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13: “Father and Son to the Theater/Mother and Daughter to the Park”
It was very hard to sleep that first night at the Hotel Preston. The overhead fan whirled around and around making noise, but didn’t really make things feel cooler. The lights flashed on the hotel sign outside their window after dark. The cars and taxis were making honking sounds and you could even hear people talking to each other, sometimes out in the hallway, and sometimes from way down below on the streets since their window was open to let air in. The elevator made a swooshing sound. Doors were being opened and closed just outside in the hallway. Sometimes George made a loud sound with his mouth, sputtering and then turning over. How nice to hear her father nearby thought Ali, even though he was kind of noisy when he was sleeping. Ali tried to go to sleep amidst all these new sounds. She firmly clutched Smokey Bear and snuggled close to her mother in one bed. Her father and Reynolds were in the other bed and everyone seemed to toss and turn about with just a sheet over them, since it was so hot in the room. As Ali’s eyes began closing, she thought how different it was here in New York compared to sleeping at Mrs. Amity’s house or her home on River Street. All you ever heard there, back in the Valley, were crickets chirping in the bushes in the backyard.
Ali woke up to the sounds of cars honking.
“OK, sleepyheads,” said her father “time to get a move on”. He had prepared coffee for he and Caroline and had some cereal for everyone and another bag of apples.
“I’m taking Reynolds to the theater today,” he said to Caroline. “I think it would be a good chance for me and Reynolds to bond a little. Father and son in the “Big Apple”. What do you think?” George asked Caroline.
“Sure, Sweetheart. Ali and I can take a look in a few stores and maybe go to the park for awhile”.
“Let’s synchronize watches, Honey,” said George as he looked down at his wristwatch. It’s 9:00AM. Let’s all rendezvous back here at the Preston no later than 2PM. You know I’ve got to get back to the theater by 3PM.”
Caroline checked her watch and remembered how punctual George was about everything.
Reynolds and his father walked seven blocks down Broadway and then turned onto 54th Street.
“Isn’t this the way to the school?” asked Reynolds.
“You are pretty sharp, son. Indeed it is. The theater I perform in is just a little bit further down from where the school is located.” They kept striding quickly down the streets, adeptly passing the slower people on the sidewalks and avoiding delivery guys and people running in and out of various hotels and stores and buildings along the way.
“Impressed?” George asked his son.
“What’s not to be impressed about. This is cool,” said Reynolds is a rare show of excitement.
“I missed you guys, you know. I hope you like it here.”
When they came to the street corners, Reynolds at first would stop, but took his cue from his father who quickly looked one way and then another and stepped right out into the street even though the light was red.
“Hey, kid, if you stop, everyone will know you’re a tourist. Just look fast and keep moving. Follow my lead and stay close,” said George while putting his hand on Reynolds’ shoulder.
Reynolds loved that. Not waiting for the green light. Just walking right out and there into the streets. It made him feel grown-up and kind of powerful.
“Cool,” said Reynolds again as he approached the next street and kept moving against the red light alongside his father.
“There it is, the Ziegfeld Theater,” said George proudly. “We’ll go in the stage door entrance.”
George introduced his son to some people backstage as he took Reynolds on a tour of the theater. “Good looking young man you have there George,” said one of the dancers. “Does he sing, George? Maybe he can join us,” said one of the ladies dressed in a costume for the show.
“She’s pretty, Dad,” said Reynolds smiling.
“Actually, I don’t know if he sings,” his father said to the scantily clad woman in the show. “Do you sing, son?”
“I never really tried Dad----maybe,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds walked toward the stage and looked out thinking how wonderful it must be to be applauded by people in the audience. George talked briefly to one of the stage managers about tonight’s show. Suddenly, a woman with red hair and dressed in a pretty costume, came up behind George and put her hands over George’s eyes, saying, “Guess who, darling?”
Reynolds looked over at his father from where he was standing and looked at the woman. Immediately, he did not like her. She called his father “darling”. Something was not right about that. George coughed and said, “Oh, hi young lady. Hey, I want you to meet my son----”
“Is Reynolds here?” she inquired.
Reynolds wondered how she knew his name.
“He sure is. Son, come over here, I want you to meet----”
“Hello, darling. What a handsome boy you are. Just like your Daddy,” she gushed, giving Reynolds a quick peck on the cheek. Reynolds was definitely not liking this strange woman.
“Hello,” said Reynolds flatly. He wondered if maybe everyone called each other darling in this place.
“Well, I just wanted to show Reynolds where his Dad hangs out and earns a living. My wife Caroline took our daughter Ali to see Central Park, I think. Bonding time for mother and daughter.”
“How sweet,” said the red-haired lady. Reynolds’ father seemed a little uncomfortable and said he and Reynolds better move along.
“But, darling, you two handsome fellows just got here. Leaving so soon?” she said in a strange little girl voice.
”Just a quick look around back stage, and I’ll need to get him back to the hotel before Ali and her mother get home”.
Reynolds crossed his arms and seemed anxious to leave.
“Well, it was a pleasure to meet you son. Your father talks about you all the time. Bye-bye, boys,” she said as she left them standing on the stage.
