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Authors: Marilyn Land

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Clattering Sparrows (6 page)

BOOK: Clattering Sparrows
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“You know, that’s a great idea. Why don’t we teach our mothers to play? My Mom mentioned it once and said some of her friends were learning.”

***

What actually happened was our moms did learn how to play, but they learned the American way using the National Mah Jongg League Card. They bought American produced sets, and taught us the rules of play. But for the time being, although our weekly games had ended, the game we had learned to play as children was destined to remain a significant part of our lives.

We never played a game with An Lei’s beautiful set again, but it would forever hold a special place in our hearts. Many times throughout the years, we would open the case, remove the tiles, and fondly reflect on the past recalling our dear friends, and more often than not, something would happen or someone would say something that reminded us of Su Ling and An Lei.

 

5

ON THE TUESDAY FOLLOWING Labor Day in early September, we anxiously boarded the bus that took us to Eastern Senior High School. The stately school built in 1923 got its name from the school’s location in the eastern quadrant of the City, and its position on the dividing line—East Capitol Street—which separates northeast and southeast.

The first day of school was quite exciting, and we met a lot of new people. Because of the school’s location to Capitol Hill, many of our fellow students had parents who served in Congress. The school was quite large and classrooms were located on three floors. We each had a locker in the hall outside of our homeroom, and it was on that very first day that I met Jonathan Miller. In the beginning, we used to joke about having the same last name, but we soon became an on-again, off-again couple, neither of us realizing at the time that we would eventually marry some eight years later.

High school opened even more doors for us than junior high school had. Eastern High School was big and encompassed a wider geographical area of students. We were typical teens of the fifties. The girls wore pleated or poodle skirts with sweater sets in pastel colors, bobby socks, and saddle shoes. Rolled up dungarees with rolled up blouse sleeves were reserved for weekends. And the guys boasted black leather jackets, dungarees with tee shirts, and slicked down hair.

Music of the fifties was more than just rock ‘n roll. Crooners like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Jo Stafford, and Dinah Shore were all vastly popular, but rock ‘n roll soon became the rage. Developed from a blend of Southern blues and gospel music with an added strong background beat, it became popular with teenagers who were trying to break free from their conservative middle-class upbringing. With the advent of rock ‘n roll, a host of new dances quickly became a part of that rage, as well. Our parents weren’t as taken with these new dances and their suggestive moves backed up by loud upbeat music, but we loved them. As we entered the glorious age of Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and American Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark, the frenzy of the time took over. It was great to be a teenager in the fifties, and
The Fabulous Five
lived it to the fullest!

Sock hops were informal dances held in the high school gymnasium or cafeteria where in order to protect the floors of the room from scuffmarks and scratches from street shoes, teens were asked to remove their shoes before entering and dancing. At Eastern, sock hops were usually held once a month on Friday nights. The concept was a simple one. Teenagers paid a nominal fee to get in. Their hands were stamped with an inkpad stamp to show you had paid, and a teen volunteer was the “DJ” who played the top records of the week and various other good dance tunes.

We dressed up—girls in dresses or skirts with sweaters, and boys in slacks and shirts, that at times included jackets and ties. It was a wholesome way for us to meet other teens, spend time with our friends and simply have a lot of fun. There was a concession stand that sold cold sodas and chips which was also run by teen volunteers and whatever teachers were pulling chaperone duty. If you left the gym and went outside for “a smoke” or to get something from the concession stand, all you had to do to get back in was show your stamped hand.

We all had 45 rpm record collections and the small square record players to play them on. Mine was pink and gray with the large spool that fit the record hole without having to insert a yellow plastic disc that was required to play them on conventional phonographs. Each Tuesday, the new releases arrived, and after school we made a beeline to Al’s Record Shop on H Street before they sold out.

It was also a way for Judy and Tony to spend time together. Even though her parents had allowed her to attend the graduation dance from Eliot with Tony, she was told in no uncertain terms that it was a one-shot deal!

