Summer Of '76

Chapter Four: Banana Phone

Hooked On A Feeling: Blue Swede

Sunday, June 1st 1976, Sato King Ranch, Abernay, New York, 9:12 a.m.

Tangerine had only been awake for a few minutes and hadn't even gotten out of her bed yet. The covers were tangled between her legs and she cringed as she felt the heat in the room start to rise. It was only June and she was already sick of the heat. With a wheezy groan, the tall ginger rolled onto the floor. Blankets and all. After struggling to rise to her feet, She threw the offending blankets and sheets back onto her queen sized mattress and before practically stomping her way to her closet.

Without even looking, she pulled out a pair of blue jean shorts before turning to her dresser and grabbing an orange shirt from the top drawer. She finally put all her clothes away where they belonged, so grabbing it without glancing over was easy. Quickly she shrugged off her oversized Queen shirt and gray shorts before struggling with her jean shorts. Once she was dressed, and her hair brushed out of her face; Tangerine rushed down the hallway and bounded down the stairs.

"Joyce honey," Jane was standing in the living room, "we cannot have cinnamon rolls for breakfast again!"

"Yes we can!" Joyce was standing in the kitchen looking at her life partner with a very determined look.

"I agree with mom." Tangerine walked past Jane into the kitchen. At her oldest daughter's words, Jane gasped in mock offense. Tangerine sat at the kitchen table, magazine in hand, as she waited for Cherry and Olive to join them. First to arrive in the kitchen was Olive, who was still clad in her green nightgown and atrocious bed head. She sat at the table and yawned. Barely even a minute later Cherry came down. The middle sister sat down and scratched her head. Jane helped her partner hand out the plates loaded with food before the two mothers sat down to enjoy their Sunday breakfast.

After breakfast, Jane went to start barn chores. The family had horses and small livestock like goats and pigs. Jane loved the animals and didn't mind caring for them. While Jane did barn chores, Joyce and Cherry would start cleaning the house. Every Sunday was a deep clean day. No ands, ifs, or buts about it. That left Tangerine and Olive to take care of the garden and the flowers. Despite the large age gap between the two sisters they always got along wonderfully.

To avoid being conned into helping inside, Tangerine would hide amongst her mothers fruit trees. She would have her sketchbook in her lap and draw for hours until mama would come fetch her for lunch. Once all the morning chores were done, Jane would start organizing paperwork and tax forms for her business. Jane owned the local hardware store and did carpenter jobs on the side. During that Joyce would be in the kitchen baking treats for the kids during the week. Olive would hangout in the living room so she could watch her cartoon and sometime Cherry would join her. When Cherry wasn't watching cartoons with her little sister, she was either reading or playing solitaire. All the while, Tangerine would usually pack a small bag and go back to sleeping and drawing amongst the fruit trees.

Tangerine sat with her back against one of the apple trees and her sketchbook opened. She was drawing a few different kinds of fruits with the plan to water color them later. Soon her inspiration shifted to the current object of her affection. With a small discreet smile, Tangerine flipped to the next page in her sketchbook and began sketching Vieno by memory. She continued to draw for hours. She drew things from plants to fruit all the way to animals and boys. She must've been out there for hours because the next thing she knew, her mama was calling her for dinner.

After eating, the three kids hopped up the steps. Olive got to take a bath first, then Cherry got to shower. The girls shared a bathroom that was between their two rooms. By the time they were done it was about eight-thirty, and Tangerine's turn to use the hot water.