[A/N. Like I said earlier I am going to skip a few years now because I
think there has been enough done in those years. It is now 1950. Eliza is
44, Edward is a few years older than her (I don't think I ever actually
mentioned his age did I?), Ben is 16 and Margaret is 14. Whilst Eliza has
never completely gotten over the loss of her unborn child life has gone on.
Ben and Margaret both attend boarding schools, although Ben only has
another year or so to go. I will also be skipping longer periods of time
from now on and more frequently.]
Philadelphia, May,1950.
Eliza sighed and pressed her face to the window. There were times- like now- that she was kind of depressed. With the children away at school and Edward often at work she felt rather lonely. She could visit Mrs. Gracie who was getting on in years and didn't leave her house more than she could help, or she could visit any of her friends, but none of this really erased the lonely feeling she had. The house seemed so empty and quiet without the children and their friends.
"Sweetie?" Edward came into the room. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine Edward." Eliza said, getting up to hug him. "How was work?"
"The usual." Edward replied with a wry grin. "Although I was speaking to Henry and he was telling me that Truman's all but decided to send troops to Korea."
Eliza shook her head in disgust. "You'd think he would have learnt from the last war..Rose will be pretty upset after what happened to Jackson and all." She sighed when she thought about her friend. They'd kept in touch over the years, although less frequently as they got older. But the thing which stuck in Eliza's mind was the letter she received in early 1943. The writing was messy, and the paper was frequently stained by tears, and in it Rose wrote; "When I got the telegram I thought I was going to die myself. Jackson, my beloved first son, the only child and reminder I have of dear Jack, was dead. I haven't died yet, but the last few days have been so hard Eliza. Losing a child is the most terrible thing. I would not wish it on anyone, not even the Germans or the Japanese. We're the ones who are meant to go first not our children. For the rest of my life I am less of a woman than I was before."
"She's not the only one." Edward replied. "Henry's organising a delegation to go to Washington to speak to the President. See if he can't see sense before it's too late."
"Are you going to go too?" Eliza asked.
"Well Henry wanted me to, but I told him I couldn't leave you alone." Edward replied, sitting down in his favorite chair. Eliza poured him a scotch and took it over to him, and then sat next to him.
"How long would you be gone?" Eliza asked.
"I just told you I'm not going." Edward replied.
"If you were to go, how long would you be gone?" Eliza asked.
Edward sighed. "A few days I suppose.." He said taking a sip of his drink.
"Then you must go." Eliza said firmly.
"Eliza!" Edward protested. "You complain enough about it being lonely here without the children- although I for one can do with not hearing Margaret's grand plans for going back to England as soon as she can- so without me here you'd be even more alone."
Eliza nodded slowly. "I know that Edward." She said. "But my main concern is the young boys of this country. I saw what happened to Rose- she's never really recovered from Jackson's death! And Ben's 16 Edward- old enough to be drafted. God forbid young children like him going over there and dying. Someone has to make Truman see some bloody sense."
Edward laughed. "You're getting quite worked up my dear Eliza..all right, if you insist I'll go to Washington."
"I insist!" Eliza said firmly.
Edward finished his scotch and then held his arms out to his wife, who came and sat on his lap. He sighed into her hair. "War is a damn business." He said. "I know if Dad was here still I'd get told off for that, but it is."
"Look what it did to the country." Eliza said. "And some other countries were even worse off. I had a letter from Jessica the other day, and would you believe the government has only just begun to rebuild our house. And there are thousands more still to be begun. She says the children play in the bombsites like they were beginning to do when we were still there, but more now."
Edward laughed softly. "Tell that to Margaret- maybe it will curb her enthusiasm."
"I doubt it." Eliza said with a frown. "You know I think since the day we told her we were coming back here she made up her mind to return to England. Even after all this time here she doesn't see it as home."
"Well she'll have to damn well learn." Edward said angrily.
"Edward if we don't agree to send her over there for college you know the moment she turns eighteen she's going to run away. I don't know how she'll get there- but it won't be nice Edward. We're better off agreeing." Eliza said.
"And losing her?" Edward asked, shaking his head.
"And keeping her!" Eliza argued. "We really will lose her- and forever- if she's forced to run away."
Edward didn't reply.
Eliza sighed and stood up. "Edward do you think the idea of my baby so far away doesn't terrify me? Doesn't upset me? But the idea of never seeing her again, never hearing from her- well that terrifies me a lot more. And you know Ben will still be here- he has no ambition other than staying here and being like you! If he gets the marks he got this year, well he'll get into Harvard with no problems whatsoever.Anyway, I don't want to talk about this now. Margaret won't be ready for college for another three years so we've got plenty of time to discuss this. Don't you think you better give Henry a call and let him know you're going to Washington with him?"
Edward sighed too, and stood as well. "I'll get on the telephone now.what are you going to do now sweetie?"
"I picked up a copy of Hemmingway's latest novel the other day, something called "Across the River and into the trees" which I might sit down and get into. Although "The toast of the town" is going to start in a few minutes." Eliza replied.
"Well as long as you've got something to keep you occupied." Edward replied, and he went off to make his telephone call.
