!!! Decide whether TOI is thought-out idea or else high school essay material!!!
After about an hour since they stopped for apples.
Erica’s Thesis
They stay at the house on Friday night and don’t attend the PA’s poetry reading until Sunday. How do Maggie and PA get together w/o her knowing that he is married to Erica? See under >Perry’ in A040624.
(Move this to exposition when the trip first comes up, during the drive, or right here: Erica grew up in the Garfield Street house. Maggie came to share the house for a few weeks with her college friend and wound up staying in Washington after meeting Benny. Erica moved on to travel the world ins search of knowledge and her thesis completion, and left the house in Maggie’s care for all this time.) Also, Erica’s family history somewhere in here.
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After about an hour since they stopped for apples, it was clearly on the way to becoming dusk. Other cars had begun to turn on their lights. Elliot sat nervously on the edge of his seat hoping beyond hope that, when Benny said the lights didn’t work, he meant the headlights in front and not the rear lights in back that were the first line of defense between backseat passengers and oncoming cars from behind.
Maggie rechecked a page of written directions. “We need to watch for a sign on the right at a dirt road past the trestle bridge.”
Benny said, “Is that it up there?” The tires made a mechanical whir on the bridge’s metal grid. On the other side, they slowed down and could just read a hand-carved sign in the gathering dusk, “Hollow Ridge”.
“That’s it!” said Maggie. They pulled off the dirt road onto an even smaller, bumpier, and darker road that Elliot hoped was just a short driveway to the house.
Thankfully, the overhanging trees soon opened up into a clearing where they stopped in front of an old clapboard farmhouse with lighted windows. Benny and Maggie got out, stretched, and Luna nimbly scampered over the back of the seat and bounded out to follow them. But Elliot couldn’t get the seat to slide forward and was trapped in the back seat. He banged on the window to get Benny’s attention who came around and opened the door to help him out. “Sorry about that. There’s a trick to it,” said Benny, fiddling with something on the seat’s hinge. “One more thing to fix,” he mumbled.
A woman’s voice hailed from inside the screen door to the house. “You made it!’ Maggie and Erica hugged on the front porch after their decades long separation. Erica was a striking woman with dark brown hair, sparkling eyes, and looked at least ten years younger than Maggie. Elliot wondered if the disparity was due to good diet and fresh air, a lifetime of stress-free leisure, an occasional bottle of hair coloring, or a combination of influences.
As greetings and introductions proceeded on the porch, Benny and Erica shared an awkward hug. He said, “It’s nice to see you again, Erica. Maggie tells me that your husband is a writer.’
Erica stepped back and said cheerfully, “Among other things. But he’s away. Let’s get your things inside.“
The women went inside as Benny and Elliot began bringing in a month’s worth of supplies for their weekend stay. As daylight ebbed to the west, smoke from the chimney fogged the new crescent moon peaking through a gap in the mountains and trees. Night sounds were just beginning to build from the woods and croaking frogs were singing from a nearby pond.
Elliot heard something distant that drew his attention. Was it a bird in the woods? He stopped, listened, and said, “Did you hear that?” But then he realized that he was alone with the night sounds and the task of emptying the car, Benny having gotten involved with some task or conversation in the kitchen. Elliot paused as his thoughts drifted for a moment back to his drive to the nation’s capital barely a week ago. It was late night and he’d put the windows down just for the sheer heck of feeling the cool night air blow through the car. Despite the rushing gale, he could hear the cicadas humming in the median. The resonance was as if one voice was calling to the night even as each individual insect sang its own song.
“Elliot!” Maggie called from the screen door. “We’ll get the bags later. Erica has dinner ready for us.”
Elliot came up the porch steps with the bushel of apples they’d brought and asked, “Did you hear that?”
Maggie listened and asked, “Hear what?”
“That bird,” said Elliot. “It was so strange. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything like it before.”
