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Stories from the Verse
In Version
Chapter 157: Takano 133
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Brown 338
The encounter with Gorillaxe was still weighing on Tommy's mind.
When she got to the bank Friday she deposited only ten dollars from the check, putting the other thirty-five in her pocket. They were going to need food, and the cheapest way to do food was to put groceries in the refrigerator and cook it themselves--but that means they were going to need cookware, and tableware. Plus, they were going to need the basic necessities--bath tissues, soap, dish soap. There was a washer and dryer in the basement, but they would need laundry detergent for that. Her thirty-five dollars wasn’t going to go far.
Wait--she was thinking in twenty-first century terms. She just bought pizza at a quarter a slice, with ten cents for a twelve-ounce cup of soda. Thirty-five dollars was worth a lot more than thirty-five dollars. How much she couldn’t guess, but with care she could buy at least some of what they needed.
Back at work she asked Brian, “Where did you get your duffel? I think I need something like it for my--my stuff.”
Fortunately he was quick on the uptake. “There’s an army-navy store not far from The Paris, buys and sells used military gear and is a bit overstocked thanks to all the equipment brought back from World War II. There’s also some stuff from people coming back from Korea. That would be the place to go--in fact, I was thinking I wanted to get some camping gear there, so maybe I’ll run up there Monday after work, if I can remember to pick up some cash during lunch.”
“Well, I’d like to go this weekend, if possible. Not having a way to carry my stuff with me proved a real problem the other day, and this seems the best resolution. I guess in some ways it would be easier to be a villain--the villains always know when they’re going to need their gear, and we heroes have to be able to get to it without advance notice.”
“Hadn’t thought of that.”
“Have you thought about groceries?” she asked. “We’ll save money if we can make some of our own food, but apart from buying the food we have no way to cook or serve it, not to mention things like bath tissue and laundry detergent “
“I guess it’s good I have you. I paid the first month’s rent; get some of the necessities, and you won’t owe me for that. Oh, do we want a phone?”
“We don’t have a phone?”
“I think there’s one on the desk in the pastor’s study, but it’s the church’s number and I haven’t asked about using it. I’m not even sure whether it rings there, or whether there’s some kind of buzzer system so that the church secretary screens calls.”
“Who knew renting a place could be so complicated,” Tommy laughed.
“Right,” Brian responded with a smile. “O.K., what do you know how to cook that isn’t going to break the budget?”
“I have a lot of experience with venison and freshwater fish,” she teased. “How do you like your eggs?”
“Eggs are good. I prefer sunnyside, but usually when I make them myself they’re scrambled, because that’s just easier. Toast--did I see a toaster?”
“I’ll check.”
“And meat, ham, bacon, sausage--not scrapple, never been fond of that. Omelets are good, too, but not too fancy.”
“Sounds good. I only have thirty-five dollars, but I have my mess kit so I can do some cooking until we put in some cookware. I’d like a good non-stick frying pan--”
“You’re too early for that. Teflon was the first non-stick coating, and it was developed for I think the Gemini space program, maybe Mercury.”
“Then I guess I’d better get some steel wool, too.”
“Probably. Well, I can take you to the army-navy store tomorrow, and if you like we can do the first shopping trip together. I should have thought to get extra cash, but if we’re going to be making some of our meals at home I won’t need quite so much for meals.”
“Works for me,” Tommy said. “Well, back to work, I guess. People will want their afternoon coffee,” she kidded.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
