Scene 3: Like Audrey Hepburn, but Sparklier and Meaner
Karen raced ahead to the porch and waited by the white front door. Just as Mama caught up with her, rock and roll blared from inside. It was “Outer Limits” by the Marketts. The sounds of screaming came through the door even louder than the music.
“I don’t care if Exploring is educational and you want to expand your mind, you stupid little bitch! I’m going to watch New American Bandstand. If you’re so damned smart, why don’t you get a TV of your own?”
The voice was Tammy’s big sister, Sandy. But who could she be shouting at?
Then Tammy’s garbled speech came through. “I will get my own TV someday, when I grow up.”
Sandy was shouting at Tammy. Karen felt ill.
Mama grimaced and shook her head. She tapped the cast iron door knocker. The voices inside stopped, and the music ended mid-song.
A few seconds later, Sandy opened the door. Tammy sat behind her in an electric power wheelchair. It looked like the new sip-and-puff models Karen had seen demonstrated at school. Tammy was fashionably dressed in a white Mexican blouse accented by multicolor threads. Under her polished braces, she wore bright blue jeans. The blue thread in the blouse picked up the color of the jeans. Even the braces looked good. As always, Karen thought her friend looked like Audrey Hepburn, but smaller and with CP, but today her friend had a goose egg on her forehead. Karen wondered if Sandra might have completely lost her temper, but she did not like to even imagine what might have happened.
Tammy’s sister Sandy stood next to her. Rather than her usual tan Capri pants and white button front shirt, Sandy wore a loose-fitting, long-sleeved, white V-neck sweater with a large, sweeping collar, and a pair of black capris with black, patent leather flats. Her hair was pulled back into a half ponytail by a glass barrette, with sweeping bangs touching her eyebrows. Despite her height and weight, she, too, looked like Audrey Hepburn, but younger, sparklier, and meaner.
Karen’s empathy absorbed the anger radiating from Sandy. She took a deep breath before speaking. “Hi, Tammy, thanks for inviting me over, and Sandy, it’s nice to see you again. That’s a very cool outfit.”
Karen watched as Sandra forced a crystal smile and replied, “Oh, hello, Karen. Hello, Mrs. Hirschstein. And by the way, thank you, Karen. My ensemble today is inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s elegance. I’m glad you like it. Won’t you please come in?”
“Thanks,” Mama and Karen replied at the same time.
Both arms and legs thrashing in happiness, Tammy said, “Kitten, I’m glad you could make it, and I’m glad you remember my older sister Sandy. Sandy, you remember Karen and her mother, don’t you? Karen’s about the only one who will help me at school. You and Mommy took me to her house to play dress-up a while ago. We had so much fun! You remember her, don’t you?”
Without waiting for an answer, Tammy shouted, “Now, watch this!”
Original text ©2022 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.
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