Chapter 1
Potential Pocket Rocket
Nifty Fifty Girl
I wanted to try something different with a story. I've been seeing a lot of fifties things lately, so this came to me one night. This story is looking at Lisbon in a time where women weren't as respected in the job force as men were and also didn't have as many opportunities for professions such as law enforcement. I will try to keep them in character as much as I can though I might throw in some fifties slang every so often with the characters. I will try to keep working on Our Life From Now On.
Disclaimer:Don't Own Anything
Sacramento 1954
Teresa Lisbon scurried to the tall office building in Sacramento labeled Jones and Son, Attorneys at Law in large steel letters. The building wasn't as big as in Chicago, but still tall enough to be called a skyscaper. Oh, how she hated being a woman in this time. The only job she was able to procure ended up being a secretary. Or a maid. She couldn't do house work if her life depended on it. It wasn't as though as she was real sloppy, it just wasn't her favorite thing to do. She straightened her white pill box hat over her pulled up bun and pulled down her green skirt and checked her blouse. She wished she could wear her pants instead but of course the dress code required the women to be in suits.
She entered the large building and entered the elevator with another, she assumed to be secretary with red hair put up in a purple tweed suit with a pill box hat. "Hello, you starting today as well?" The red head asked.
"Yes, I would prefer not to, since that's all I could get." Lisbon responded rolling her eyes.
"I know, same here. Grace Van Pelt." Grace smiled and shook Lisbon's hand with her white glove covered hands.
"Teresa Lisbon." Lisbon answered giving off a small smile shaking the young woman's hand.
"I just moved here from Iowa." Grace said.
"You moved a long way just to be a secretary." Lisbon noted to the younger woman. "Don't they have those in Iowa?"
"It's a long story." Grace smirked. "How about you?"
"Just getting something to pay my bills." Lisbon said.
The elevator dinged and the two women stepped out into the office of chattering typewriters and constant phone rings with various ages of women answering them. A man strolled up to the two women coming from the hallway of offices. "Ah, you must be our new recruits. I'm Walter Mashburn, one of the lawyers who hired you sweet ladies." Walter said skimming them up and down with his eyes.
"We appreciate it" Lisbon said with gratitude, however noticing the man's almost leering eyes towards her. She didn't need a man looking at her just as a pretty face. She had a mind too. All throughout school, she definitely wasn't like other girls wanting to find a man and get married and be a housewife. Her goal career in life was wanting to become a cop but unfortunately that particular profession was only reserved for men at the time. Well, at least the field work was. She learned from other sources women in law enforcement were on desk duty. She wanted the thrill to go out in the field, wanted to help people and catch criminals. She had some training which the school reluctantly accepted her. But when she tried to look at police officer openings, they refused to hire her after finding out she was a woman. It was frustrating nonetheless. She was just as good as any of the men she took training with, perhaps better.
When other teenage girls focused on boys and being pretty, she was focused on helping raise her brothers. Her mother died in a car accident and her father drank and he couldn't actively take care of them. She spent countless times lying about her father's 'conditon'. She couldn't handle anymore and so she just left leaving her brothers under their aunt's care. She traveled to California to get away from her situation in Chicago. When she arrived in California, she decided she should try for a job no matter what it was and secretary made the list. Now here she was doing a job she dreaded being stuck in one of the few jobs a woman could hold in this day and age. She wanted so much more, but she needed to accept this for now.
After Mr. Mashburn left she and Grace were led by another assistant to desks set side by side each furnished with a typewriter, a phone, paper, pen and stapler.
"This is our workplace." Lisbon said taking a seat. She looked around the room and saw the many women taking calls. "Hello, Jones and Son, may I help you?" Oh, God this is what her life would be, answering calls for big shot lawyers. There were already plenty of receptionists as she saw Grace taking a seat prepared for the job as well. Another man in a business suit entered the room and walked up to the two women at their desks. "Hello, ladies, you must be the new girls."
"Yes." Grace said with her shy charm. "Grace Van Pelt."
"Teresa Lisbon."