There were various youth groups throughout the area and many of us joined them. Some boys joined the Masonic sponsored DeMoleys while some girls joined Jobs’ Daughters. Most Jewish boys and girls pledged the many high school fraternities and sororities in the area which offered a wholesome social life and the opportunity to meet people of our own faith. Judy and I chose Kappa Sigma Tau which was a National Sorority with chapters all over the country. It was a great way to meet people not only outside of our school area but clear across town in northwest. At first Judy wanted no part of a social group that would allow her to meet “Jewish boys” since she was quite taken with Tony Russo. But after a while, she saw it as a way that she could take him as her date to various events without her parents’ knowledge.

Both Judy and I tried out for Cheerleaders and made the squad, while Jenny joined the Glee Club. Tony made the football team and Billy was a star pitcher on the baseball team. The Eastern High Ramblers were No. 1 in football and baseball that year as in many years past, evidenced by the cases of trophies on display in the front entrance hall to the school.

When we entered Eastern, the United States had already been involved in the Korean War for over a year. Less than ten years after World War II, our boys were once again being drafted within weeks after graduation. Many of my brother’s friends were already serving their country, and even though my brother and Judy’s brother Mike were both in college, they were drafted in 1952, but neither served in a war zone and were honorably discharged two years later and returned to school.

Although the Korean conflict didn’t have the overall effect on us that World War II had, our country was at war once again, and the families that had relatives serving overseas were once again apprehensive.

High school was quite different than our carefree days of elementary and junior high. We were growing up and our outlook on what was ahead of us and what we wanted to accomplish in life was on the horizon. We took ourselves seriously and began planning for the future. From day one, our studies were geared to whether or not we planned to go on to college after graduation. Some of the students opted to transfer to vocational high schools where they were taught a trade so that upon graduation, they could enter the workforce immediately. Others planned to go on to college whether they had selected a particular field or not.

One day as our junior year at Eastern was slowly coming to an end, Judy and I were hanging out with Jenny Kiata, Billy McAvoy, and Tony Russo, and we started talking about what we were thinking of doing with our lives.

“I definitely want to go to Juilliard to study opera, and I hope I get accepted.” was Jenny’s response, but then we all knew that. She had a magnificent voice and was the Eastern High Glee Club’s undisputed star.

Fascinated with planes since he was a toddler, Billy McAvoy planned to make a career in the military. “I’m joining the Air Force. I’ve wanted to become a pilot for as long as I can remember, and I’m eagerly looking forward to graduation next year. I can’t wait to fly those sleek new jets that you see and read about in the paper almost everyday.”

Tony Russo was totally into cars. It was all he talked about. He had done a beautiful job restoring an old coupe that his father bought him, and his dream was to open an auto body shop or gas station, but his parents were dead set against that idea. “My parents want me to be a lawyer, can you imagine? I don’t do that well in school. I work better with my hands, and thinking about four years of college plus four years of law school boggles my mind. Getting through just four years of college would be tough for me.”

Changing the subject, Tony playfully posed a question to Judy and me. “Well what are you girls going to do, get married and have lots of kids?”

Judy and I looked at each other and laughed. “No smarty pants. You know I want to be a teacher. We’ve certainly talked about it enough,” was Judy’s reply.

“Well I guess that leaves me.” I said. “I want to be a journalist. Maybe I’ll be lucky and get a job at The Washington Post or The Times Herald or The Evening Star. Maybe I’ll write an advice column, and all of you can send me your problems, which I’ll try to solve as best I can.” We all laughed again and then I got serious. “My one dream is to someday write a bestselling novel.”

Then our discussion turned to more important things—what everyone’s plans for the weekend were, what movies were playing, and what plans, if any, were on tap when school let out in a few short weeks.

That summer Judy and I landed our first real jobs outside of babysitting. We both went to work for the government. Billy’s mom alerted us when recruitment for the temporary jobs was scheduled, and we ended up working for two different divisions of the Navy Department’s Bureau of Aeronautics located in the numerous temporary buildings on Constitution Avenue. It was fun, and it felt good earning money of our own. We had a deal with our parents. We put half of what we earned in the bank, and the other half we spent on clothes and cosmetics.

