Context 2
The early Fifties were hard for me and my family, struggling to raise four grown children and with my husband disabled in the war effort, I had to take a regular office job. Of course, before we were married, I enjoyed working in my dad’s manufacturing plant. This was 1938 Chicago and we were the most popular couple among our friends. We would go out dancing to live music at the Top Hat nearly every Friday or Saturday night. Prohibition had faded over the years, and we would enjoy a few martinis and dance until dark. Then, that fateful call just before Christmas came and Gerry was off in a flash. The Second World War seemed to never end, and he had already served a tour in Europe. This time the Battle of the Bulge was letting loose on the Western Front and under total covert circumstances. Thank heavens he came back in one piece, unlike his friend Harv who was partially blinded and George who wasn’t as lucky and never made it back. George only lived a few short miles from us, and left his very young wife Lucy behind, and she hadn’t even given birth to their lovely baby Susan when she received the news. All the men were hurt within the first few days of the effort, and many Americans died here. It was wartime, and Gerry was shot in the leg twice, though Army medics did manage to dislodge the bullet, he now uses a wheelchair, but has grown quite independent.
My youngest daughter, Caroline, is still at home, but even she will be off to college in the Fall. At 37 years old, most of my days of modeling for the calendar company are now past me. So, I feel lucky to have a job that can support my family with the food and clothing they need. This cigar manufacturer is one of the biggest around and I work in the front office for Mr. Hemingway, who is a good businessman and pays me well. My job consists mostly or arranging appointments for him to meet with travelling salesman and other business executives. He appreciates that I want to organize the offices by including the latest technology, like this telecom that I installed myself on his desk. That way we can talk to each other without my disturbing a meeting already in progress. There’s also now lots of light in his office after I removed the dark burgundy drapes and added sheers that really opened things up. The job keeps me busy for about 30 hours a week and I was recently promoted to executive assistant, so I even supervise the new office girl myself. Gerry and I still manage to get to a few dinner parties with old friends every now and then, and though he’s in better shape than ever, he still has disturbing nightmares that wake me in the middle of the evening. We plan on growing old together and our combined benefits should be enough to take us through any future hard times. You have to save for a rainy day after all….Oh, yes, I almost forgot, now with the sun shining into our offices, the boss orders fresh cut flowers to be sent directly to my desk twice weekly. I don’t even have to place the order!
[ * My entry for a project by Troy Briggs. ]