Louise's Blunder Read Online Free PDF Page A

reading.
    ‘The
Washington Post
seems quite optimistic about the course of the war,’ Ada said. ‘One of the editorials predicted we’d invade soon.’
    Not for a year at least, I thought. If then. The effort required would be unprecedented.
    ‘Things are looking up,’ Henry said. ‘I just hope Roosevelt listens to Churchill.’
    Looking up only in the sense that planning for the real war could begin. Yes, Rommel had been defeated in North Africa, the North Atlantic shipping lanes were clear, but Germany had an iron grip on Europe. What did they call it? Fortress Europe?
    ‘I heard,’ said Ada, who’d changed into a black dress for her gig that night, ‘that Churchill sleeps until noon and has a scotch and water even before he gets out of bed! And that he wanders around his rooms naked after his bath!’
    I’d been told the same story at work. Apparently President Roosevelt surprised the Prime Minister after his bath, rolling quietly into Churchill’s bedroom in the middle of the afternoon. ‘Well, Mr President,’ Churchill had said, ‘at least there’s nothing coming between us.’
    Phoebe tapped her glass with her spoon and cleared her throat.
    ‘I’d like to tell you all something I’ve been keeping quiet about for a long time.’ she said, ‘because I’m so excited about it I didn’t want to jinx it.’
    ‘Hurry up and tell us, then,’ Henry said.
    ‘Yes, Phoebe, please do!’ Ada said.
    What was this, I wondered?
    Still Phoebe hesitated, as if she couldn’t quite bring herself to say such wonderful words.
    ‘I told you that Milt Junior was injured at Guadalcanal,’ she said. ‘Not seriously. He’s been in a hospital in Adelaide. Well, he’s coming home! For two weeks leave!’ Phoebe twisted her napkin into a ball and beamed.
    ‘Oh, Phoebe, I’m so happy for you,’ I said. ‘That’s grand!’
    ‘How thrilling,’ Ada said. ‘You must be so excited!’
    Henry nodded, agreeing. ‘I’m looking forward to meeting the boy,’ he said. ‘When does he arrive?’
    ‘I don’t really know yet,’ Phoebe said. ‘I’ll get a telegram in the next few days.’
    Dellaphine brought a tray into the room and began to load up our dirty dishes.
    ‘Did you know about Milt?’ Ada asked her.
    ‘Yes ma’am,’ Dellaphine said. ‘It’s mighty good news.’
    We could all only guess at the worry Phoebe had experienced since her sons had been in the Pacific. She’d lost weight in the year and a half I’d been living here. And it seemed she took more and more Nembutal as the weeks went by. Sherry evenings were more frequent too. Dellaphine was concerned, I could tell by the way she looked when the Peoples Drug Store van delivered Ada’s prescription. Phoebe must be so relieved. Tom, her younger son, was safeguarding military supplies on some remote Pacific island behind the lines. And now Milt was coming home on leave.
    Dellaphine brought in the dessert, green grapes suspended in red cherry Jell-O. I ate it because I was hungry, but Jell-O was on my list of foods never to eat after the war ended, ever!
    After Phoebe and Henry went into the lounge Ada caught me up in the hall. She took me by the arm.
    ‘My taxi’s waiting, I have to get to work,’ she said. ‘I hate to sound selfish, but where is Milt going to sleep?’ The same question had crossed my mind. Surely Phoebe wouldn’t want Milt to sleep up in the attic bedroom with Henry. That left our rooms.
    ‘It’s just for a couple of weeks,’ I said. ‘We could take turns sleeping on the sofa.’
    ‘I have a friend I might be able to crash with for a while,’ Ada said. ‘I would hate to lose my room here.’
    ‘Me, too,’ I said.
    ‘Do you think we could share an apartment?’ she said. ‘Our different hours might drive us both loony, though.’ If Ada and I shared a two-and-a-half, which would be all I could afford, it would have one living room, one bedroom and a kitchenette. We’d have to share the bedroom. Ada could afford