Something About 1435 Delaney Street
Ivan R. Bosanko
September 25, 2008
There's something about 1435 Delaney Street that deserves your attention and a lot more! A second or third look might not be a bad idea either! Just follow me while we step inside this home.
To your right, notice the wood-carved tobacco humidor resting on a well-used combination reading lamp and newspaper stand. Those three miniature Irish leprechauns that adorn the heavy looking wooden lid will catch your eye every time! Whoever carved them really paid attention to every detail with such intricacy and care.Lift the lid. Aaah! Catch that aroma! It tantalizes your nostrils and taste buds at the same time! It's a special blend, the one luxury Aaron McCray has allowed himself thru thick and thin. Thru all the hard years stemming from The Irish Potato Famine on down to our own Great Depression Of The 30's,to this very day in 1950.
Let's move on thru the parlor to Mary McCray's kitchen. Look down at her linoleum floor and catch your own reflection in it! Its so spotless, we could eat off it! However, let's be more conventional and sit at her table. There's a good chance that if we say 'please' and 'thankyou,' she'll treat us to some of her Mulligan Stew. That mouthwatering combination of meat, potatoes and carrots mixed in with few onions creates a meal fit for a king! Or in this case, a devout Irish-Catholic man and his family. Mary's kitchen is where her husband´s lunchbucket gets packed. It´s also the hub of all activity, social or otherwise, especially those so-called family business meetings. Ah, but we'll get into those a bit later!
A proper word or two about Aaron and his wife,Mary. Outside of the home mortage they once carried, everything in their home -and I do mean everything-was bought and paid for out of hard work and savings. And not one red cent of credit! As far as the McCrays are concerned,credit is the work of the devil and his cohorts. Meaning those merchants and businessmen who 'push the plastic' so to speak, those credit cards with their have-now,pay- later schemes. To the McCrays' way of thinking,credit only delays the inevitable, and robs the future. Its important that you grasp this concept because it plays such a major role in The Rubber Room. Aaron and Mary will also tell you that they see credit as a sign of weakness! When you and I realize that they came from an Emerald Isle called Ireland,where they were weaned on thrift, hard work and thick-skinned knees from attending many a mass, it's quite easy to follow their thoughts along this line.
Let´s take a few steps down this hall. First door on you right is a room I really want you to see. It´s okay, Katelynn, their daughter, won´t mind.Oh! Oh! Better step across those two boards in front of her door! Darned boards always give her away when she tries to stay out too late. Yes, I agree with you, that lilac perfume smell sure sets this room apart! Katey, as her friends call her,started wearing this special perfume about the same time she started going steady. Just getting to that point is a story in itself, but please forgive me, I´m getting ahead as usual.
You´re pointing toward Katey´s dresser and those four pictures on top of it.Spare me another minute,while I direct your attention to her clothes closet. Take a good, long look! Yes,yes,I agree! Everything in prefect order and in its place! Not a loose skirt,dress, or pair of shoes on the floor. Actually, Katey is a lot like her clothes closet- very well organized. She is also a dreamer and a planner too, with one big difference. She tries to make her dreams and plans come true,no matter what! Sometimes that requires a bit more willpower and prayer on her part. By the way, most of those skirts and dresses that you´ve just admired,were earned the old-fashioned way. She worked at the local five and dime to pay for them.
Okay, time to move over to the vanity dresser that you pointed out earlier. That photo next to you is katey´s best friend,Molly. Next to Molly´s photo is Ricco, who is as handsome as they come. The young man next to Ricco is Greg, who is a bit chubby, but is a lot of fun to be around. He never lets his family´s business and social connections interfere with his day-to-day living.Yes, one could say he was born with the proverbial "silver spoon," but his friends mean more to him then his family´s influence. Go ahead, pick up the last photo! Notice the lipstick smudge on the upper right corner! Katey´s mother is really death on this! She makes Katey wipe off every smudge before she says her prayers. Hey we both know what happens next, don´t we? When Mary leaves the bedroom, Katey bounces right out of bed and lays another hot, juicy kiss right back on! Probably, the same old spot! That good looking,young blonde is the lad who makes Katey´s world go round. It´s this special relationship, along with Katey´s friends, that´s going to take up an awful lot of your time and attention very soon. They´ve been calling themselves. "The Amigos," Have been since grade-school days. Before long,"The Rubber Room" will be taking up an awful lot of their time too!
Hear that? Someone´s coming down the hallway. Quick! Let´s step out to see what´s going on! Why it´s Mary, clutching her purse, heading straight for the kitchen back door. Best guess is that she´s about to go shopping. But I don´t understand, most women love to do that,but Mary seems a bit on edge. Tense is the way I´d describe her! That the way you see her too?
Hey! Here comes Katey! Boy what a difference! Did you catch her expression? Face all aglow, smile a mile wide, and her eyes doing a little Irish jigof their own. Yup! Yup! This must be her big day! And I mean BIG! It´s gotta be the day she´s been counting on and praying over for four, long, long, years!
