Gang Aft Agley Ch. 02

For two years Nancy stayed at home to be a full time mother to Leezabad. She knew, however, when time to return to school and resume teaching duties came upon her. Nancy was more often fidgety and irritable. Leezabad went into day care. Nancy began her continuing education task with two courses that had an added benefit of getting her back into an adult world for a few hours a week. The coursework was a requirement to maintain her certification at current level. Instead of second a grade class, Nancy would teach fifth graders in the new school year.

As Leezabad progressed from day care through pre-school, kindergarten and elementary school, Nancy found an answer to her question what sort of mother will I be. Protective, overly so her two mothers gently tried to tell her. Nancy always considered Carla her mother too. Protective would be a good word to describe what sort of mother Nancy was for her daughter. Yes, protective, over bearing even, and controlling. When gentle words didn't seem to work, Carla and Elizabeth decided to gang up on Mother Nancy. Both mothers gave Nancy the same advice. "You've got to let Leezabad develop at her own level and of her own initiative. She needs to try by herself and fail, fall down."

"But . . . but . . . but she might hurt herself. What kind of mother would I be if I let her hurt herself when I can show her how not to get hurt?"

Nancy's mother handled the reply with nodding agreement from Carla, "You will be the same kind of mother Carla and I were. You will be a loving mother teaching her daughter to develop initiative and confidence. If you do that you will be doing Carla Elizabeth a favour that will last a lifetime. Now, if you can just figure out a better nickname for my granddaughter I will be pleased. No girl should be called any kind of Bad and not connected with my name. Leezabad is just wrong."

Try as she might, Granny Elizabeth never could convince Leezabad to give up the nickname; her granddaughter simply clapped her hands three times and repeated her personal name after each clap. The grandmothers did not have to worry about her shyness; there was none.

Robert had a role in his little girl's development too. Most nights he would sit with Leezabad in the living room working on what he called her intellectual development. They would laugh and count fingers at first, or read through one of her A-B-C alphabet books. Dada also conducted a weekly music appreciation course for his daughter using the old Leonard Bernstein Young Peoples Concert series that he managed to record to DVD. It took a while but eventually Leezabad could recognize which instrument went with the sounds, and with still more practice at Dada's knee she could name the notes being played.

Intellectual teaching was not Robert's only contribution to Leezabad's development. When the weather was nice, and mostly on weekends, Dada and daughter played in the back yard at all sorts of games, especially soccer. Nancy loved to watch them playing in the back yard. She was pleased Leezabad had the benefit of a father who participated fully being a parent. The winter Leezabad was in kindergarten, Robert decided to introduce a new physical skill; he taught his daughter how to ice skate.

Leezabad took to the ice as though born with skates on her feet. Robert just loved skating and laughing with his daughter. Nancy put her foot down and said absolutely no, "My daughter is not going to join the beginners ice hockey team. She may have to wear braces to her senior prom but I want to be sure she has all of her own teeth. No ice hockey -- period - for Carla Elizabeth." Father and daughter knew Momma was serious when she invoked both of Leezabad's given names.

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Friday nights in the Winthrop household often found Robert and Nancy snuggled together in front of the television in the family room. By ten at night Leezabad was always well into dreamland. Twelve years old and in her final year of elementary school, she rarely had weekend homework as she would in her coming school years. Robert always read a Burns poem to his daughter on Friday night before he kissed her goodnight and off to bed. Tonight he read To A Mountain Daisy with first verse that goes:

Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flow'r,
Thou's met me in an evil hour;
For I maun crush amang the stoure
Thy slender stem:
To spare thee now is past my pow'r,
Thou bonie gem.

The poem tells a story of a flower turned under by the plow. Robert was sure Leezabad picked this poem because she knew it had many verses and she would be able to listen to her Dada's special voice that much longer. She loved to have him read to her using his Scottish brogue, and if she knew the poem she would often recite along.

At ten o'clock, however, their daughter was fast asleep and adult time was nigh. Robert had discovered a cable TV show on Friday nights, Sexy Couples, dealing with sensuality among committed couples. He and Nancy now watched every Friday, and if they had to be away from the television they set their cable system to automatically record what had quickly become their favorite program. Every show gave them something about their relationship to discuss. Often they saw a play time method they wanted to try out in their bedroom.

This particular night, their favorite show really got juices flowing in the Winthrop master bedroom. The focus of the TV show was erotic massage. One section dealt with parts of the body not normally considered erogenous zones such as elbows and knees. A part that fascinated both Robert and Nancy showed a couple who massaged as close as they could approach to obvious spots such as nipples and vagina, but without ever quite touching the sensual target. The woman of the couple explained that the massage ended when she couldn't stand not reaching ultimate excitement and pulled her lover to her body and him inside her.

When they retired for the night, Nancy asked for hers, "Robert, honey, try to massage me just like that and drive me crazy."

Robert did his best to apply the massage lessons. Nancy did go crazy. There was a very good reason they watched the show every Friday night.

