Savor the Rewrite: Chapter 22 Savor the Veal Part 1
Tony and Angela spent the next few minutes admiring all the touches to the nursery, from the pictures hung on the walls to the stuffed animals to the books in the bookcases. Since they were both so exhausted from their vacation, they decided to turn in early. Tony made them some sandwiches for dinner in bed. Once they finished dinner, they cuddled into one another to discuss the upcoming week.
"So we have our lamaze class on the Wednesday night after your graduation party. I'm going to try and get as much work done this week because after your graduation next week, I think I will start working from home. I'll be thirty five weeks by then" she said.
"Just don't over do it. This little one still needs to be right where he or she is for another seven weeks! So I was thinking… I know we haven't had a chance to really talk about names yet, but I'm thinking we probably should soon…" he said as he rubbed her stomach, feeling the baby kick. "See… they agree!" he laughed.
"Yes I guess we should start brainstorming. Any ideas?" she asked.
"Well for a boy I thought maybe Robert for your dad or Matthew for mine" he said, thinking back to his dream a few months ago after he passed out in the hospital.
"I like those names! How about for a girl? I like your mother's name Lena and Mother's middle name of Elizabeth" she said.
"No Mona Jr?" he chuckled.
"Bite your tongue! I had a dream the other night the baby was a girl with bright red hair…" she said as she rolled her eyes.
"As long as that apple falls far, far, far from the tree, she could have red hair! But that's the only similarity unless she's prepared to spend her adolescence and young adulthood in a convent!" said Tony as they both laughed.
"Well, we still have some time before we decide and of course, it will be helpful to see the baby first" she said.
"I bet they have your eyes and your beautiful smile…" he said as he kissed her on her lips.
"We will just have to wait and see! So I think we've got a final count for your graduation party. All the food and drinks are ordered and the decorations purchased. As long as this little one decides to stay put, we should be good to go!" she said.
"Oh he or she is staying put until July 6th! No sooner little one, you hear me?" asked Tony as he put his head against her stomach, feeling a kick.
"Well maybe a week early! I'm already huge and we still have seven weeks left!" she said as she gave him a glare.
"Alright, one week early that's it!" he conceded. They spent the rest of the night going over more names and planning Tony's graduation party. The next two weeks went by pretty smoothly, with Angela wrapping up things at the office. By the Friday before Tony's graduation, she had transitioned from the office to home.
Graduation was held in the college's courtyard. Aside from Angela needing to use the bathroom every hour, the ceremony went by smoothly. Hank gave his valedictorian speech, aided by one of his puppets, who had a strange resemblance to Tony. The family greeted him after he had thrown his cap in the air, congratulating him on his accomplishments. They headed back home to prepare the house for the party.
All the guests started coming to the house. Mrs. Rossini, Al and Bonnie, Ernie, Hank and his parents Joe and Fran, plus a bunch of Tony's classmates arrived. The party was a success but after a while, Angela couldn't find Tony. She finally saw him across the living room.
"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!" said Angela as she waddled across the living room to Tony.
"I've been in the bathroom and now I know why it takes you gals so long!" he complained as he adjusted his graduation gown.
"Hey Tony! You're the pride of the old neighborhood! East New York!" said Al as he shook Tony's hand.
"Hey, hey Mona! Do me a favor… take a picture of me and Al and my diploma!" he said, beaming with pride.
"Ten thousand years of evolution in one picture…" she quipped as she snapped a photo. "Gee… I wish Darwin could see this…" she said with a laugh. Tony just shook his head and turned around, running into Ernie.
"Hey Tony! We're all really proud of ya! How about a few words?" he asked as he handed him a drink.
"Oh sure, sure… ah hey everybody! I'm really glad you all came and you know… this is the proudest day of my life. It took me a long time to get here… twenty years longer than most people! But ah… I did it! I graduated and now I'm a teacher!" he said with a big smile as he raised his glass. He was met with a round of applause.
"Hey look who's here! The valedictorian!" said Tony as he ran over to Hank and Samantha.
"First ever from the theater department!" said Samantha as she wrapped her arms around Hank.
"And let me tell you something! I want you to know, that was one unusual commencement speech" said Tony as he pictured Hank giving his speech out of the mouth of a good looking puppet.
"Hey! I couldn't have done it without you!" said Hank as he pulled out the Tony-like puppet, dressed in a blue cap and gown and made him talk while Samantha laughed.
"I am so proud of you guys! The two most important men in my life, my father and my boyfriend! My future and my past…" she said as Tony just shook his head and told her not to make any speeches.
"Hey, hey hey!" said Tony as he found some of his college friends on the sofa, coming to sit down next to them as he showed off his diploma.
