Toodles
(a month later)
Rainy days and Mondays or actually Wednesdays got Eric Forman down. Today
was not a good day, he got a flat tire on his way to work, his wife overdrew on their
checking account again without telling him so; after the embarrassment he had to put
it on his already about to be maxed out credit card, and Jacen wanted an advance
on his allowance so he could buy his girl next store a gold plated pinky ring at Sears.
It wasn't so much that he wanted an advance on his allowance, what little kid didn't?
It was him being absorbed in the little neighbor girl that Eric didn't like. More good
could come through throwing a bowling ball in the living room and bouncing high
enough to break the TV than to buy a present for the neighbor kid you have a crush
on. The bad luck continued when he burned his finger when he took off the plastic
top on the styrofoam cup of coffee. He really wanted to drive his car off the nearest
cliff when the telephone rang.
Caller ID:
Burkhart, Jackie
(212) 555-7879
He stopped in the parking lot of a doughnut shop to take her call.
"Hi, Jackie."
"Hi, Eric, what are you doing?"
"Being late for work."
He explained his bad day to her and was glad that there was a sympathetic ear on
the other end that would just listen to his rant.
"Do you have any meetings today?"
"N—o," he stretched it out, "Why?"
"Where's Jacen?"
"In that little brick building kids go to from September to May from seven thirty to
three pm."
She didn't know whether to laugh or to call him on his smart mouth.
"Well make up some excuse to get him out of his school."
"Why?"
"Eric, don't ask why."
"I hear a lot of noise in the background. Where are you Jackie?"
"I'm at the airport."
"Where are you going?"
"Questions, questions, questions. I'm going to call you back before I have to board
my plane in an hour. Get Jacen out of school and pack two suitcases."
"Where are we going?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out."
"One question, Beulah."
"Make it snappy, Dr. Pee Pee."
"Are you forgetting that I have a wife?"
"Didn't you tell me she has some kind of long weekend of her own in Osh Kosh?"
"But she doesn't leave the house until 12."
"Take Jacen out for something to eat. By the time you finish she'll be
gone."
"I don't think I have a choice in this matter do I?"
"No, Eric you don't."
"How can I pack a suitcase if I don't know where we're going?"
"The weather is the same. Toodles."
Toodles?
His first genuine smile of the day came at that moment.
Jacen threw all of his clothes into his suitcase. He didn't mind having a break
from school even though he'd miss Mindy and Tony.
"No," Eric came into his room to check to see if his son was making any progress,
"That is not how we pack."
"Where are we going, Dad?"
"Like I said before Jackie won't say."
"Maybe Disneyworld!"
"All right, Jacen, let's not get our hopes up, okay? You refold these clothes while I
get your toothbrush and some other things."
"Okay, Dad."
When Eric finished zipping up the clear plastic bag containing their toothbrushes
and a big economy sized tube of AIM blue gel toothpaste the phone rang.
"Hi, Jackie."
"Are we going to Disneyworld?" Jacen said loud enough for her to hear.
"Aw…tell him next time."
"Next time son."
"I should be in Point Place at---"
"Why do we need to pack if you are coming to Point Place?"
"Because, Eric, we're not staying there. We're going someplace. No more
questions. You will find out soon enough. I have to go they're announcing my flight.
See you guys soon."
"Later, Jackie," Eric hung up his phone, "Jacen, are you finished packing?"
"Yeah."
"Much better job, son. I'll close your suitcase and put this in the living room with
mine. Jackie won't be here for awhile, do you want to watch a movie?"
"No. Do you want to play Monopoly?""Sure."
"I'll set it up in the kitchen." Jacen went to his room to get the game from under his
bed.
"But beware Jacen, I am the Monopoly champion in all of Point Place."
"Uh oh, here we go…."
"What did you say son?"
"I said uh oh where did the paper money go?"
Jacen put the beat up vintage Monopoly box on the kitchen table.
"Did you find all the money?""Yeah, it was under my bed."
"I call the car token!" They both said in unison
"I'll take the thimble, Jacen. You take the car."
And that's how you do that.