"I'm Timothy Carter. I was instructed by Mr. Jones to give you a tour." The reddish haired man with rimmed glasses said with a high pitched voice.
"Thank you. We'd love one." said Grace said shyly. Lisbon followed teetering in her heels. Grace noticed. "Not used to those shoes yet."
"I hate them. I bought them for the job." Lisbon cringed looking down at the shoes.
"Here at Jones and Son, we provide the best services for our clients. There are 10 of us here. Me included. What your job would be is answering the phones for Mr. Mashburn and myself. The other secretaries work for the other lawyers including Mr. Jones." Mr. Carter indicated to the other women answering phone calls. "You will also type up letters for us as well and do some transcription for us as well."
"I look forward to it." Lisbon said with false excitement.
Mr. Carter led Lisbon and VanPelt through the building until he stopped at an office door with a placard etched with his name. "This is my office. And over here is Mr. Mashburn's office." Mr. Carter directed to another office with his hand.
Finally, Lisbon and Van Pelt came back to their the day Lisbon answered calls for angry housewives and disgruntled corporate mongrels. She had to transfer those calls to either Mr. Mashburn or Mr. Carter.
Later, after getting home to her apartment, she looked at her boxes she had yet to unpack. It had been weeks since she moved, but she hadn't gotten around to unpack those. All she needed was her necessary clothes and a few other necessities. She didn't feel yet again to unload those lonely boxes. She needed something else to keep her mind off her mindless job. She heard a knock on her door and she went to open it. "Hello, Teresa, oh, here's your milk. I hope you don't mind I kept it in my refrigerator until you came home. I didn't want it to get spoiled." Her landlord, Mr. Steiner, a 70 year old man appeared with a jar of milk. "And your mail."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Steiner." Lisbon said taking the milk and the mail.
"Hope you had a good day." Mr. Steiner said as he left.
She liked her landlord, she knew he was a lonely old man, whose wife had died a few years earlier. So far, she noticed he always took care of things in the apartment. He even did her plumbing when it didn't work when she first arrived. It was frustrating enough to unpack her clothes and take her boxes up the stairs. Mr. Steiner even carried a couple up for her.
After taking the paper and milk in, she walked to her refrigerator, opened it and set it in. She then decided to see if there was anything going on in town and carried the paper with her and took her seat at the couch. She had heard about some night clubs, but it didn't make sense to go alone. She looked in the paper and saw the advertisement "Carnival in Town."
Patrick Jane suited up that night for his act in his three piece suit including vest, which he did for years. His father started him at the age of 10 becoming the "Boy Wonder." After learning about his impressive observation skills, his father knew there was a moneymaker in the family. He knew all the trade of becoming a conman of discovering potential marks and suckers that would fall easily for the tricks. So, he taught everything to his son and put him as the psychic of the carnival. Jane came out of his makeshift dressing room and looked at the setup of the tent, "Boy Wonder." He thought instantly he should change the name as he was a grown man now, and the title boy didn't exactly fit him now and it had been years since the name deemed appropriate. He got behind the curtain waiting for his name to be announced. He heard the crowd gather in and heard them chatter about whether he was real or not.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, let us give great welcome to our "Boy Wonder" psychic and mind reader and connection to the dead, Patrick Jane!" The announcer chimed. He walked out to the cheering crowd.
