Strangers in the Night

The Coffee Break

The lives of the Kennedy family had changed in the months following the icy-cold inauguration of President Kennedy so it would be wrong to call such a day average.

As usual, the children slept soundly in their rooms and the adults mused over the designs of their coffee mugs, leaving sugar wrappers around for the help to deal with. Each Kennedy sibling had grown together to create a name for themselves; including those who had perished early on and the mystery of Rosemary, living incapacitated and hidden from the outside world. Personal hurting and loss were a huge part of the lives of the the nine children borne by Rose Kennedy and raised by Joe Kennedy. Together they remained strong and thrived successfully in the world of politics.

The common of the pact were present in Rose Kennedy's kitchen. All cheery and jittery once the effects of the coffee had began to settle into their systems. Jean Smith, Patricia Lawford and Ethel Kennedy chattered away with Ted Kennedy while Joan Kennedy would chime in periodically and easily fade out; smiling in a way Peter Lawford would when the men would ramble on about Washington's zoo of politicians.

The talk in the men's circle to the far right was the dinner party being hosted by Frank Sinatra and the honorable Rat Pack in New York City that evening. With Sarge Shriver and Steve Smith (surprisingly present for once) joking that this would be the young president's, seated in the center coincidently, royal ball with a cigar in place of the traditionally celebrated glass shoe.

"Wouldn't I be the luckiest man to share a dance with old Cinders here?" The sound of a very European voice rowed through the loud chattering of the room causing the men to erupt in laughter.

Peter Lawford was the Hollywood star. With his own rough beginning's as a young British boy, Peter would make a success out of himself as a well-known actor and a beloved member of the Rat Pack. It was through him that the President gained an exclusive access to the world of celebrities.

"Breaking hearts already are we, Pete?" questioned with a an amused expression, pleased with all the wit that surrounded him. 

The President's choice to remain a bachelor was commonly discussed amongst the family and across the nation. Republicans and democrats alike criticized him for not recognizing the importance of tradition and family values while Kennedy shot back with the miraculous number of 'cousins, sisters, dogs, and brothers' he shared with the American public.

"The one with the magic wand in this group would obviously be me, Jack," said the Attorney General once the men began to simmer down. Bobby was the second eldest of the three Kennedy brothers that still lived. It would take Bobby years to establish the deep friendship he shared with his brother. "I mean Christ, you'd have to be pretty damn magical to deal with that old man to get you into that house," he said while watching Joe from across the kitchen engaged in a conversation with Eunice. Any eavesdropping would have been covered by the loud chit-chatting of the family.

Another coffee mug was raised, this one being the president's, finishing off all that was left for him to sip on. Almost simultaneously, the sobs of an awakened child filled the halls of the house followed by another. He turned to watch some of his sisters and sisters-in-law rise up as if roll had been called. Most of the children slept in the Big House belonged to Bobby and Ethel. Some had stayed in the other homes surrounding the compound with the couple's help staff.

It was a life he thought of pushing himself into but the subject would always vanish into the drains of the private world he lived in. It was all beginning to haunt Jack now that he was nearing his mid-forties and realizing that he couldn't lived the way he lived forever. If it were not his age, it would be the president's poor health. The last president to enter the White House without a spouse was James Buchanan, arguably one of the worst the presidents in the nation's history.

"I might throw my hat in the ring." he said amidst the crying spree but the expressions of surprise amongst the men are what really caught the moment.

"Wonderful, wonderful. Shall I phone Look Magazine to insert your resume, Jack?" Suggested, head of the peace corps and brother-in-law, Sarge Shriver.

"Oh hell, why don't you call the Herald Tribune?" The President sardonically suggested. "I'd reel in a few republican girls if you'd try that."

It was only Jack who hadn't married and had children. It was obvious to most but others enjoyed spreading their own theories around to the President's embarrassment. Along with the religious issue, the bachelor status was quite controversial but all would change soon.