From time to time, we treated ourselves to a show at Lowe’s Capital Theatre downtown on F Street. For less than $1.00, we saw a movie, short subjects, Pathe News, cartoons, and a live stage show backed up by the Sam Jack Kaufman orchestra. Once, when Bill Lawrence from the Arthur Godfrey Show was the headliner, we sat in the third row. He was so good looking, and as he sang, we swooned and screamed and thought we had surely died and gone to heaven!

On July 27, 1953, a cease-fire was signed with North Korea and our involvement in the Korean War was soon to be over. Repatriation of the prisoners of war began in September. At the time of the ceasefire, 8,000 Americans were missing in action, the great majority assumed to have been murdered by North Korean soldiers after surrendering or when found wounded. Many that did return home would ultimately suffer from postwar psychological problems for the rest of their lives.

September 1953 began our senior year at Eastern. We had not heard from Su Ling and An Lei since their hasty departure over two years before. Judy and I often thought about them and spoke about them, but we never heard a word.

The first half of our senior year passed quickly. But as 1954 dawned, and we began our final senior semester, the dam suddenly broke.

In January, my father called a family meeting. We had never had a family meeting before. My brother was still away in the service, so it was just my mother, my father, and me. I can still remember that he seemed nervous as he began speaking, and it started to freak me out making me think that something was definitely wrong.

“Sara, what we have to tell you is not a decision that we considered and made lightly. We have pondered our options for many months. We didn’t leave you out of our thought process because we didn’t want your input or want you involved, but because we felt this being your senior year, we didn’t want any distractions to deter you from your studies or plans for college.

“I have been offered a Grant by the National Institutes of Health to study childhood diseases and work with a team of doctors and researchers to develop inoculations to prevent them. Their first and foremost priority is a polio vaccine. It is quite an honor, and an area I have been interested in for quite some time.

“After much discussion, consideration, and your mother’s urging, I have decided to accept the Grant. My work begins in September. I’m in the process of selling my practice, and I’m quite pleased that several people I have been speaking with have shown a genuine interest in it. There is still the need for a pediatrician in the neighborhood, and I would prefer not to simply close the office.

“Since you will be attending George Washington University in the fall, selling the house should have no impact on your plans, and when Jerry returns from the service, where we live should not impact him either. We are considering looking for a house in the Bethesda area near NIH. We also feel the timing is excellent because we undoubtedly won’t be moving before you graduate.”

I sat stunned for a moment, and then I immediately ran to hug my parents. “Dad, I am so happy for you. You’ve helped so many children get well as you did Su Ling so many years ago. I’m glad you’re going to be able to realize your dream.”

My parents seemed pleased that I was okay with their decision, and everyone started talking at the same time. We finally sat down to dinner, and all through the meal I learned what had been going on for the past few months. Then it suddenly hit me! We were moving. I would no longer be living next door to Judy.

“Can I tell anyone about our plans or are they just between us for now?” I asked.

Dad laughed, “Yes you can, and I assume that first someone is Judy. Am I right?”

“Yes, I think you both know me too well.” I helped clear the table, and then I went next door.

At first, Judy wasn’t thrilled about it, but we were remaining in the area and starting college in the fall, and Judy was planning to attend Barnard College in New York. Spending school breaks together and keeping in touch would be no problem.

The last semester was moving quickly. School pictures were taken and interviews with all the seniors about their future plans were ongoing in order to meet the deadline for publication in the yearbook.

In March, I was notified by Collier’s Magazine that I had won First Place in their annual Short Story Contest for high school seniors. My prize was a check for $750, an all expense paid trip to New York City, and lunch at Twenty-One. I was on cloud nine. Without telling me, my English teacher, Miss Ferris, who had always encouraged me to express my thoughts through writing, had entered my short story assignment—
The Reunion—
because she felt it was good enough to win, and it did!

BOOK: Clattering Sparrows
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