Claire was seated at the table in the community house looking irritated. She said, "My daughter and her husband want to spend Thanksgiving with me."
"My children want to do the same thing," Liz said. She was kind of ambivalent about the idea of spending the day with them.
"Mine, too," Bev said rolling her eyes. She doesn't hear from them except for phone calls on holidays and all of sudden they went to come for a visit.
"I can't afford to put out a Thanksgiving dinner for them," Claire said. It would be even harder if the grandchildren came as well.
"Same here," Liz said. A turkey alone was ten dollars and that didn't include all of the other fixings.
Feeling that she was being used by her children, Bev said, "They are going to ask that I sell my house and move in with them. Of course, they'll expect me to turn over some of my money to them."
"I didn't even think of that," Liz said wondering if her children were planning on making a similar proposition to her.
Having heard hints of financial trouble from her daughter, Claire said, "I expect my daughter to ask for a loan."
"Where were they when we were eating noodle soup for half a month?" Liz said getting a little angry.
"They were probably dealing with their own financial problems," Bev said knowing that the current economy was hard on everyone. There were a few people who were doing well, but she didn't know them.
"Still, they are adults now," Liz said. Despite all that she had gone through over the past two years, she felt that there was a time when people had to stand up on their own two feet. Her children were too old to run to her for money. She was on a fixed income and any money she had needed to last her for the rest of her life.
"They have mortgage payments and we have equity. You know that they are thinking that if we sell our houses and give them the money to pay off their mortgages that they'll be in a position to take care of us," Claire said putting her thoughts on the matter in plain words.
"They'll hate every penny they have to spend on us," Bev said shaking her head. They'd be real appreciative at first, but with time her kids would view her as a drain on their income. People didn't have much of a memory when it came to remembering past help.
The sad thing was that the offer would have been attractive at one time. Liz said, "Before we started the commune, I would have probably jumped at the chance."
"I know what you mean," Bev said thinking that it was a little hypocritical of her to feel so angry now that her quality of life had improved a bit.
"So what should we do?" Claire asked happy that she wasn't facing this situation alone.
"I can't afford a big Thanksgiving dinner," Liz said.
"Neither can I," Bev said.
Knowing Jack would probably die if he were to hear what she was about to say, Claire said, "I wish Jack wasn't at work. He'd have an idea."
"He's pretty good at coming up with good ideas," Bev said.
Considering the kinds of things that Jack suggested, Liz said, "He'd probably say to invite them to have dinner here. We cook one extra turkey for all of the guests without killing our budget and without ending up with a bunch of leftovers."
"You're right. That's exactly what he would recommend," Claire said shaking her head.
"He'd probably be right. Besides, it might help lay to rest any concerns they have about us," Bev said.
"It is not a bad idea," Liz said thinking about it.
"We'll have to thank him for the idea," Bev said and then realized he had not suggested the idea. She grinned and said, "He's not even here."
Realizing how ridiculous the conversation had become, Claire laughed and said, "Right. I guess our thanks would confuse him."
"He'd probably think we're going senile," Bev said laughing.
"I don't know where I'm going to put the kids," Liz said thinking about the other problems of having visitors.
"I doubt Mary would appreciate being kicked out of the house," Claire said realizing that she no longer had a guest room.
Bev said, "I was going to insist they stay at a hotel."
"Why? You have room," Claire said.
"It is the principle of the thing. They ignore me all year and then invite themselves over for the holidays without even asking me what I thought of the idea. To tell the truth, I'm a little angry at them. Three months ago I could have used a little help and where were they?" Bev answered. Her son had basically said that he was coming for the holiday. He didn't even entertain the idea that she had a choice in the matter.
"What do you want to bet that a dozen more houses go up for sale over the next three months?" Liz said thinking that all of the people in the neighborhood were going to get visits from their children over the holidays.
"I wouldn't take that bet," Claire said knowing that it was probably what was going to happen. She shook her head and said, "They'll be saying that they are concerned about their parents. They'll probably even mean it."
After a moment of silence, Liz said, "You know that what they are trying to do is a family version of our commune. It is a way of bringing the family back together and getting everyone to contribute for the good of the family. It isn't that bad of an idea."
"Well, my family was too late," Bev said with a bit of finality to her voice.
With a twinkle in her eye, Claire said, "I just might suggest to my daughter that she have her kids move in with her. I bet that would go over like a lead balloon."
At the image that provoked, Bev laughed and said, "That's a great idea."
"Do you think Jack would invite his parents to move in with him?" Claire asked.
"I don't know. He doesn't talk about them much," Liz said wondering about the relationship between Jack and his parents.
"He calls them on occasion. At least that is what Abby tells me," Claire said. Jack usually borrowed Abby's cell phone to make calls.
"That's good," Liz said.
"I think his parents are doing okay financially," Claire said.
