1983 Chapter 1 Allison
1983
Chapter 1
Allison
Trying not to panic, the three women sat in the small cubby area designated for those who hadn’t cleared their examination. Their striped oversized wraparound gowns did nothing for their appearance, making them as self-conscious as if they were stripped naked and wore nothing at all.
At least, that was how Allison felt as she tried to avoid the other two women studiously doing the same. They sat in their self-made bubble of privacy, caught up in concern and what-ifs. Curiosity got the better of her, and Allison found herself focusing on the other women, taking them in. The women ignored her, remaining within their thoughts, and Allison turned away to give them privacy. She found it took greater effort to ignore them, yet, determined to do just that, Allison picked up a worn magazine from the empty chair next to her and began to thumb through the pages. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore and exclaimed, “This is cheery, isn’t it? My name is Allison Sullivan, by the way.”
At first, the two women appeared startled at being addressed, her words sounding deafening as they broke the silence. But then, they relaxed enough to smile and indulge her by offering up their names. “Hi, my name is Bella Jones,” said the pretty woman looking to be in her 30s with coffee-colored skin and a wide smile. With her sparkling dark eyes, there was a playfulness about her that was pleasing.
After hesitating, the other woman stated primly, “I’m Marianne Houghton.” It was easy to see she was the tallest of the three with long blond hair, knotted severely at the back of her neck, and blue eyes that appeared slightly haunted. She seemed guarded and looked about the same age as the other two but appeared the most worried.
Any further conversation was interrupted when two nurses stepped into the room. One leaned over Marianne and spoke in a soft voice. “You can get dressed now, Marianne, and leave, but you’ll need to be rechecked in six months. It’s late in the day, and the front office is closed, so you’ll need to call us tomorrow to set up your appointment.”
The nurse patted Marianne’s shoulder in support before turning away and leaving. Marianne looked dazed but gamely stood and headed into the curtained locker area to change.
The second nurse stood in front of Bella. “Congratulations. You’re all clear. We’ll see you next year.”
Bella smiled. “Thanks.”
Then the nurse at Bella’s side turned. “Allison?” she asked, looking at her notes. “Good news for you too. Make sure you make your appointment for next year, okay?”
Allison stood and checked her clothes out of the locker that was temporarily hers and went behind her own curtained area to get dressed. Relieved, the three women finished dressing and emptied from their private dressing rooms. They left the doctor’s office in a group and stood together, waiting for the elevator to arrive.
It was dusk outside, and the stress of the day began to collapse, and their moods lightened. Then, Allison looked at the other two and asked on the spur of the moment, “Ladies, are you up for a glass of wine at the cocktail lounge downstairs? My treat.”
“After this day? Heck, yeah!” answered Bella with a wicked grin.
They both looked to Marianne. “Why not?” she replied, seeming to perk up at the thought. However, a bit of sadness surrounded her that was hard to identify yet remained.
As they unloaded off the elevator, Allison impulsively hooked her arms through the arms of the other two, and the three of them entered the pub area light-hearted and laughing. The bartender looked up at them and smiled. “Ah, ladies, in for a night of fun?”
They laughed and headed for the larger booth in the back. The waitress followed them and asked, “What can I get you, ladies? Cosmos are our special for tonight. Interested?”
They nodded, and she turned to holler at the bartender, “Three specials, Mike! Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked.
“Not right now,” Marianne was quick to answer.
The waitress left and returned within minutes, placing their drinks in front of them. “Enjoy!” she said before she turned and left.
Allison hoisted her glass and knocked it against the others being held up. “Here’s to us … none better,” she toasted.
Bella and Marianne laughed, and then Bella said, “Amen.” She grinned and said, “Let me spell that out for you so that you don’t think I said, ‘Ah, men.’”
They chuckled. Allison said, “That wouldn’t work for me today either, sister.”
“What a day,” groaned Bella as she leaned against the back of the booth. “My boyfriend wanted to know what it was like to have a mammogram,” she laughed.
“What did you tell him?” Allison asked.
“I told him, ‘Think of going into the garage, lying down on your side on the hard cement floor, then picture the car backing over your boobs,’” she chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.
Hearing that, Marianne spit out some of her drink, trying to hold in her laughter. She covered her chest with her hands, leaned forward, swallowed, and then began to laugh uncontrollably. They all joined in until each of them was wiping her eyes. “Oh, my God! I haven’t laughed like that in a long time,” admitted Marianne.
Having laughed so hard, Marianne looked like a completely different person—vibrant and stunningly beautiful.
The waitress headed over to them. “Another round, ladies?”
They looked at each other and immediately nodded. Then, the waitress headed off, and the girls sat back and relaxed. They were having fun, and nothing was going to interfere with their time together.
One by one, they released the stress of the day even more. “What do you do for work, Bella?” asked Allison.
“I’m a doctor at Children’s Hospital specializing in children with cancer.”
“Wow! That’s a trip,” Allison said, impressed. “I think that would be difficult to do, knowing the odds aren’t that great for recovery.”
“You get used to it because the kids who aren’t going to make it intuitively know they won’t and usually handle it much better than the parents do. They are amazing kids,” she solemnly explained.
“What about you, Marianne? What is it that you do?” Allison asked.
“I’m a paralegal working at the Benson & Sons law firm.”
“That’s cool,” Allison said. “The one in the financial district? How long have you been with them?”
“Ever since I moved to Boston five years ago, actually,” Marianne replied. “It’s okay,” she said without much enthusiasm.
“What about you, Allison? What do you do?” asked Bella.
“Right now, I’m between jobs. I’m interviewing for a position at the First National Bank downtown,” she answered. “In their loan department.”
“That sounds like a pretty important job,” Marianne said. “Have you always been in finance?”
“God, no! I’m not even sure I’ll be able to sit behind a desk all day, but I thought I might as well give it a shot,” she laughed.
As the evening wore on and they were nearly finished with their drinks, Marianne started to check her watch every few minutes. “What’s up, Marianne?” asked Bella.
“Sorry to say, I’ve got to get home. My dog needs to be let out and fed.”
“What kind of dog do you have?” Allison asked.
Marianne’s face lit up. “She’s a miniature black poodle. Her name is Sophie.”
“She sounds cute,” Bella said.
“She is,” agreed Marianne, smiling.
“I should be going, too,” Bella said, looking at her watch.
“Before you leave, are you two game to meet up again?” Allison asked. “Here, next week? Same time?”
Bella and Marianne smiled and nodded.
“Why not?” Bella added. “I have the next day off.”
They exchanged contact information, hugged, and left, each sensing their unusual relationship was worth the effort and they might end up as friends for life, always answering the question of how they met—the waiting room.
