“Heartbreak Hotel”
Listen to this story, “The Invitation”
Grandpa was slowly walking back toward the house from the mailbox. Julie looked up from where she sat on the patio lounge.
“Card for you, Julie,” Grandpa said.
“Thanks,” she replied. She looked at the card, and within 30 seconds Julie was on her feet and on her way into the house.
“Momma, Momma!” she called excitedly. “It’s worked out!”
“Calm down, child,” her mother said, coming out from the kitchen. “What’s worked out?”
“Well,” Julie began, “remember that Dr. Hancock who visited here recently from Beach City? You know, he runs the Hancock Hotel. And remember he said some time he’d like to have us kids from the church down as guests sometime? Well, he’s invited us all for next Tuesday and to stay overnight. Isn’t that neat? The Macintoshes and Emorys and Donaldsons are taking us, so we’ll have plenty of proper chaperones. Oh, Momma, I can go, can’t I?”
Mrs. Scott did not reply, “Let’s wait until your father gets home then we’ll talk about it.” For Julie had lost her daddy when she was a baby. Now Julie’s family history seemed somewhat mysterious to her. Her mother, then Lora Philip, had been the youngest of eleven children. Grandma Philip died when Lora was only five years old, and Lora grew up without a mother’s love. Lora was age 15 when she had run away. Mr. Philip didn’t hear from her for eight years. What happened during that time, Julie didn’t know. At any rate, at age 23, Lora had met and married Julie’s father, Max Scott. Again, unfortunate circumstances had come to Julie’s family, and Max had mysteriously disappeared from Julie’s life. Lora Philip Scott felt a strong obligation to care for her aging dad. That’s when the three of them had moved to California, just before Julie’s third birthday.
Lora Scott was a Registered Nurse and brought in most of the family income. Grandpa Philip, although now retired, was an excellent plumber and carpenter and well known in Riverdale and brought in a few extra dollars. Julie had a right to be proud of her family. They were not wealthy by any means, but they had learned to save and to stretch the money they spent. One thing, however, was that Julie was the only child. She knew that whenever she wanted anything “real bad,” she usually got what she wanted.
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