![\"dinner_ruthenburgs.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/mainecourse.com\/mt\/archives\/image\/dinner_ruthenburgs.jpg\")
\nDinner last night at Jeff and Karen’s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d just finished breakfast and my mother, the only person I know who enjoys the past more than I, asked me, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you remember the Brady\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, next door in Cincinnati?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course I do. There was Cassie, Roger and John and their parents, Rommie and Gordon. I remember the camper Gordon made from plans – it took him months – and I remember the night when he got drunk.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I was going to tell you about.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was twelve; it was 1959. I was upstairs. The noise woke me. He kept screaming about his glasses.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because Rommie broke them. This was the night before they moved to Milwaukee. They were going out; they were very social people. The next thing I know, Rommie is at the door in her slip, her hair is messed up, and she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s yelling, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcHe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s trying to kill me.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153But Mr Brady was a Mr. Peeper\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s type guy. As were his sons. Peter might call them brainiacs\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153He was a Mr. Peepers, but not when he drank. Rommie said he hit her and the only way to stop him had been to break his glasses so he couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see. I told her to go up into our bedroom and stay there.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153She was small, right? About five three, 150 lbs ?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes, and her husband would make three of her. He made two of Mack. He and Mack were the same height, but Gordon was much huskier. Rommie ran upstairs and then I hear this banging on our back door. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Gordon and he says, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcI need to see my wife! \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc I told him to sit down and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d make him some coffee. He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcYou have no right to keep me from my wife.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 I said, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcGordon, if you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t calm down, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll call the police.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Meanwhile Mack is looking in from the next room. I wave him off, thinking the worst thing would be to have two bulls going at each other.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153All this time Rommie is upstairs?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153On our bed with a pillow over her head. Trying to block it all out.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
“She spent the night at our house, and the next morning they both came for breakfast as had been planned. Gordon said, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcHelen, I am really sorry about last night. I do apologize.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 I said, ‘I accept your apology, just don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ever let that happen again.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 ” <\/p>\n
\nDinner last night at Jeff and Karen’s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d just finished breakfast and my mother, the only person I know who enjoys the past more than I, asked me, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you remember the Brady\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, next door in Cincinnati?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course I do. There was Cassie, Roger and John … Continue reading