| Show THE SO NICE CORNER NER FICTION By Helen Langworthy RUCE WHEELER looked across cross B BRUCE the restaurant t tab table a b l 1 e at his daughter Avis He hadn't realized how much he missed her since he had sent her to Grand River to school Are you really glad youre you're 1 going to G Grand GrandS ran d River At the time u n S 3 Minute you were deter deter- Fiction mined to stay in 1 Northville wit with h me Remember Remember Avis said with fire alarm emphasis I was just a 15 year old baby then I didn't know about the big wheels at Grand River Riv Riv- er and that Id I'd be a main spoke Youre You're Avis' Avis eyes grew large over the fried chicken placed before her We dont don't seem to talk the same sante language Bruce said slowly Please interpret What's a big wheel and a main spoke That something scrim word is it good Avis smiled Dad I forget youre you're of the vintage of the terrific twenties twenties twenties ties Big wheel is someone Important important important tant around High And Im I'm important i tant tant-a tant a main spoke I gorgeous' gorgeous is swooning good Avis i turned to the chicken I Bruce decided he wasn't hungry 1 For the thousandth time tune he wished Avis' Avis mother could have lived To avoid bringing up Avis in a woman less household he had sent her to Grand River Avis finished the chicken and whispered Can I have a float Sure Bruce answered but what Is it This Tills Is the 64 business A Afloat Afloat Afloat float is ice cream and coke mixed Yummy Avis continued continued continued con con- What are we doing after after aft aCt er cr dinner Frankie Martins Martin's In town Frankie's a sax Iman man I Can we go Dad I 1 mean can we I Bruce nodded and felt dizzy May- May f 7 f fd fr d r r r Bruce was glad when Jim came to their table be a show with Avis listening would give him time to impress the new language onto his mind A AVIS VIS openly applied lipstick her mother would never have done that as Bruce saw a familiar face across the restaurant It was Jim McKinnon son of an old friend Jim returned Bruce's nod casually then Jims Jim's eyes widened Jim was 20 Bruce was glad when he e came to their table Bruce pulled out a chair and began began began be be- gan pelting the boy with questions about his father and about business Jim responded that his father was well business was fine the football games had been won but all the time his eyes were on Avis It hit Bruce like a wallop Jim hadn't come for talk man it was Avis And Avis Bruce Avis Bruce Her eyes were downcast The sparkle was gone Bruce knew that bashful ten year olds old's had more personality Plainly Avis was mentally swooning over Jim Jim asked her How do you like Grand River High Nice Avis said softly Do they have a good football team Its Its It's Its It's nice Avis answered an an- She raised her eyes as asfar asfar asfar far as Jims Jim's hands like it was a terrific effort Bruce clenched his teeth Didn't she know anything If she put one tenth of the gayness of her conversation conversation conversation conver conver- five minutes ago into talking with Jim he would be interested Do you like having dinner here Jim asked already searching the room for an escape Avis took a long time to answer and managed to raise her eyes to the level of Jims Jim's Its so-so so nice here she said Bruce knotted his hands Jim sighed w with wit i t h disappointment and politely asked Avis to dance He probably expected her to say she couldn't push one foot ahead of the other As they walked away Bruce closed his eyes probably eyes probably she would fall I If only her mother had lived Maybe she could have taught Avis how to talk I Then t they ey were back and Avis was drawing on her coat and Jim was walking away Hes peachy Avis breathed Bruce began Theres something I should tell you If you want a man manto manto manto to be interested you have to be alive alive alive- Avis interrupted Jim Oh weve we've a date for tomorrow night nigh another for the fra fraternity party and he asked me to go to I the Fall Prom too Not bad she asked with lifted brows do Bruce whispered |
