The rest of the summer passed without event.
By September, it was general knowledge that Heidi and Rick had "called it quits." Few people knew why, and Heidi was so humiliated by the entire affair that she had apologized not only to her mother, Miriam, but to he father, Joe, and her uncle, Karl, as well. People were tactful enough to keep their mouths shut about it, at least when around the Katz-Meyer family.
This particular Monday Karl, Joe, and a crying Miriam were to drive Heidi to the bus station to catch the bus for college. Heidi was enrolled at Sophie Newcombe, the female division of Tulane University, in New Orleans, where Miriam had briefly attended years earlier.
"Shut up, Miriam," Karl had said, the night before. "This isn't the end of the world!!"
"My baby is leaving me!" Miriam,smoke drifting from her mouth, replied. "It seems like only yesterday she and Jean and all the rest of them were running up and down this street!"
"I wonder how many dogs Heidi had," Joe chuckled. "I lost count long ago."
"Don't bring up the subject of dogs!" Karl said. "You know how Miriam and Heidi got emotionally attached to those pets!"
"They were just babies!" Miriam said, revealing her love for animals as well as for children. "We could never keep them for long because of these damn downtown streets! Every time a puppy would accidentally get lose, somebody would run over him!"
The three, with sadness over Heidi's upcoming departure to college, recollected the last eighteen years. The dogs. Birthday parties. Lu's kindness. Swimming pools. Heidi's first date. Above all, the love life of Heidi. The three hoped sincerely that Heidi would fall in love with a nice Jewish boy from New Orleans.
The silence was broken by the arrival of Janet and Harry.
"Good evening," Miriam said.
"What time does Heidi's bus leave in the morning?" Harry asked.
"I'll say seven," Karl replied. "That way, when it really leaves by eight, the ladies will be there on time!"
"Well," Janet said. "Speaking of the bus station, have you heard the fellow who runs it wants to buy the temple?"
"What?" a shocked Karl replied.
"That's right!" Janet said. "What's his name?"
"Buddy something," Harry said.
"Buddy Treacher!" Karl said. "I think he's related to you know who!"
"Well," Miriam said. "This should speed up our plans to restore the place!"
"I hope we can afford it!" Joe said.
A pregnant pause followed. Miriam, a gleam in her eye, calmly looked around the room.
"Yep," Joe said, locking eyes with Miriam. "I think we'll get to work on that project real soon! Nobody's going to buy our house of worship unless they're serious about keeping it up, and all Buddy would do is tear it down to expand his car wash!"
"Well," Harry said, "that's a relief to us all!
"Can I get you a drink?" Miriam asked everyone.
"No thanks," Janet replied. "I know y'all have to get up early. Where's Heidi?"
"Right here, Janet," Heidi replied, proceeding down the staircase.
"Give me a big hug, honey, " Janet said. "I don't know what you're majoring in, but I can tell you that college was one of the happiest times of my life! You behave in New Orleans, now!"
"After all my misbehaving there," Miriam said, "I think she'll do okay!"
Everyone laughed.
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