The next week's Sexy Couples show triggered bedroom conversation more than action. In a sensual setting, a dim lit room, curled up by a fireplace or in the couple's bedroom one partner would tell the other of an erotic experience they had with a partner before marriage. The purpose was to make a sensual word picture to excite partner into ravishing the story teller. The Winthrop's action came after Robert drew Nancy down a very personal conversation trail. For the first time Nancy told her husband about waking up after that Valentine party years ago with George in her bed. By the time Nancy reached the part about returning to her bed from the IHOP she had to fight off Robert's hands to continue her story.

The week after the sexy story telling episode, Sexy Couples exposed a topic that neither Robert nor Nancy thought they wanted to try. The couples on this night's show took separate vacations and for most the vacations included sex with another partner. The featured couples were neighbors and hubby vacationed with neighbor wife in the Pacific Northwest fishing for trout and salmon by day and sharing a double bed each night. Wife and neighbor husband vacationed on the Gulf Coast at casinos, beaches and testing the night life of Bourbon Street. For two weeks both couples acted as if married to their neighbor in every way.

Two other couples shared their experiences taking separate vacations and actively looking for other sex partners while away from home. Their segments were more like a 'what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas' tale. Results seemed mixed. For one of the couples both husband and wife had fun times and both found satisfying partners who were good in bed, fun to be with and non threatening to their marriage. The other couple did not report the same positive results. Jealousy became a problem and the couple had to resort to counselling to keep their marriage afloat.

Robert and Nancy discussed the separate vacation episode several times. They could both understand the excitement of sensual play with a new someone, but both recognized the potential for big problems that neither wanted. Still, the subject was one that triggered curiosity and conversation time and again.

On another night not sparked by television, Nancy brought up another topic they needed to discuss. "Robert, I am tired of diddling around with my masters degree. It's taking forever just doing a course here and there. I've been thinking about spending the summer on campus and just getting the rest of my course work out of the way. What do you think?"

Robert was generally supportive of Nancy's desire to get her course work behind her. He remembered back to his graduate school days and he could clearly see the hassle of dragging things out. "I like your idea. I do see a couple of problems though. Number one is Leezabad. What do we do about her? She can't just stay here by herself; that wouldn't be fair to her or even safe." Nancy certainly agreed with her husband that Leezabad couldn't be left alone all summer. "The other problem is if you are going to be on campus all summer, that's three hours away."

"Well, I am a big girl and I think I can handle campus life three hours away. How about you, honey, if we can figure out the Leezabad thing do you think you can handle batching for a few months this summer?"

"Does that mean I get my separate vacation this summer while you go back to school?" Nancy reached to tickle her husband's waist and both had fun laughing over the Sexy Couples separate vacations idea. Finally getting serious, Robert agreed that he could survive the summer as a bachelor without serious damage to his health and well being. "Maybe Leezabad could summer with her grandparents?"

"That's an idea. She had fun last year doing two weeks with each of her grannies. Maybe they would each have her three or four weeks this summer. Leezabad is twelve; she'll be thirteen by end of summer. If I get one of those student apartments she could even stay with me for a few weeks on campus. She wouldn't be by herself more than an hour or two at a time. I think that might work." Robert wasn't too sure about the staying on campus part for his daughter, but he did think the what to do with Leezabad problem shouldn't stand in the way of Nancy finishing up her masters program.

Nancy talked with her daughter to get her opinion on the part of summer plans that would affect her most of all. She also checked with Leezabad's two grandmothers. By week's end she had an outline plan for summer child care. "Okay honey, here's the plan for Leezabad while I am in school this summer. I'll take her with me the first week and then my parents will pick her up from school and she will spend three weeks with Momma and Daddy. You can pick her up from my parents and deliver her to Carla and your Daddy for another three weeks. If you can take her on vacation someplace both of you will enjoy for a week, I was thinking Branson or someplace like that, I will keep her with me for the last two weeks of school. How does that sound to you?"

Robert's first impression was along the lines of my wife is a hell of an organizer. "That works out for me. I knew you could figure something for Leezabad. Just getting your coursework done will make it all worthwhile." Nancy looked at her hubby with a smile, but saw wrinkles form on his brow. She knew something was troubling him still unspoken so she prodded until he brought it out in the open. "I just realized that except for the one week Leezabad and I do a vacation something I am not going to have either of my girls around for almost three months. It's been almost fifteen years since I have been that alone. I know I said I could handle being a bachelor, but I really hadn't considered what that means. I will really miss both of you."

One good way to smooth a knitted brow came to Nancy's mind. She lavished kisses all over her husband's face. "You won't be that alone. We still have telephone and email, honey. I know I will be busy but I bet I'll miss you and Leezabad just as much as you miss me. We'll manage together."

Nancy returned to her kissing routine as cure for incipient blues. She decided that maybe humor would also be a proper balm. "If you just can't stand the pain of being without your true love for the summer I guess you can find a vacation sweetie pie to massage away your summertime blues once or twice. Just don't go getting yourself attached to one of them. I would hate to have to take a crow bar to you, but I would." This time Robert did the tickling.