"Everybody, everybody! Can I have your attention?" said Angela; no one heard her except Mrs. Rossini.
"Angela… allow me" said Mrs. Rossini as she yelled for the group's attention, silencing the crowd instantaneously.
"Ah thank you…" she said to Mrs. Rossini as she tried to get her hearing back. "Look Tony, I've been umm… looking for a way to express what I'm feeling about this very important moment in your life and I… I finally found it… this is for you!" she said as she handed him a broom. Tony took it with a puzzled look on his face.
"This better be symbolic there Angela!" he said with a forced smile.
"Oh it is, it is! It represents your years as a housekeeper… and now as you move into this very important phase in your life, I want you to break it over your knee to mark your new beginning!" she said.
"Oh! That's great, that's pretty good there Angela! Hey, here it goes! Goodbye housekeeping!" he said as he broke the broom over his knee. He instantly regretted that choice as pain shot through his bad knee. "And hello teaching! And lesson number one, don't ever do that!" he shouted as he could no longer keep the pain to himself. Angela helped him over to the sofa to sit down. Joe and Fran came over to congratulate Tony on going back to school at his age, but somehow turned into a conversation about how much Joe made last year.
"Well, Tony is going to be doing something he loves and you can't put a price on that" said Angela.
"That's right! I'm going to be out there helping kids develop character. To learn and to grow…" he said.
"That's terrific! Tony! Where are you going to be teaching?" asked Fran.
"Well, I… I actually don't have a job yet, but I have a lot of applications out and you know, I just graduated so it's early…" he said.
"It's not that early Tony. I got my job six weeks ago" said one of his male college friends.
"Yeah, I got mine last month" said another female friend.
"Oh really…" said Tony, with a bit of apprehension in his voice.
"Sure Tony, it is a tough market out there. There's not many jobs and what is out there, goes like that" she said as she snapped her fingers for emphasis.
"Well, well… I know it's a tough market ya know it's just that I've been kinda busy with running the house and my part-time job and of course getting ready for the new baby" he said as he looked lovingly at Angela. "I guess I just got behind a little, ya know…" said Tony.
"I'm sure you're gonna find something… somewhere… it happens…" he said as they walked away from Tony.
"Well gee, I wish I had done some job hunting a little earlier, huh" he said sadly.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. Besides Tony, you have the whole summer to find something, in between late night feedings and diaper changes…" joked Angela, hoping to lighten the mood. However, Mrs. Rossini and Fran's stories did nothing to lessen Tony's anxiety. Just then, Jonathan brought out a cake as Samantha led them all in 'He's a Jolly Good Fellow' as he and Angela sat down on the sofa.
"Anybody got any glue?" he quipped as he held the broken pieces of the broom together as the clapping died down. The rest of the party went by uneventfully but Tony's mood remained somber. When the last guest left and the house was put back together, Tony and Angela came into the living room and sat down on the sofa once more.
"Tony, I know what you are thinking but you will find a job! You are more than qualified even without a Master's degree! You have life experience and it's a great asset for you to have put yourself through college later in life. You will find something!" she said.
"But what if I don't Angela? I can't go five years without a job! This little one needs food and a roof over his or her head! I need to be able to provide for this family!" he said as his hand found her belly.
"You do and you will be! Something will come up these next few weeks! And if not, you still have the whole summer! And if you don't find something until September, that just means the three of us will have the whole summer together…" she said as she put her head on his shoulder.
"You're right Angela! I will start first thing Monday morning looking for jobs! Thanks for believing in me Angela…" he said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They stayed that way for the rest of the night until it was time to head up to bed.
As promised, Monday morning came and Tony was up early looking for jobs. Angela was sitting on the sofa, very uncomfortable, looking through the want ads in the newspaper. Mona came down and joined her on the sofa, picking up one of the many newspapers to peruse.
"Key punch operator, word processor… there's nothing here for Tony…" said Angela defeatedly.
"Wait, wait… here's something! Teacher wanted…" started Mona.
"Great! What does it say?" asked Angela, excitement back in her voice.
"Needed immediately, Fairfield area, must be athletic, strict disciplinarian with a knowledge of knots…" said Mona.
"Mother, that's the personals!" shouted Angela as she got a good look at the advertisement.
"Well, best offer he's had in weeks!" laughed Mona as Angela just rolled her eyes. Tony came through the front door looking beaten and worn down.
"Hi, Tony!" they both said as they tried to be as optimistic as possible. Mona's optimism didn't last.
"Well, looks who's back… Willy Loman…" she quipped.