To your right, notice the wood-carved tobacco humidor resting on a well-used combination reading lamp and newspaper stand. Those three miniature Irish leprechauns that adorn the heavy looking wooden lid will catch your eye every time! Whoever carved them really paid attention to every detail with such intricacy and care.Lift the lid. Aaah! Catch that aroma! It tantalizes your nostrils and taste buds at the same time! It's a special blend, the one luxury Aaron McCray has allowed himself thru thick and thin. Thru all the hard years stemming from The Irish Potato Famine on down to our own Great Depression Of The 30's,to this very day in 1950.
Let's move on thru the parlor to Mary McCray's kitchen. Look down at her linoleum floor and catch your own reflection in it! Its so spotless, we could eat off it! However, let's be more conventional and sit at her table. There's a good chance that if we say 'please' and 'thankyou,' she'll treat us to some of her Mulligan Stew. That mouthwatering combination of meat, potatoes and carrots mixed in with few onions creates a meal fit for a king! Or in this case, a devout Irish-Catholic man and his family. Mary's kitchen is where her husband´s lunchbucket gets packed. It´s also the hub of all activity, social or otherwise, especially those so-called family business meetings. Ah, but we'll get into those a bit later!
A proper word or two about Aaron and his wife,Mary. Outside of the home mortage they once carried, everything in their home -and I do mean everything-was bought and paid for out of hard work and savings. And not one red cent of credit! As far as the McCrays are concerned,credit is the work of the devil and his cohorts. Meaning those merchants and businessmen who 'push the plastic' so to speak, those credit cards with their have-now,pay- later schemes. To the McCrays' way of thinking,credit only delays the inevitable, and robs the future. Its important that you grasp this concept because it plays such a major role in The Rubber Room. Aaron and Mary will also tell you that they see credit as a sign of weakness! When you and I realize that they came from an Emerald Isle called Ireland,where they were weaned on thrift, hard work and thick-skinned knees from attending many a mass, it's quite easy to follow their thoughts along this line.
Let´s take a few steps down this hall. First door on you right is a room I really want you to see. It´s okay, Katelynn, their daughter, won´t mind.Oh! Oh! Better step across those two boards in front of her door! Darned boards always give her away when she tries to stay out too late. Yes, I agree with you, that lilac perfume smell sure sets this room apart! Katey, as her friends call her,started wearing this special perfume about the same time she started going steady. Just getting to that point is a story in itself, but please forgive me, I´m getting ahead as usual.
You´re pointing toward Katey´s dresser and those four pictures on top of it.Spare me another minute,while I direct your attention to her clothes closet. Take a good, long look! Yes,yes,I agree! Everything in prefect order and in its place! Not a loose skirt,dress, or pair of shoes on the floor. Actually, Katey is a lot like her clothes closet- very well organized. She is also a dreamer and a planner too, with one big difference. She tries to make her dreams and plans come true,no matter what! Sometimes that requires a bit more willpower and prayer on her part. By the way, most of those skirts and dresses that you´ve just admired,were earned the old-fashioned way. She worked at the local five and dime to pay for them.
Okay, time to move over to the vanity dresser that you pointed out earlier. That photo next to you is katey´s best friend,Molly. Next to Molly´s photo is Ricco, who is as handsome as they come. The young man next to Ricco is Greg, who is a bit chubby, but is a lot of fun to be around. He never lets his family´s business and social connections interfere with his day-to-day living.Yes, one could say he was born with the proverbial "silver spoon," but his friends mean more to him then his family´s influence. Go ahead, pick up the last photo! Notice the lipstick smudge on the upper right corner! Katey´s mother is really death on this! She makes Katey wipe off every smudge before she says her prayers. Hey we both know what happens next, don´t we? When Mary leaves the bedroom, Katey bounces right out of bed and lays another hot, juicy kiss right back on! Probably, the same old spot! That good looking,young blonde is the lad who makes Katey´s world go round. It´s this special relationship, along with Katey´s friends, that´s going to take up an awful lot of your time and attention very soon. They´ve been calling themselves. "The Amigos," Have been since grade-school days. Before long,"The Rubber Room" will be taking up an awful lot of their time too!
Hear that? Someone´s coming down the hallway. Quick! Let´s step out to see what´s going on! Why it´s Mary, clutching her purse, heading straight for the kitchen back door. Best guess is that she´s about to go shopping. But I don´t understand, most women love to do that,but Mary seems a bit on edge. Tense is the way I´d describe her! That the way you see her too?
Hey! Here comes Katey! Boy what a difference! Did you catch her expression? Face all aglow, smile a mile wide, and her eyes doing a little Irish jigof their own. Yup! Yup! This must be her big day! And I mean BIG! It´s gotta be the day she´s been counting on and praying over for four, long, long, years!
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