Living Without Dreams

Chapter 7 - Schools, Shopping and Other Stuff

 "Did we really rent the farmhouse Mom?" Zackary asked Susan in delight when she arrived back at the beach house just before noon.

Susan, Marion, Zackary, and Jessie were all talking about the house over lunch as Susan announced they'd taken the house and she'd be taking them to register for school that afternoon.

"We did. We signed the lease this morning. We can begin moving our things in at any time," Susan answered.

"So are we staying there, like tonight?" Zackary asked in surprise.

"No, not tonight. We don't have any furniture, Zack," Susan said.

"The furniture man took our furniture away," Jessie told him earnestly. "Mama, are they going to bring our furniture back? To our new house with the tunnel?"

"No Jessie. We rented our furniture in Australia, remember? That means we borrowed it. We're going to need to buy new furniture for this house," Susan explained.

"Are we going to do that today? After we get signed up for school?" Zackary asked while they ate.

"We may go shopping for beds and things this evening after Greg gets done with his appointments, but the first thing we need to do is to clean," Susan told him. "We're going to make some very unexciting purchases of cleaning supplies. Then you, me and Jessie are going to start wiping down everything. Make sure the house is ready to move into once we do choose our furniture."

"You mean we have to do chores?" Zackary asked with a groan.

"We're moving into a new house ... well not a new house, but a house that is new to us," Susan said. "Moving is a lot of work, Zack. Whether you're moving in or out, it's a lot of work."

"Mama, didn't the people who moved out clean all the cabinets?" Jessie asked. "Like we did when we moved out of the apartment?"

"They probably did, Jessie. But that house has been empty for quite a long time. They've all gotten dusty again. I noticed that today when we were there. We'll have to do it again, like when we moved out," Susan said.

"So it's all clean for us," Jessie said wanting to be clear.

"Yes, exactly," Susan confirmed.

"Can I help you, Susan?" Marion asked. "From what you are saying you may have quite a job ahead of you."

"Oh I don't know, Marion," Susan replied hesitantly. "You and Richard have already helped us so much. Asking you to help clean our house ... I don't know what Greg would think about that."

"You didn't ask, I offered," Marion told her. "And despite being married to a celebrity, unless we're entertaining or having company, I do usually clean my own house."

Susan regarded her doubtfully. "I didn't mean to imply I didn't think you could do it," Susan backpedaled slightly. "It's just that house cleaning is not a particularly fun thing to do. It just didn't seem right for you to do that."

"And why not? We're friends aren't we? It's not only Richard and Greg," Marion said.

Susan considered the wife of Greg's friend with a wondering expression.

"I'd like to be," Susan said. "It does feel a bit strange to me though."

"Why? Because we've known Greg for so long you mean?" Marion guessed. "Or because we also knew Madeline ... and Ruth too for that matter."

"Yes actually," Susan answered truthfully. "I know Richard at least has known Greg for more than twenty years."

"Probably more like twenty five years, Susan. I first met Greg when Richard and I were dating, a little more than twenty years ago ... about seven years before he and Ruth divorced, and they were already good friends back then," Marion shared.