Leech Hoose, part six

Leta and her special friend Leech Hoose were sitting at their usual table in the corner of the speakeasy where they met a few times a week for drinks and conversation. Hoose was sharing his opinions on the behaviors of young people—boys and girls. He had previously noted, using his brother and a couple of fellows who were recently expelled from the establishment as examples, that all boys have a little violence in them. As an example, he referred to an altercation his brother had with another fellow over a girl, and how she manipulated them to admire her.

“It’s just a habit of pretty girls,” Leech suddenly continued, transforming the initial conversation about boys to pretty girls. “And your Vivian is a pretty girl. That’s all I’m saying. Come on, you know this is true. Pretty girls like to manipulate boys. It gives them a sense of pleasure. You were a pretty girl.”

Leta sighed.

A couple of days later, she met Vivian as she was walking home from school. Vivian was in ninth grade, her first year of high school. Leta told herself that she was going because she wanted to get out of the house where she had been cleaning all day, but she actually wanted to observe her daughter in the girl-boy environment.

She arrived a short way down the street just as school was dismissed. As there were hundreds of students, all streaming out simultaneously, it took several minutes before Leta spotted her daughter, who was walking with two other girls. The girls waved to several other students, most in groups like they were, some of them groups of boys. As Vivian was a courteous, gentle and studious, Leta presumed that she would have few friends, but in those brief moments before her daughter recognized her, Leta learned that Vivian enjoyed some popularity with girls and boys. She gestured, waved, and smiled broadly.

However, when Vivian saw her mother, she immediately pulled herself into her body. Her step became more weighted and she slowed her pace. The smile remained, but became tighter. She went from vivacious to collected in an instant.

“Mother!” Vivian exclaimed when they were within earshot of each other. “Is everything all right?”

“Of course, darling,” Leta said, dressing herself in her adult charm. “I’ve been in the house all day, and I needed to take a little walk.”

“But it’s so far,” Vivian noted.

“It’s a lovely day,” Leta responded. “Now, please, mind your manners and introduce your mother to your friends.”

Upon the request, Vivian introduced her companions to her mother. As they walked together, the girls shared that they lived many blocks from each other and only walked a short ways together. This gave Leta only a few minutes to learn that both were in most of Vivian’s classes and the trio had been close for a couple of years.

“Vivian spends more time at the library,” one explained, “but we get there every now and then.”

“She helps us study,” the other shared.

“We help each other,” Vivian corrected defensively.

After parting from Vivian’s friends, mother and daughter walked in silence for a block or two. Then Vivian spoke.

“I’m starting to miss the birds already,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Leta asked.

“During the summer, we heard birds singing all the time,” Vivian said. “Even the beginning of school, but now that it’s almost October, there are fewer and fewer of them.”

“You’re right. I hadn’t noticed,” Leta said. “I like listening to the birds, too.”

“When I’m married and have my own house, we’re going to have a big bird bath, so I can have birds around all the time,” Vivian said.

“And a couple of trees, I hope,” Leta suggested, “so they can nest.”

“Oh, yes, Mother, absolutely.”

“Well, that is a long way off,” Leta said pointedly. “You still have high school.”

To be continued.