“Who’s she?” Reynolds said, making a bit of a face.
“One of the women in the show. She has a beautiful voice,” said George as he watched the red-haired women disappear backstage.
“Seems kind of phony to me,” said Reynolds. “What’s her name?”
“Oh, her name is, ahh, her name is,------Marsha,” George said with a little hesitation. That wasn’t like Dad to forget a name thought Reynolds.
Meanwhile, Ali and her mother had left the Hotel Preston and had entered Central Park near a big monument.
“This is the ‘Maine Gate’ to the park” said her mother while reading a travel guide book George had given her. “It says in the book that it is a memorial to the Battleship Maine which was blown up in 1898 and caused the United States to enter a war with Spain.”
Ali perked up when she heard her last name.
“Spain----- like us,” she smiled.
They continued down the walking path, past a lot of park benches partially covered with leaves. Ali was already starting to drop her mother’s hand in order to jump up on the benches and then jump down to run through the autumn leaves that were everywhere.
“Stay close,” said Caroline to her daughter.
Ali and her mother were looking at all the interesting people in the park as they walked along the pathway. There was an old man sitting on a bench feeding and talking to the pigeons.
“He’s talking to the birds, mother,” whispered Ali.
“He’s probably lonely, Ali, shhhhhh,” whispered her mother.
“Look at those people kissing over there, by the tree, Mother,” said Ali who had never seen people in the park doing that.
“Honey, this is New York, they do things differently here,” explained Caroline.
“Let’s sit down awhile so I can have a cigarette and look at the guide book for a moment,” said Ali’s mother as she plopped herself down, opened her purse, and lit up a cigarette.
“
I’ll be right here on the rock, OK ?” Ali started climbing up a large outcropping of rock near the path they were on.
“OK, just stay where I can see you”.
The rocks reminded her of the westerns on television. She scrambled to the top and surveyed the park. She could see a playground with swings in the distance. She then slowly turned all the way around to view all the tall buildings surrounding the enormous park. She couldn’t quite see the Hotel Preston sign, but there was a huge sign on top of a building on the edge of the Park that said “Essex Hotel”.
A few minutes later, she heard her mother calling her name.
“Ali, Ali-------, let’s go.” Ali scrambled down the rocks and joined her right away.
“Let’s keep walking this way. We’ll get to 5th Avenue in a few minutes and look at some of the storefronts.”
Fifth Avenue was a very busy street. Buses, and taxis and cars, but best of all noticed Ali, there were horses there!
“Look, Mother, can I pet the horse?” begged Ali.
I don’t think so, Sweetie, he’s eating his food in that bag around his neck right now. Better not bother him. Maybe next time.”
Ali was disappointed, but obeyed her mother. She sure didn’t expect to find horses in New York City. That was a nice surprise. They walked and walked along 5th Avenue looking at all the stores along the way.
“This is so much fun, Honey. It’s called window shopping. You can look at everything, but you don’t have to go inside and buy anything,” explained Ali’s mother. What good is that thought Ali, to look but not buy anything? Oh, well, there wasn’t anything there that interested her, just a lot of women’s clothes and jewelry and things that her mother liked to look at. The only thing that she liked so far on 5th Avenue was the horse with the feed bag and the toy store that they looked at earlier. Her mother promised her that when they had more time they could come back to both the horse and the toy store.
A little later, they stopped at a place that sold hamburgers and french fries right across from Central Park. On the menu was a hamburger that wore glasses. Ali read the menu, and it said: “Prexy’s---”The Hamburger with a college education.” That’s funny, an educated hamburger, thought Ali. They ordered a couple of hamburgers with fries and a chocolate shake to share.
“Oh, my heavens, we’re going to be late,” said her mother suddenly. Her mother sounded like the White Rabbit in her favorite book.
“Hurry, Ali. Time to get back to the hotel!” Her mother grabbed the check from the counter and paid a lady at the cash register near the door.
Even though they rushed along the sidewalks as fast as possible, by the time they got back to the hotel, George and Reynolds had already returned. Ali’s father had a strained expression on his face and as they opened the door. He lifted up his left arm and looked pointedly at his watch, all the while shaking his head unhappily.
“Not that look, George,” said Caroline who was out of breath from hurrying back.
“We agreed on 2PM Caroline. Being on time is not one of your best suits. You know I have to get back to the theater.” George retorted.
“OK, OK, I’m sorry. I guess we just got carried away looking at everything.” Caroline tried to change the subject.
“I know you’ve got to get going, Honey,” and turning to Reynolds she asked if he had a good time at the theater.
“Yeah, pretty much. Dad showed me around and I met “Marsha, darling,” he said stressing the word “darling”.
“Marsha, darling?” Caroline said looking at both George and Reynolds with a puzzled expression on her face.
“She’s just one of the girls in the show. A little affected. You know, everyone is ‘darling’ in show business,” said George as he gathered up a few things and started for the door.
“When do you think we can come see you at the theater, George? I’d love to see the show,” said Caroline.
“Sweetie, it’s not a kids show. We’ll have to figure out a time when you can come as soon as we can make arrangements for the kids somehow. Got to go, Honey,” he said as he closed the door and hurried down the hallway.