“Hm,” Maggie huffed. “Maybe Erica knows what it is. Come on. Let’s all sit down together.”
Benny met them just inside the door and said, “Here, let me take that for you.”
“Sure. Thanks,” said Elliot, giving him the apples.
Benny strode half a dozen steps into the kitchen and said, “We picked up some apples for you. Where should I put them?”
Erica pointed with a serving spoon and said, “Aren’t you a dear! Maybe just set them in the living room for now.”
As he did so, something caught his eye and he exclaimed, “A chess set! I remember you always had a chess set at the ready when you lived at Garfield Street.”
Erica called from the kitchen, “Do you still play, Benny?”
“Every chance I get. Perhaps you will grace me with a lesson.”
Overhearing, Elliot touched Benny’s arm and whispered, “A lesson?”
Benny replied, unashamed to be overheard, “Erica was my greatest teacher. She taught me things about chess I never would have guessed otherwise. Pay attention. You might learn something.”
From the kitchen came, “I’m flattered.”
And Maggie’s retort, “Oh, he’s the flatterer, alright … when he wants to be.”
Erica said, “Why don’t you men relax in the living room while Maggie and I put the finishing touches on dinner. We’ll just be a few minutes.”
~ 880 words Working section above, need editing below:
~800-1200 more words to get them to the next scene: discussion at dinner or afterwards in living room. Answer the question: why did Erica contact Maggie now? Possibly because of herald article; possible hazards ahead.
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(Re Burton’s age; at dinner later; how best to reveal his New Year’s Day birthday?)
The women folk had been laughing and talking a mile a minute, completing each other’s thoughts and sentences as if only a few weeks had passed since their last conversation rather than the decades that had added to their years. Maggie’s pause of just a couple of seconds signaled that she had something on her mind that required a measure of delicacy. “And how is, um… Is your uncle…”
“Yes,” Erica said. “He’s still with us, to everyone’s surprise. Everyone but him, that is. He’s completely convinced that he’ll live to be one hundred in good health. He’s nearly there.”
Maggie said, pausing to count the years, “Goodness! I suppose it’s been … I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve seen him.”
“Oh? I didn’t know you two had ever met.”
“I think just one time when you were away. He was very gracious and (accommodating/welcoming/polite). I had just moved into the Garfield Street House and he came over to get something out of the basement.”
“Yes, he was still able to get around on his own then.”
“Some kind of degenerative disease, you’d said. I’m pleasantly surprised that he is still of this earth.”
“No more surprised than I am, I can assure you. He’s completely wheelchair-bound now, and has to speak through a device. But he’s as driven now as ever. He employs an army of (assistants), and now that I’m nearby, I help out however I can. He’s not doing too badly considering his age and illness. He’s been involved with some sort of geriatric medical study.”
“At his age? That’s interesting.”
“Yes, well, that’s one advantage of wealth. You can spend money on things of your choosing. In his case, it’s become something of a challenge to see how long he can live. He has all sorts of electronic gizmoes that allow him to get around and communicate. He still works on projects and pokes at his investments. But he still lives in (Kalorama) not far from the Garfield Street house. With twenty-four hour care of course.”
Maggie said, “You know, the basement is still filled with furniture and boxes of all kinds. I’ve been careful to respect his request to leave it undisturbed.”
Erica pursed her lips and seemed to reply carefully. “Yes, we really should have cleared that stuff out years ago.” Then she looked up with a smile and said, “I’ll see if I can get someone over there to survey the situation.”
Maggie said, “It’s pretty much the same as how you left it. A bit dustier, I expect. But don’t worry on our account.
It’s not in our way. We have more room than we need. In fact, I’ve hardly noticed that we have a houseguest since Elliot arrived.”
Erica said, “It’s mostly old papers from when he was with the government. There was talk long ago about donating his notes to a university or archives.”
“I remember you said he was a lawyer.”
