up to an infant.
For his birthday, Betty arranges a big party. The house is filled with people, both Betty's family and Thomas' crowd around the living room. There is good food, drinks, dancing and talking throughout the evening, and for Michael the added benefit of grandma's attention as she reads him to bed.
Meanwhile, in San Sequoia, Barbara is enjoying her new life. Sure the house is a bit crowded at times, and there sometimes is a bit too long wait for the bathroom, but it's exciting and thrilling and rewarding. While Norm struggles with his boring 9-5, Doug, Gordon and Barbara spend their days doing what they love. Doug and Gordon both have steady incomes, but Barbara doesn't have that luxury but instead the freedom to create what she wants and hope that it gets sold. Most of her paintings do get sold, even if they're not displayed in large galleries.
But it's not just the painting she loves. Most of her days she spends all her time at the art center. When she's not painting she's trying her hand at other things, such as sculpting or jewelry making. When Gordon and Doug get back from their studios they join her. They get a bite to eat at the restaurant, drink and chat in the book shop, or blow bubbles into the early mornings and dream away to a world free of social constraints.
Then comes the day the entire family has been waiting for. Mid 1953, an armistice is finally agreed upon, and like that, the Korean war is over. At this point, no one in the family knows if and when Arthur is returning, but one night, he's just there outside his parent's house. A bit skinnier, and with a nasty scar on his forehead, but whole and alive.
Josephine and Nash are delighted of course, to have their son back. They've been worried sick, with no news for too long, but here he is right in front of them. "I was in the hospital for a while," he says, and Josephine wants to hug him silly and yell at him for not writing that he were at the same time. She chooses to hug him extra long and hard.
Arthur is, of course, dead tired, and the next morning Josephine lets him sleep in late while she makes a big breakfast and lets everyone in the family know that he's home and fill the house with his siblings. Thomas even takes time off from the hospital to go and welcome his brother home and introduce him to his new nephew.
Arthur is happy to see all of them, but also overwhelmed. "How do you deal with it?" he asks his brother when they have a moment without the women close by. "By doing what feels important, and finding someone to care about," Thomas answers.
For Arthur, important means doing something to help the army develop it's planes, and so as soon as he can, he enrolls into Foxbury, just as he originally planned. He doesn't admit to anyone, even to himself, that he throws himself into university life just as much to get away from those who loves him as he does it because the subject interest him. He needs time to think, space to breathe, and the opportunity to be alone. He finds some of that at the newly constructed science building at Foxbury. State of the art modern, with ways to study things such as robotics, rocket science and physics, Larry's Lagoon as it's nicknamed by the students become his refuge from a mind that is spinning too fast.
The fact that Foxbury at this time only allow male students, at least at undergraduate levels, means it almost feels a bit like the military and therefore familiar. He needs familiar almost as much as alone at the moment. Gone is his adventurous streak, instead he feels the weight of gloom coming over him at times when there is no need for it. He hopes that it will go away with time.
But it's not always easy to be alone with a family that insist on inviting you everywhere. It's Alice's 60th birthday, and she's throwing a big pool party at her house. Cora has done the cooking, there are drinks and sunshine. With Arthur just being at Foxbury it's no distance so there is no reason to say no. The entire west coast part of the family show up, even Gordon and Norm who doesn't really know their aunt at all are invited. Even Barbara's boyfriend, not husband, Doug is invited, to Nash annoyance. He really does not understand why the concept of marriage is so foreign to them. But that doesn't concern Alice, who never really lived by norms anyway. She even finds the time to give Barbara some acting lessons, should she ever need them.
Still, as successful as the party is, Arthur is grateful when he's back at university campus again. Maybe one day he'll enjoy the big bashes once more, but for now, he prefers his own company and eating his meals in peace.
Yay! I appreciate that you've made a blog for this series! I also follow this thread on the EA forums as jazzyrocksoul88. This page is easier to navigate though. I'm all caught up until now and enjoy the direction all the families are headed in. I'm personally rooting for Grace--knowing she'll likely suffer the fate of having kids she may not fully want.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am glad to hear that you're enjoying the story. I too feel for Grace, and worry a little about her. We'll see what happens to her.
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