"Lay off Mona! I just wanted to be liked! There's no jobs out there, nothing!" complained Tony. Mona made some additional jokes at his expense before ripping out the personal ad and heading back to her apartment as Samantha came in from the kitchen.
"Hey Dad! Any luck today?" she asked as she sat down with them on the sofa.
"Well, I didn't get hit by a car, but of course there's always tomorrow…" he said sarcastically.
"Tony, don't be discouraged! You're not alone! There are a lot of very good people who don't have jobs…" she said. Moments later, Jonathan came running in through the front door.
"Hey guys! Guess what? I got a job! I'm going to be working as a busboy at the country club! I'll get five dollars an hour plus tips! And I get to spend most of my day with a bird's eye view of the lifeguard stand! What a feeling! Having a job is like being on top of the world! It makes a man feel like a man! It's a reason to get up in the morning and live, knowing that I am a vital, productive worker! A contributing member of society, not some leech!" said Jonathan as he ignored Samantha and Angela's subtle attempts to shut him up. Finally Samantha jumped in before Tony lost it.
"Dweeb, shut up! Dad still hasn't found a job yet…" she said to him as Jonathan finally got the picture.
"I hate that hellhole! I'm quitting before I even start!" he said as Jonathan sunk into the side chair.
"Jonathan, Jonathan… I'm happy for you! If this teaching job doesn't pay off, maybe you can get me a job…" he said sarcastically.
"Oh, I almost forgot! Look Tony you got a couple of letters from schools! Open them up!" said Jonathan as he handed him his mail.
"Nah… probably rejections with postage due!" said Tony.
"Don't be so negative!" said Angela as Tony started opening the letters.
"Sorry Mr. Micelli, why am I not surprised? Let's see here… we regret to inform you Mr. Micelli… hey I'm on a roll here… look at this…" he said as he opened up the last letter. "We'd like to set up an appointment Mr. Micelli… wait a minute, wait a minute that's good right? An appointment is good right? They, they wouldn't tell me to come in to tell me to take a walk!" he said excitedly.
"Who's it from Dad?" asked Samantha.
"It's from Stone Creek Community College…" said Tony as he continued to read the letter.
"That's only a few miles from here. What's the job?" asked Jonathan.
"It doesn't say, it just says they're considering me for a teaching position. Well this is perfect! I'll take it!" said Tony as he jumped up off the sofa. Angela was able to maneuver herself to stand up next to him.
"Well, Tony… you don't know what the job is yet!" said Angela.
"I don't care Angela, I don't care! I mean I'm not proud! Even if it's not great, it's…it's a stepping stone, ya know what I mean! I… I just want to teach! Even…even the subject isn't important! What's important is lighting the lamp of knowledge in young, eager minds!" he said.
"Alright then! Call them on Monday and see what the job entails. Maybe it turns into your dream job!" said Angela as she wrapped her arms around him.
Tony spent the rest of the weekend preparing for the new job, while Angela rested. By Monday morning at 9:00am on the dot, Tony called the college and had scheduled the interview for the following day. Angela took him shopping later that day for a new suit and tie as well as some last minute baby items. Tony headed into the interview and learned that the job was for a driving instructor. He wasn't thrilled with the position but was still focused on it being a stepping stone, so he readily accepted, with the start date being the next day. Apparently, the position was difficult to fill.
Wednesday morning, Angela kissed Tony goodbye and wished him good luck. She reminded him of their lamaze class in the evening. He drove the few miles to the college, his enthusiasm through the roof. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for him to fall from cloud nine as he took the students out on the road. By mid day, he had seen his life flash before his eyes at least six times as each student was a worse driver than the previous one. Once the last driver almost hit the gasoline truck, he knew this job wasn't for him. Not trusting being in a car any longer, he walked all ten miles home. He was exhausted by the time he walked in the door. He gave Angela a run down on his horrible day.
"You poor thing! Well I hope you quit!" she said, the thought of him getting in an accident with the cast of Wayne's World plaguing her mind.
"I can't quit Angela! It may not be perfect but, it's… it's at least getting my foot in the door and is a paycheck to help support this family. Anyway it's the best offer I've got…" he said sadly.
"Not necessarily… maybe it's good news!" said Angela as she pulled out a letter addressed to him.
"Is it addressed to me?" he asked as he walked over to her.
"Uh huh!" she said with a smile.
"Then it ain't good news…" he said as he turned away. "You read it! I can't take anymore rejection…" he said, thinking back to some of the letters he had gotten yesterday. Angela couldn't wait any longer and opened up the letter.
"Wait, wait, wait! How about a job offer?" she practically shouted as she handed the letter to Tony, who ran over to her side.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! This isn't just a job offer Angela. It's a history teacher and baseball coach Angela! And… and they want me for an interview in Iowa on Friday! Oh this is great! This is… Iowa?" he said with a confused look as he reread the letter.