“Among other things. He made his money in business…”
Erica grew up in the house, having already mentioned that he was nearly 100 years old; following is all akimbo & needing serious update.
“The neighborhood hasn’t changed much since I was young.”
“Oh. You grew up in the house?”
“Yes. My father died when I was ten, and my Uncle Otto came to live with me when I was in high school. When I was old enough to be on my own, he moved a couple of blocks away on {Kalmia} Street.)
“In one of those big mansions overlooking the park?”
“Yes. He settled here in the city after the war and did quite well in business.” She noticed Elliot in thought and added, “That’s the Second World War, if you were wondering.”
“I was trying to … uh,”
Elliot had quickly adapted to meals at the Garfield Street house that were often haphazard affairs consisting of carry-out meals from the joint around the corner, leftovers, or carry-out leftovers. In contrast, Erica’s home and kitchen expressed a simple elegance and order that was neat, comfortable, modest, and unadorned.
Erica directed them to the table to sit. Maggie said, “This is fabulous! You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.”
“No trouble at all. I love to cook for company…”
The Piano: during dinner, after having mentioned the piano’s history in the car to Elliot along with Maggie and Erica’s early history as roommates. (Benny had argued that, after so many years, Erica had probably forgotten all about the piano.)
(Benny made some slight joke at Maggie’s expense, to which she took mild offense.) After glaring at him for a second or two, she said in her most pleasant voice, “Benny, don’t you have something you wanted to tell Erica? About the piano?”
Benny’s joviality collapsed at the unpleasant prospect. But he forged onward and said soberly, “Ye-ah, something I really want to say.” Turning in his chair to face Erica, he said, “Erica, I have to confess something. I feel terrible about this, but sometimes things happen that we just didn’t see coming. Looking back, we might have done things differently, with the benefit of hindsight. If I only knew then what I know now, you understand?”
Maggie jumped in impatiently with her two cents. “Oh, just tell her already!” She turned to Erica and said in a calm apologetic voice. “It’s the piano. It’s gone, and we’ll never get it back. What can we do to make it up to you?”
Erica wrinkled her brow in thought. “You mean my Aunt’s old player piano? Don’t you remember? We discussed that years ago when I came through town. Luna was just a puppy. It was such a quick and hurried visit, I wouldn’t blame you for forgetting. You were so apologetic, I told you not to give it another thought.”
Benny had a rather peculiar look on his face. Through an exaggerated smile, Benny said, “You were in town when Luna was a puppy! I hadn’t heard a thing about this. I’m so sorry I missed you. So sorry! How nice of you! Did you hear that, Maggie? Erica said not to give it another thought. Back when Luna was a puppy. That must have been ten or twelve years. How nice! Thank you, Erica. That’s so … forgiving of you. And so … understanding! Thank you.”
Erica added, “Honestly Maggie, I think you played it more than anyone had in decades…”
With a slap of his hand on the table, Benny pronounced, “Excellent! Then it’s settled! Thank you for your generosity.” Not having the good sense to stop while he was ahead, Benny waved his fork and further commented, “You know, player pianos were actually early computers, although nobody called them that at the time. They were equipped with the essential components that define a computer: input device (the paper rolls or keyboard), processor (the paper reading device connected to the hammers and keys), and output (the music and sound). In fact, during the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the word computer actually referred to people who were hired to compute things.” He would have continued deep into the night prognosticating on everything he knew about pianos, computers, harmonics, and mathematics if he hadn’t felt Maggie’s glare again burning into the side of his head. He turned his attention back to his plate and said, “This is delicious! We simply have to get this recipe from you. What is this dish?”
“Squash,” came the reply.
“Marvelous, simply marvelous. Elliot, don’t you think this is marvelous?”
“Marvelous,” said Elliot.
~500 words above
For economy, the full piano story could be revealed deep into Act 2-3, perhaps after Elliot’s return to DC (See PianoTuneNotes).
thermodynamics of ideas 