Lisbon arrived late at the carnival at 8:30, probably nearly closing time. She noticed the sparkling lights of the ferris wheel, took in the smells of popcorn, hot dogs, pretzels, and cotton candy being sold by food vendors as she walked along the dirt path of the fairgrounds. She saw children excitedly take in the carnival games hoping to win a prize with parents impatiently waiting hoping it would be the last time, and couples smiling at each other on their date. She was alone without no one, but to her it was okay. She didn't need anyone with her to enjoy an evening out. Ever since she left her brothers, at times she felt guilty. She was supposed to the responsible, had to be there for them. However, she needed to be gone, to start her own life. They were nearly grown and wouldn't need her anymore and would do the same thing. She didn't know why she decided to go to the carnival. She didn't have children and she did at one time brought her brothers to one in Chicago. Maybe it reminded her of that time, a joyful time with her brothers instead of the bad times when her father became abusive and then afterwards wouldn't remember the next day what he did. She hadn't met many people so far in Sacramento besides her landlord and Grace Van Pelt and of course Mr. Mashburn and Mr. Carter. She liked Grace so far and hopefully would become friends with her. She walked past the tent that said the bearded lady, which she wasn't interested in seeing. She saw a few rides for children, which didn't interest her. She then came across the tent with the big sign "Boy Wonder". She noticed the show and started hearing a man talking. She peeked inside the tent and stood in the back and noticed the blond man with a suit and vest speaking to a woman. "Your mother is here. She tells me not to worry, everything is okay." The man with his eyes closed and his arms out. "She tells me always remember your special little place. A rock of some sort, right?"
"Yes, our resting rock. We would sit for hours reading and talking." The woman said. "How'd you do that?"
Lisbon watched and couldn't believe this man could actually talk to the dead. She rolled her eyes at the thought and not only that he seemed a little old to be called "Boy Wonder". Oh, well. He seemed to wow the crowd nevertheless. She didn't believe in such things as 'psychics'. It was all for the show for these people.
As he was doing his act, through the lights, Jane noticed a short woman with dark hair come in. She was a skeptic he knew as he noticed her rolling her eyes. As he continued his act, for some reason he fixated on that woman. There was something about her. He didn't know what, but something special.
After the show, Lisbon turned to leave through the crowd exiting the tent, when she heard a voice behind her. "You're a skeptic, aren't you?"
She turned and looked seeing the blond psychic seeing that most of the crowd had left with the exception of the announcer who was conversing with an short overweight man with a gray beard.
"I saw your face during my performance. Your posture tells me you're a cop." Jane stated boring his eyes at her and noticed her straight posture.
"I'm not a cop. I'm a secretary." Lisbon said looking straight at him.
"You want to be one, though. I see it in your eyes." Jane said.
"Yes, unfortunately society doesn't exactly allow women in that particular profession, at least not in the field. Yes, I am a skeptic. You couldn't have possibly talked to the woman's mother." Lisbon said surprised he could tell her deepest wish.
"What brought you out on this lovely night? You don't look the carnival type." Jane observed.
"And what is the carnival type?" Lisbon questioned.
"Children, mostly teenagers. Some adults. Patrick Jane." Jane said holding his hand out. Lisbon decided to take it.
"I didn't have anything to do tonight, so I decided to come and see what it's like." Lisbon said releasing her hand from his firm grip. "Teresa Lisbon. Aren't you a little old to be called a Boy?" Lisbon questioned looking at the man that looked in his late 20s-early 30s.
"Just never gotten around to change it." Jane grinned. "My dad's idea originally."
"Why did you decide to talk to me? Do you normally talk to members of your audience after the show?" Lisbon asked raising her eyebrow.
"Typically, no. I don't." Jane said. "You just seemed interesting."
"I have to go, I have an early morning at the office. I really shouldn't have come tonight." Lisbon said.
"But yet you decided to come out tonight and watch my little act." Jane said grinning.
"I was bored. I have to go though, it's getting late." Lisbon said turning to leave.
"Good to meet you, Ms. Lisbon." Jane said.
"I'd rather be Teresa or just Lisbon." Lisbon said.
"Just call me Patrick or Jane." Jane said in response. "Hope to see you around again this week. We're here in town all week until Sunday."
"I'll see." Lisbon said turning to leave. Jane continued looking at admiring Teresa Lisbon as she walked out. Then he exited the tent and walked through the carnival and towards the trailers in the back where he made himself at home with a very special girl. He noticed through the window, his good friend Sam Barsocky.
"What took you so long, Paddy?" Samantha Barsocky, the African American woman asked opening the door. Jane walked in the trailer greeting his friend. "Hello, Sam."
"Oh, he was involved talking up a young lady." Pete Barsocky said coming from behind him
"I was being friendly."
"You were talking to a lady?" Sam said excitedly.
