Rainy Sunday (Details)
citation: Good Housekeeping, April 1957, 144(4):84-85, 300-312
alias: None
teaser: Women are filled with strange powers. But not men. Proof? Listen to this four-way telephone conversation
summary: On a rainy Sunday in their fifth floor San Francisco apartment, Ruth Callandar suggests going to the movies. Her husband, Benjamin, is not so inclined, preferring for the moment to play dictionary games.
Ben answers the telephone, pretending to the caller Ruth is taking a shower, telling Ruth the caller is Aileen. Eventually, Ruth realizes she's talking to her friend June Howser. Ruth suggests she and Ben visit June and Charley, but Ben does not want to leave the house. Charley doesn't want to leave their house to visit the Callandars. Both husband's inactivity is exasperating their wives.
Ben proposes a virtual party; a four-way conversation using their telephones and extensions. They start with imaginary descriptions of their clothing. Ben searches for a beer bottle opener only Ruth can find, and the party begins.
The first topic is the strange power of women to find things in drawers. Ben and Charley then make up epigrams about women, likening them to things like horse race winners, and pretzels. When Ruth and June reject the idea of playing cards, Ben and Charley sing the Courtland High fight song. The two men suggest playing telephone pranks. They play word games.
Ben explains the meaning of ESP, extrasensory perception, and proposes testing it over the telephone with June. She seems to have uncanny success perceiving what card Ben is viewing, but the women eventually realize they're being duped. Ruth and June recount other pranks their husbands have played.
With the telephone party over, Ruth appreciates Ben entertaining her, but she's still not changed her mind about going to the movies.
words: 5,994
genre: None
similar: None
people: Benjamin Callandar, Ruth Callandar, Aileen, June Howser, Charley Howser, Mr. Loeffler
places: San Francisco, CA: Union Square, Macy's
comments: Forthcoming