"Iowa?" asked Angela, a confused look on both their faces.
"Yeah I mean Iowa… Wells Junior College, Branford, Iowa… it… it must be some mistake…" he said. A feeling of dread started coming over him, although he wasn't sure why.
"I wonder how they got your name…" wondered Angela.
"I… I don't know. Oh wait, it says here. My counselor recommended me. They were impressed with my unique background and academic achievement…" he said. 'Branford? Iowa? Wells College? Why does this sound so familiar?' he wondered to himself.
"That's great! Iowa?" she said as she tried to think back to fifth grade geography lessons, trying in vain to picture where that state was located in the country.
"Marone a mia! I mean that's, that's far!" he said as he looked back at the letter.
"That's out there alright…" she said, vaguely remembering where it was located on the map.
"Ah… that's too bad. The job sounds great… and familiar but I can't for the life of me remember why… hey! Well, at least I still have my job as a crash dummy!" he said as he stood up. "Alright Angela… why don't you rest up for our class? I'll get a head start on dinner" he said as he turned to head into the kitchen. Angela stood up but instead of heading upstairs to rest, she went into her office. She was immersed in the 'I' section of the encyclopedia when Tony came in an hour later.
"Okay Angela! Dinner is almost ready! What's that you're reading Angela? Another baby book?" he asked as he walked over to her desk.
"Not exactly…" she said as she flipped over the large book.
"You're reading the encyclopedia, volume I?" he asked as he picked up the book, the section on Iowa opened up and highlighted.
"Yeah, yeah… well I was looking to kill some time before our class so I was reading about… insomnia! I figure when the baby is here we won't be getting any sleep!" she chuckled.
"It's opened to Iowa…" said Tony.
"Ah yeah well, that's… that's what it said on the cures for insomnia… see Iowa" she said.
"Angela? Are you still thinking about this job offer?" he said as he closed the book.
"Yeah, well maybe a little. I mean it sounds so great and it would look a lot better on a resume than driving instructor. Tony, I think we should check it out" she said.
"What's the point Angela? It's probably a thousand miles away! Besides, we have the baby coming in a few weeks…" he said.
"One thousand, three hundred forty six miles to be exact. I checked…" she said with a chuckle.
"And that's a commute!" he laughed.
"Tony but if this could be your dream job, I think you at least owe it to yourself to see what it's like…" she said. Finally, the lightbulb went off for Tony when Angela said the word dream.
"Dream! Oh my god that's it! My dream! No way am I going to Iowa Angela!" he practically shouted as he took the offer letter that was next to the encyclopedia and tore it up.
"Dream? What dream Tony?" she asked as she looked at him like he had six heads. Tony took a deep breath and explained the dream he had months ago when she was in the hospital with the bad infection and had passed out when he saw the needle for the spinal tap. He was nearly in tears as he talked about how he shut down and pushed her away, missing the birth of their son, losing their family and Angela being in love with that guy named Gary. By the time he was finished opening up to Angela, they were both crying.
"Oh Tony… that was just a dream! That wouldn't happen, even if you took the job in Iowa for a year. I have faith in us, in our marriage and our family. And I don't even know anyone named Gary!" she joked to try and lighten the mood.
"Well thank goodness for that Angela! I wasn't ever worried about you or our family. I'm just prone to messing things up. If I were to take this job and it comes between you and me, I'd never forgive myself. And besides… this baby is going to need it's father, as boneheaded as I can be! Another job will come up. Maybe if I stop being a crash dummy, I can ask for more hours at my other job" he said.
"Maybe once the baby gets here, if this job is something that is as wonderful as it seems like on paper, we could relocate out to Idaho for the year. I plan on taking an extended maternity leave anyway. We could be out there, just the three of us and then come home" she said optimistically.
"Angela… the fact that you are willing to relocate to Iowa, not Idaho, means the world to me. You'd be miserable though Angela. You'd be resentful after only a few months. Not to mention, you'd be pretty much isolated with an infant. I have this vision of you crocheting a million blankets, taking up painting and being dragged each week to the bowling lanes! I couldn't and wouldn't do that to you… to both of you" he said as he knelt down and put his hands on her stomach.
"You two mean the world to me. No job is ever worth risking what we have together Angela. There will be other jobs out there in the area. It's just important for me to be, ya know, in the area…" he said as he gestured around the room.
"Okay Tony… c'mon I'm starving! I want to make sure we leave enough time to get to the lamaze class…" she said as he helped her up out of the chair and out into the kitchen.