Eliza decided to watch the television program and then perhaps read in bed. Even though Ed Sullivan often bungled his introductions and monologues Eliza thought there was something interesting about him. She settled down in front of the television and soon forgot about anything else that had been concerning her.
[A/N. For those of you who don't know "The toast of the Town" became "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1955.]
Philadelphia, May,1950.
Eliza sighed and pressed her face to the window. There were times- like now- that she was kind of depressed. With the children away at school and Edward often at work she felt rather lonely. She could visit Mrs. Gracie who was getting on in years and didn't leave her house more than she could help, or she could visit any of her friends, but none of this really erased the lonely feeling she had. The house seemed so empty and quiet without the children and their friends.
"Sweetie?" Edward came into the room. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine Edward." Eliza said, getting up to hug him. "How was work?"
"The usual." Edward replied with a wry grin. "Although I was speaking to Henry and he was telling me that Truman's all but decided to send troops to Korea."
Eliza shook her head in disgust. "You'd think he would have learnt from the last war..Rose will be pretty upset after what happened to Jackson and all." She sighed when she thought about her friend. They'd kept in touch over the years, although less frequently as they got older. But the thing which stuck in Eliza's mind was the letter she received in early 1943. The writing was messy, and the paper was frequently stained by tears, and in it Rose wrote; "When I got the telegram I thought I was going to die myself. Jackson, my beloved first son, the only child and reminder I have of dear Jack, was dead. I haven't died yet, but the last few days have been so hard Eliza. Losing a child is the most terrible thing. I would not wish it on anyone, not even the Germans or the Japanese. We're the ones who are meant to go first not our children. For the rest of my life I am less of a woman than I was before."
"She's not the only one." Edward replied. "Henry's organising a delegation to go to Washington to speak to the President. See if he can't see sense before it's too late."
"Are you going to go too?" Eliza asked.
"Well Henry wanted me to, but I told him I couldn't leave you alone." Edward replied, sitting down in his favorite chair. Eliza poured him a scotch and took it over to him, and then sat next to him.
"How long would you be gone?" Eliza asked.
"I just told you I'm not going." Edward replied.
"If you were to go, how long would you be gone?" Eliza asked.
Edward sighed. "A few days I suppose.." He said taking a sip of his drink.
"Then you must go." Eliza said firmly.
"Eliza!" Edward protested. "You complain enough about it being lonely here without the children- although I for one can do with not hearing Margaret's grand plans for going back to England as soon as she can- so without me here you'd be even more alone."
Eliza nodded slowly. "I know that Edward." She said. "But my main concern is the young boys of this country. I saw what happened to Rose- she's never really recovered from Jackson's death! And Ben's 16 Edward- old enough to be drafted. God forbid young children like him going over there and dying. Someone has to make Truman see some bloody sense."
Edward laughed. "You're getting quite worked up my dear Eliza..all right, if you insist I'll go to Washington."
"I insist!" Eliza said firmly.
Edward finished his scotch and then held his arms out to his wife, who came and sat on his lap. He sighed into her hair. "War is a damn business." He said. "I know if Dad was here still I'd get told off for that, but it is."
"Look what it did to the country." Eliza said. "And some other countries were even worse off. I had a letter from Jessica the other day, and would you believe the government has only just begun to rebuild our house. And there are thousands more still to be begun. She says the children play in the bombsites like they were beginning to do when we were still there, but more now."
Edward laughed softly. "Tell that to Margaret- maybe it will curb her enthusiasm."
"I doubt it." Eliza said with a frown. "You know I think since the day we told her we were coming back here she made up her mind to return to England. Even after all this time here she doesn't see it as home."
"Well she'll have to damn well learn." Edward said angrily.
"Edward if we don't agree to send her over there for college you know the moment she turns eighteen she's going to run away. I don't know how she'll get there- but it won't be nice Edward. We're better off agreeing." Eliza said.
"And losing her?" Edward asked, shaking his head.
"And keeping her!" Eliza argued. "We really will lose her- and forever- if she's forced to run away."
Edward didn't reply.
Eliza sighed and stood up. "Edward do you think the idea of my baby so far away doesn't terrify me? Doesn't upset me? But the idea of never seeing her again, never hearing from her- well that terrifies me a lot more. And you know Ben will still be here- he has no ambition other than staying here and being like you! If he gets the marks he got this year, well he'll get into Harvard with no problems whatsoever.Anyway, I don't want to talk about this now. Margaret won't be ready for college for another three years so we've got plenty of time to discuss this. Don't you think you better give Henry a call and let him know you're going to Washington with him?"
Edward sighed too, and stood as well. "I'll get on the telephone now.what are you going to do now sweetie?"
"I picked up a copy of Hemmingway's latest novel the other day, something called "Across the River and into the trees" which I might sit down and get into. Although "The toast of the town" is going to start in a few minutes." Eliza replied.
"Well as long as you've got something to keep you occupied." Edward replied, and he went off to make his telephone call.
Eliza decided to watch the television program and then perhaps read in bed. Even though Ed Sullivan often bungled his introductions and monologues Eliza thought there was something interesting about him. She settled down in front of the television and soon forgot about anything else that had been concerning her.
[A/N. For those of you who don't know "The toast of the Town" became "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1955.]