At work, Abby's telephone rang. She was going to answer it until she saw the expression on her boss's face. Rather than get into an argument, she let it go over to voice mail wondering who was calling her at work. When her first break came around, she listened to the voicemail. She called back, "Hello, Mrs. Dunne."
"Hello, Abby. How are you doing?" Jack's mother answered. She wondered why Jack didn't talk about his girlfriend that often, but she was open minded and would give her the benefit of a doubt.
Pleased to hear his mother ask about her, Abby answered, "I'm doing all right."
"That's nice. Is Jack around?"
"He's at work," Abby answered. Jack's mother still forgot that Jack now had a regular job with real work hours.
"That's right. He's working at the college now, isn't he?" Mrs. Dunne said. She hoped that he got a cell phone soon. It was such a pain relaying messages through Abby.
"Right. I'll let him know that you called," Abby said. She looked down at her tray of tacos thinking that she'd have to cut the call short.
"I just wanted to invite you and Jack over for Thanksgiving," Mrs. Dunne said.
"Thank you," Abby said surprised by the invitation. She didn't know if she was going to have to work that day. Thinking about it, she realized that it was highly likely she would have to work. The high school kids would all want the holiday off and as the 'peon' she would be stuck there for most of the day.
"Talk it over with Jack and let me know what you decide," Mrs. Dunne said. She was hoping to meet Abby and the upcoming holidays seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Pretty sure that Jack would accept the invitation, Abby said, "I'll be sure to tell him. He'll call you tonight."
"Great," Mrs. Dunne said.
Abby returned to work after her break thinking about Jack and his family. She knew that he thought very highly of his father. His mother tended to worry about him and Jack was careful not to give her more to worry about. She was sure that they would have helped him out with a little money, but Jack was a little too proud to accept it. She wondered if he was afraid of losing his father's respect.
Sometimes Jack puzzled her. He was an odd mix of modern man and old fashioned gentleman. He rose when a woman came to the table. At the same time, he could back off and let a modern woman be self-sufficient. She said, "He's eating his way into my mind."
Her boss asked, "What?
"I was just talking to myself," Abby said realizing that she had said that last bit aloud.
"Well, clean up the dining area before the next rush," her manager said.
"Yes, sir," Abby said looking across the dining area. There were times when she felt that people were real pigs. Taco wrappers were scattered on the floor. The tables were filthy and half of them had trays left on them. She hated this job, but it was better than working at the nursing home.
Jack entered the office and looked at the carpet. There was a large tear just inside the door. The movers had torn it while moving a filing cabinet into the room. The woman at her desk looked up at him and asked, "What do you need?"
"I'm here to check out the carpet," Jack answered squatting down. He could patch it, but it wouldn't last.
"Good. I trip over it every time I enter my office," the woman said.
Looking up at her, Jack said, "Well, I can patch it or I can replace it. If I patch it, it won't last long. If I replace it, you'll have to move everything out of the office."
"Patch it," the woman said thinking that she didn't want to go through the hassles of moving everything out of the office. She added, "Fix it during the summer."
"I'll talk to my boss about it," Jack said understanding her decision.
"Do I need to leave while you make the repair?" she asked.
"I'll do my best not to disturb you," Jack said.
"Thank you," she said turning back to her work.
A little carpet tape would patch the problem for the time being. It was a simple tear and didn't require him to replace any of the carpet. He bent down and started to work on it. He looked up when he heard the woman say, "Guten Tag, Herr Frederick."
Smiling he went back to work while she exchanged small talk with the person on the other end of the telephone. After a few minutes, the conversation changed to a more serious topic that outstripped his understanding of German. He caught a few words now and then, but had no idea what she was discussing. He finished the job a few minutes after she had hung up the phone.
Rising from the carpet, he said, "Es ist orlich festgelegt."
"Sie sprechen Deutsches?" she asked surprised.
"Ein wenig," Jack answered with a smile. Knowing that his German wasn't up to explaining how he had come to speak the language, he switched to English and said, "There is an elderly German woman who doesn't speak English in my neighborhood. I talk to her on occasion. The only reason that I know how to say that it is fixed is because I occasionally repair things around her house."
"You learned German to talk to one old lady?" the woman asked very surprised by his comment.
"I guess you could say that," Jack said picking up his tools. "She doesn't have anyone else to talk with except her daughter-in-law."
"That's nice of you," the woman said thinking he was a jewel in the rough. With a little education he could turn out quite nicely.
Deciding that he had imposed too long, Jack said, "Well, I'll let you get back to work."
"What is your name?" the woman asked before he had a chance to leave.
"Jack Dunne."
"I'm Melissa Franks."
"It is nice to meet you Frau Doktor Franks," Jack said remembering a little about how to address people based on their title.
"It is just Fraulein Franks," Melissa said letting him know that she was single. She was just a graduate student working on her Master's degree.