Two weeks later Nancy had plans firmed up for the summer. On a Friday night the whole family met to go over settled details before Leezabad was shipped off to bed and the adults watched their favorite TV show. Nancy laid everything out. "Okay guys, here it is: I am enrolled for my courses; I have an apartment reserved in the family housing area; Leezabad, you are coming with me to school then three weeks at each of your grandparents; I made reservations for your father to take you to Branson for a week so that should be fun; and then you will have the last two weeks of summer with me before we both come back and get ready for the new school year." Everybody agreed and seemed to anticipate the coming summer adventure.

Robert had tuck-in duty for Leezabad on Friday nights. Once again he recited To A Mountain Daisy, the poem about the crimson tipped wild flower. His final words, "Goodnight my sweet little Leezabad flower, sleep well," were returned with a hug and a goodnight from daughter. Robert settled in front of television with his wife and the drink she fixed so they could watch Sexy Couples together.

Tonight's episode was about dating, Nancy had been looking forward to this show since she saw the preview blurb last week. As the blurb hinted, dating meant each other and others. The topic was sure to build to lively conversation in the bedroom when the show was over and Robert and Nancy retired for the night. One short segment with a couple at a nightclub together bordered on exhibitionism; they spent the evening showing others how much they loved one another with kiss and caress. Another couple on a date danced together a few songs then split and circulated to entice other partners to the dance floor. That dating segment of the show led naturally to the next where each partner had a date with an outside party but they agreed in advance to end their date to be home by midnight so they could tell each other how and what happened.

Nancy led off their bedroom discussion. "Robert, I've been thinking about something you said a few weeks ago and tonight's show just makes my thinking more relevant. I've been thinking about the separate vacations thing - about dating - dating someone else. Maybe we could, maybe we should think about that for the summer. I won't have much time, but you will have plenty of time, and as you said, you won't have your two girls. Any thoughts?"

"My wife has enrolled in college for the summer and wants to be a hot pants co-ed again. She must be trying to reclaim her youth." Robert tempered his words with a quick kiss.

Nancy laughed at husband's hot pants co-ed expression.

"You are giving me the upper hand in this dating thing, sweet wife; I will have a lot more time on my hands than you as grad student."

"I know you will have the time, but I will be surrounded by fellow students and I'll bet at least half will be men." Nancy could jibe as well as her husband.

"Seriously, I know I will be mostly busy. In truth I am more concerned about you. I'm not talking about having an affair, either you or me, but if you have the chance for a movie date or even dinner and dancing, I am not going to come down on you like a vulture."

Their conversation lasted through the weekend. They came up with some rules that applied to both. The first rule: this summer, Memorial Day to Labor Day, Robert and Nancy were taking separate vacations; neither could form any attachments, this was strictly summer fun romance time; any sexual activity had to conform to safe sex practices; all vacation flings ended by Labor Day with no extensions or exceptions; and the last rule required each to tell their spouse about any dating activity when they got back together as summer was over.

The weatherman cooperated on Mother's Day and delivered sunny skies and upper seventies weather. Robert had reservations at an upscale restaurant with patio seating. They went straightaway there after church service. Mother, daughter and father ate delicious food and shared pleasant conversation. Leezabad was the one who brought up their summer plans as conversation. She was excited; what surprised both parents was how much she was looking forward to being with Nancy at college. She only knew that colleges were schools for grown-ups, but that was enough. Leezabad would be included among the grown-ups for a little while this summer.

As they were having dessert and a closing glass of wine for the adults, Nancy voiced a final concern about their summer plans. "Are you sure, Robert, really sure about the special rules we talked about?"

Nancy got no immediate response, not yes, no, up, down or even sideways. Robert thought for full minute, it seemed longer, and then raised his wine glass. "Yes, yes, I think so; I'm not positive, not jumping up and down at the thought, but I do think it is an opportunity we can take. Maybe never again, almost certainly never again, I think this summer is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do this. I think I can live with what we have agreed to if you can." Robert drained his glass so Nancy did the same. They signalled the waiter for one more.

Wine was delivered along with a Shirley Temple for Leezabad. Robert turned to his daughter. "Do you remember which poem this stanza is from my precious and smart little girl:

There, in thy scanty mantle clad,
Thy snawie bosom sun-ward spread,
Thou lifts thy unassuming head
In humble guise;
But now the share uptears thy bed,
And low thou lies!

"That's the mountain flower poem; I like you to read that one to me Dada."

"That's right Little Precious, To A Mountain Daisy. Your Momma is going to spring forth like a mountain daisy this summer and sun-ward spread."

"I may become a mountain daisy and spread my petals to the sun, but I am not about to bare my bosom, modest and matronly as it be, to the sun, moon, stars or any other onlookers. I intend to save the world from fright and keep them covered all summer long." Even Leezabad understood the adult word play so all three could laugh at the joke Burns words raised.

Three weeks hence found Nancy loading her car for the summer with her things and with what Leezabad would need for a month away from home as well. Nancy's separate vacation would begin when she turned the key and backed out of her driveway. Before she left home and teaching world to become scholar for the summer, Nancy wrapped her arms around Robert's waist and kissed her husband with lingering heat. "When I get home at summer's end will you have a red, red rose waiting for me?"

"Always a red rose for you, my Nancy", was Robert's response.