Foster Parenting

Months passed and we heard nothing more about being foster parents.  Mike continued to entertain us and make life fun.  Lucille was adjusting more and more to raising another child in her twilight years.  Ken and I worked hard and we took time to play hard as well.  Ken had changed jobs to a less physically demanding job.  He became an Insurance salesman with a debit route already established.  He traveled a lot but it was local.   He collected money on policies as well as trying to sell more insurance.  Some times I would travel around with him.  It was fun.

He had only been working for a few months at this new company when Christmas rolled around.  The boss announced there would be a Christmas dinner at a local “fancy” restaurant.  Ken came home to tell me about it.  He had some reservations as to whether or not I could handle such an outing.  Although Ken found my lack of sophistication cute and lovable, he was older than me and sometimes became uncomfortable with my antics.

I talked to Lucille about what I should wear.  We went through my wardrobe and we both agreed I had no dress up clothes at all.  We were all pretty much broke so we went to her closet.  She had a brown polyester pant suit that fit me fairly well.  So I borrowed it and a pair of her shoes and I was all set.

The entire ride to the restaurant, Ken coached me on etiquette.  He explained the several different pieces of silverware and what each one was for.  He told me to lay my napkin in my lap and not to tuck it down the front of my blouse.  He reminded me to sip my drink, not to slurp it down.  And most importantly, do not burp!  There I had it.  A crash course in how to not be a hillbilly.

We walked in and I was stunned.  His boss was sitting at the head of the table.  He had jet black hair, and lots of it.  He was wearing a double breasted pin striped suit.  His fingers were decorated with the finest of gold jewelry that matched the watch on his wrist.  He was wearing a gold bracelet and a gold necklace.  He was dark complected and looked like a movie star.  Ken said he was of Italian descent.  I had no clue.  I just knew he looked famous.

His wife was seated next to him.  She was considerably younger than him.  She was so beautiful and elegant that she took my breath away.  She was very slender and was wearing a strapless evening gown that glittered when the light hit it.  She had black silky looking hair that was pulled back and up from her neck and face.  Dangling from her ears were the most sparkling diamond earrings I could have ever dreamed of.  Accenting her slender long neck was a gorgeous necklace to match.  She had long well polished fingernails.  And sitting on her ring finger was a diamond the size of a golf ball.  There I sat, in my pant suit, I had borrowed from my mother in law and no make up.

Just as I thought I couldn’t feel more out of place, the secretary walked in.  She was older but oh so sophisticated looking.  She, too, was wearing an evening gown that twinkled like a star in the sky.  She had a mink stole draped across her bare shoulders.  As she took her wrap off, you could see how her gown flowed around her shapely body and she just screamed of success.  She, as well, wore gorgeous jewelry and was well manicured.  To my horror, she sat directly across from me.

I sat quietly and listened as everyone seemed to talk.  The other salesmen chatted among themselves while their wives talked.  I was not included in the conversation mainly because I was sitting to far away.  The secretary spoke to me and I soon discovered she was an extremely kind woman.  Before long, it was time to go to the salad bar.  It meant time for me to try out my new found manners.  In line Ken quietly reminded me to take only