"I stand corrected," Jack said backing out of the office. He gave her a wave and went on to the next job. She was an attractive woman, but he was sure that she was out of his league.
Watching him leave, Melissa commented, "He's kind of cute. I wonder if he's married."
Jack went onto the next job thinking about the fact that this was payday. He could hardly wait to get his check in hand and see how much he was taking home. If it was good, he was going to pick up a cell phone on the way home. He finished the next job in good time to make it by the office to pick up his paycheck. He opened it and stared at the amount. After taxes and everything was taken out, it was still over five hundred dollars. That wasn't bad considering that it was for one week's work. Even better was the fact that it was direct deposit. He didn't have to stop by the bank to deposit it.
Leaving the college when his shift was over, he stopped by the phone store. Thirty minutes later he walked out with a two year contract, a brand new phone, and a Bluetooth headset. Stepping outside the store, he dialed a number. His mother answered on the third ring. He said, "Hello, Mom."
"Hello Jack. I guess Abby gave you my message," his mother said surprised that he had called so early.
"What message?" Jack asked wondering if Abby had failed to tell him that his mother had called.
"I called this morning and talked to Abby. I wonder why she didn't tell you," his mother said bothered a bit by the fact that the young woman hadn't given him the message.
"I haven't gotten home, yet," Jack said.
"I wanted to know if you are interested in coming up here for Thanksgiving and bringing her with you," his mother said.
Jack said, "I had better talk to her before I accept. She might have to work that day."
"She might have to work?" his mother asked.
"She works at the Taco Emporium and they are open on Thanksgiving," Jack answered.
"I didn't realize that," his mother said. Her frown could be heard over the telephone.
Jack said, "Let me talk to her and see what is going on there."
"Okay," his mother said. It dawned on her that he must not be using Abby's phone. She asked, "Whose phone are you using?"
"Mine. I just got it and thought the first call I should make would be to my mother," Jack said knowing that she would appreciate it.
"You're a good son," his mother said. "What is your girlfriend going to think about you calling your mother first?"
"What girlfriend?" Jack asked confused by her question.
"Abby, you idiot," his mother said exasperated. She didn't believe for a minute his assertion that there was nothing going on between the two. Two young people didn't live together without a little hanky-panky taking place.
"She's not my girlfriend," Jack said thinking that he was going to have to suggest that Abby and Johnny swap houses sometime soon.
"You're living with her," his mother said not believing his story at all. Young people didn't live together without something happening.
"She rents a room from me," Jack said rolling his eyes.
"Don't roll your eyes at me," his mother said sharply.
"I'm on the telephone and you can't see me. Why do you think I was rolling my eyes?" Jack asked.
"I'm your mother."
"Yes, mother," Jack said barely keeping from rolling his eyes. It never ceased to amaze him how his mother knew those kinds of things.
"That's better," she said.
Shaking his head as if to clear it, Jack said, "I'll talk to Abby and see what she says."
"She better say yes. It isn't a good idea for a girlfriend to start off a relationship with the boy's mother by rejecting an offer to meet," his mother said.
"She's not my girlfriend," Jack said. In the face of such a united front to hook him up with Abby, he was not surprised that he was going bald.
"Where there's smoke there's fire," his mother said.
Jack rolled his eyes and said, "There is no smoke and there is no fire."
"What? Are you not good enough for her?"
Thinking that Abby was really going to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with his mother, Jack said, "I'm going to have to introduce you to Frau Shultz. The two of you would get along like twin sisters."
"Frau Shultz? Who is she?" his mother asked suspiciously.
"She is one of my neighbors," Jack answered not wanting to explain the commune.
"You aren't living with more than one woman, are you?" his mother asked sensing that there was something he wasn't telling her.
"No, mother," Jack answered half tempted to tell her that he was involved with a dozen women and most of them were older than her. He bit his tongue knowing that one slip and he'd have a visit from his father.
"Will you call back tonight?" his mother asked thinking that she'd like a chance to think about this conversation for a bit. She wondered if she should call Abby.
Jack said, "Sure."
The conversation lasted another minute while goodbyes were exchanged. Once he had hung up, Jack muttered, "I need one date and a whole bunch of women will shut up."
Upon reaching the house, Abby met Jack at the door and said, "Your mother called."
"I know," Jack said holding up his cell phone.
"She wanted me to know if there was a problem between us," Abby said ignoring the cell phone.
Puzzled, Jack said, "She told me that she called to invite us over for Thanksgiving dinner."
"That was earlier today. I just got off the phone with her," Abby said pointedly.
Irritated, Jack said, "Let's invite them here and let her sit next to Frau Shultz. I'll give her an English-to-German dictionary and Frau Shultz a German-to-English dictionary. They can jabber at each other the whole day."
Laughing, Abby said, "That would serve them both right."
