First mate's log:
September 3, 1973
Matt Hinkley is definitely lonely. Mary Ann and I went over to a Labor Day BBQ at the Hinkleys' this afternoon. I know, it seems like such an ordinary, suburban kind of thing for Ginger and the Professor to do. Yeah, more like something the Bradys would do. But maybe becoming parents has changed them, or just getting older, I don't know.
Anyway, I had a few minutes to talk to him alone, and he told me he really misses the orphanage. It's not that he hates being adopted, and he already really likes his new parents. He thinks the Professor is smart and patient, and Ginger is pretty and fun and nice. It's just that he had two best friends there, Dwayne and Steve. He liked all the kids, but they were like brothers.
I said, "You should tell your parents how you feel." I've learned that from years of giving the Brady kids advice. And, yeah, Matt confided in me, just like those kids do, even though we haven't known each other that long. I think it's that kids can tell I can think like a kid, but I also have enough experience to give pretty good advice.
We didn't get to talk too much of course, but I told him he can call the Pizza Parlor if he ever wants to talk some more. (I can use the phone in Mary Ann's office.) I figure he's too little to take the ferry by himself, so I probably won't see him much on my island.
Yeah, the food was good, although Mary Ann had to help the Professor at the barbecue pit, because he's never done much cooking, and he was "thinking too scientifically," like he does sometimes.
September 4, 1973
Carol Brady's diary:
Since our fifth wedding anniversary fell on Sunday, and yesterday was Labor Day, Mike and I treated ourselves to a long weekend at a nice hotel on Blenford. We still worry about the kids when we're gone from them too long, or too far away, although we do indulge ourselves sometimes, like when we went to his high school reunion. We had a lovely time.
Oh, and since the fifth year is wood, I carved him a paperweight of a pineapple. He gave me wooden shoes he had imported from Holland! The funny thing is, when I tried to get him to give me hints about what he was getting me this year, he kept saying, "Wooden shoe like to know?", and I didn't even realize it was a pun. I don't know if I'll ever wear them, but I figure I could be a "little Dutch girl" for Halloween or another costume party.
As for the kids, while we were gone, they planted trees in the backyard, to symbolize the future. It's nice but sad to think of the trees all growing and staying rooted, even after the kids have all grown up and left the nest.
And, yes, today is the first day of school, so they'll be out of the house a few hours every weekday again. I always miss them, and yet the peace and quiet is nice for awhile.
September 5, 1973
The kids are all back in school, and Matt called me, saying he feels even lonelier, now that he's "the new kid." (The orphanage just has one teacher for all the ages of kids, kind of like this island's school used to be, before every primary grade got a different teacher, and a mix of teachers at the junior high and senior high.) I again encouraged him to talk to his parents.
I also told him about how when we all got shipwrecked on this island, some of us knew each other, like me and the Skipper, but we didn't know everybody. And sometimes I felt shy around the others, but we all got to be good friends. He thanked me for my advice and pep talk, and hopefully it helped, but it is harder to do over the phone. I don't know how Dr. Hartley does it on TV.
September 6, 1973
Jan has joined the new First Aid Club at school. She told me that she still might want to become a nurse someday, although Peter quickly gave up his dreams of being a doctor. She remembers what it was like growing up on the island those years when we didn't have an actual doctor, just the Professor, with Ginger sometimes helping out as a nurse.
"Do you think you'd like to be a doctor?" I asked.
"Like Dr. Porter? Well, maybe, but that's a lot of years of school. And I may just learn the basics of first aid, not pursue medicine as a career."
"Of course." I didn't want to pressure her. I'm just proud that one of my daughters is thinking about having a career. Not that there's anything wrong with being a homemaker obviously, but I love that girls these days have options my generation didn't. And she could still become a wife and maybe mother, as even Ginger has.
September 7, 1973
Wow, Matt must've told his parents how he felt, because they've decided to adopt Dwayne and Steve! Only they're not going to tell him, because they want it to be a surprise. The adoption process will take about a month, since they've already done the paperwork as qualified parents, but there are two kids this time. They haven't actually met Dwayne and Steve yet, but they're sure the boys are as nice as Matt, if they're his best friends.
It'll be tough for me to keep the secret from Matt, because I know how lonely he is. At least I don't talk to him that often. I'm used to keeping people's secrets, but a month is a long time. Mary Ann knows, too, of course, so at least I can talk about it with her.
September 8, 1973
Bobby had some friends over yesterday after school and they were throwing the football around, talking about athletes they'd met. Greg met Wes Parker, and Peter met Deacon Jones, but I think all three boys met Don Drysdale when he came to the house. Bobby could've named either Mr. Parker or Mr. Jones, if he wanted to tell a white lie, not that I'd approve of that, but at least it would be plausible. Instead, he claimed that he's friends with Joe Namath, and has had him over to the house for dinner a couple of times!
First of all, it's not as if we're anywhere near New York, or anywhere else the Jets play. (I don't follow sports much, but, yes, even I know who Joe Namath is.) And obviously Bobby has never met Mr. Namath. I don't think anyone we know has met him, unless Ginger has when she was in Hollywood. But even if she has, it's not like she can call him up and ask him to drop by.
Bobby's friends were skeptical but intrigued. One, Eric Parker, said Bobby will have to let them know the next time Mr. Namath comes over. Maybe it's a good thing that Mr. Namath will never be closer than hundreds of miles to our island, since Bobby can just say he's too busy to visit the area again. And I think football season starts in a couple weeks anyway. But hopefully Bobby has learned a valuable lesson about lying, a lesson I wish he'd learned long ago. Then again, even Greg and Marcia still lie sometimes, like that time she told poor Charley that "something suddenly came up."