"Daddy!" A little blonde girl in a pink dress called to him and ran to him and placed her arms around giving him a big hug.
"Hello, Charlotte, honey. I just got back from work." Jane hugged his three year old daughter.
He thought about his talk with Teresa Lisbon, the woman he met that night. He didn't know why he decided to talk to her. He hadn't talked to a woman like that since Angela died. His precious Angela who lost her life soon after their little girl was born. Angela and him grew up together leading them to fall in love and getting married and discovering their precious child on the way. They talked about leaving the carnival life after the baby arrived and get a real home and real jobs.
That fateful night Angela went into labor and complications happened. The doctor couldn't get to the trailer park in Carson Springs. A few hours later Charlotte was born. A few minutes later, Angela was dead leaving him as a single father. He thought about whether or not to do as he and Angela planned, but he stayed on the carnival circuit doing his act raising the baby. Luckily, he had his good friends Sam and Pete Barsocky to help him raise his daughter.
"I drawd." Charlotte hurried awkwardly over to the table with a booster seat, but couldn't quite reach the table with a paper. Sam picked it up and handed to the little girl, smiling. "You did that for your daddy, didn't you?"
"Yes.." Charlotte said skipping towards her father but tripping and falling on the floor and immediately started crying a little. He picked her up in a comforting embrace.
"I'm sorry, honey. Let's see your picture."Jane said taking the drawing which the little girl still held. "This is very good, honey." He smiled at the attempt of a drawing of four stick figures, three large ones and a little one which he assumed to be himself, Sam, Pete, and Charlotte. After Angela's death, he couldn't cope without his little girl. She made the pain easier to always see her smiling hopeful face. At first when Angela wanted to leave the life to go out into the real world, he was hesitant, of course, but then she convinced him of her decision and he talked to a realtor about a house, but he never got to show it to her. So, he decided he wasn't going to look at it after all, since he wasn't leaving his current life. Lately, he'd been rethinking the decision to stay for his daughter's sake. Carnival life wasn't exactly the best place to raise a child; he knew from experience of growing there himself. His father saw no need for him to get higher education, he told him, "This is your classroom, son. You have all your learning right here for ya." He held his little girl longer and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He might as well tell his friends about his thoughts now. Noticing Charlotte asleep, he walked over to the bed. Sam immediately pulled down the covers and Jane carefully set the girl on the bed and pulled the comforter and sheet on her. She reminded him of Angela so much; her features were almost identical to his wife's. "Maybe I should really get a real home like Angela wanted and something permanent." Jane said admiring his sleeping daughter and turned towards his friends standing in the trailer.
"You can't be serious, Paddy, about moving, this is our home, as mobile as it is, it's our blood. Angela didn't know what she wanted." Pete reminded seriously coming up to his friend. "She had a fantasy about the outside world."
"You think the world outside would accept Pete and me as a couple? Even though the society want to be entertained by us, that world doesn't want to interact with us. We're too different." Sam said pointing a scolding finger.
"Paddy, what are you going to do? Being a psychic is all you know. Are you going to be a salesman selling vaccums?" Pete asked giving off a cold laugh.
"Charlotte is going to be school age in a couple of years and and Angela wanted our child to go to school and not work at the carnival." Jane said. He knew his idea wouldn't go well with Sam and Pete. They were right about the outside, not accepting carnies as real people and especially with their marriage being a biracial couple. He wanted to leave more for Angela and Charlotte than himself because he knew he didn't have an idea of what to do outside of being a psychic. He hadn't thought ahead on that part, but he could easily learn any trade if he had to be with his excellent memory.
"Is this have something to do with the woman you talked with tonight?" Sam asked.
"No, I've been thinking about it a long time." Jane admitted.
Not everything may be historically accurate in this story, but I have done some research. I know I'm making Lisbon a secretary but I have plans for her. I decided I wanted to have Charlotte be alive since I've been in the mood to write little kids and I thought that would add to this story.
I decided to use Timothy Carter because I had seen the actor in the movie Saving Mr. Banks which was set the sixties. Feedback is appreciated.