"Knowing our luck, they'll come to an agreement on our fate and we'll be married with kids before you know it," Jack said.
"You're probably right," Abby said.
Jack was silent for a moment and then said, "You know, it might not be a bad idea to invite them over here."
"I'll have to work that day so I wouldn't be able to go there," Abby said. She had talked to her boss and he had told her that she was low person on the totem pole.
"I'll invite them to come over," Jack said.
Wondering how the others would feel about having visitors, Abby asked, "What about the commune?"
"I didn't think about that," Jack said realizing that everyone would want to celebrate it together. He frowned while thinking about how people would react to him bringing strangers into the celebration. After all, they had a lot to be thankful for. He said, "I bet everyone wants to celebrate Thanksgiving as a group."
"You're right," Abby said feeling guilty that she hadn't even thought about it.
"Let's talk to Claire," Jack said thinking that she would have something wise to suggest.
The pair walked over to the community house hoping that the answer to Jack's problem would be found there. They arrived just in time to hear Gail say, "My son announced that he is coming for Thanksgiving."
"Does Johnny know?" Claire asked.
"He does now. I called him and told him," Gail said. She shook her head and said, "He wasn't too happy about it."
"Why?" Jack asked.
"Johnny thinks my son is trying to railroad me into moving to an adult community. They've had a couple of fights over the matter," Gail said. She viewed it as the first step on the pathway to a nursing home.
"Oh boy," Jack said. He wondered if Thanksgiving wasn't going to turn into family feud Thursday.
"Johnny felt that by belonging to the commune that we could say that it was an adult community of sorts. After he moved in, he felt that his presence in the house would put an end to the discussion," Gail said with a worried frown.
"My daughter is coming here. She invited herself. She wasn't going to give me any choice in the matter," Claire said.
"My kids are coming," Liz said.
"Mine too," Bev said.
Jack said, "My folks want us to go to their house, but I would rather spend Thanksgiving with everyone here. We've got a lot to be thankful for. I came over here to ask you what you thought of the idea of letting me invite them. I guess with so many people coming, I should probably go to my parents."
"No Jack. Invite them to come here," Claire said knowing that a couple more people wouldn't matter. "In the worst case, we'll have Thanksgiving Dinner in shifts."
"How many people are we talking about?" Jack asked. They were up to seventeen people in the commune. If they all had a couple of guests, they were talking about fifty people.
"Probably fifty to seventy-five people depending on who is coming," Claire said with a worried expression on her face. She said, "Wanda, Sally, the Shultzs, and the Putnams haven't heard from any of their children yet. I don't know about the Benjamins' parents. That doesn't mean they won't be getting calls anytime soon."
"How many people can we fit in here at a time?" Jack asked looking around the community house.
When no one answered, Gail said, "Well, if we do it buffet style then we can fit a lot of people in here. It won't be a sit down dinner, but I bet that we could fit fifty people in here. If the weather is nice, we could even put some tables outside."
"That's not a bad idea," Claire said. "We could take out one of the tables and put chairs in here around the edges of the room. We've got the living room, the entertainment room, and the office. There's a lot of empty space yet."
"If the weather is bad, we could move some of the stuff out the garage and put in a heater. We could put the kids in it and take turns watching over them," Jack said thinking that the kids might find that exciting.
"Let's ask Cheryl what she thinks of that idea. She understands the mind of modern parents a little better than any of us," Liz said.
Abby asked, "How many turkeys are we going to have to cook to feed seventy five people?"
"Ten?" Bev guessed.
"Fifty pounds of potatoes, ten pumpkin pies, at least twelve giant cans of corn, six heads of lettuce, and I can't even guess how much bread for stuffing," Abby said finding the idea of preparing that much food was making her head spin.
"How much is this going to cost us?" Claire asked concerned about the money.
Shaking her head, Abby said, "First we have to find out how many people are coming. Then we'll have to come up with a menu, use that to come up with a shopping list, and then I'll be able to price it out."
"What's your best guess?" Bev asked.
Considering how much time she spent at hunting down bargains, Abby said, "I would guess that it will cost us four dollars a meal. That's about three hundred dollars or so for that many people. We'd all have to chip in about twenty dollars each to cover the cost."
"I can't afford that," Bev said.
Although he could afford it, Jack wasn't so sure about Ella and Frau Shultz. He also didn't think it was fair that they have to pay for other people's guests. He said, "Let's set a donation jar by the door. We all make a point of dropping in a five dollar bill when we come in the house."
"Are you suggesting that we charge them to eat here?" Claire asked staring at Jack.
"Why not?" Jack asked with a smile.
"That's the smartest thing anyone has suggested all day," Claire said laughing. She could just imagine the expression on her daughter's face when she realized that it was expected that she pay for her meal.
Rubbing her forehead, Abby said, "Your mother is going to hate me."