Dinner was a relatively pleasant break in a day otherwise full of strain. The affair had all the calm and coolness of polite social decorum. The hosts made a point of steering clear of controversial subjects.
“We just want you to relax in your little interlude in our home,” was the way Mrs. Pfister put it. “It’s not often my husband and I have an evening at home together, but when we do, we like to leave our work at the door and enjoy the peace and quiet. I inherited a real estate company which I have been running now for about ten years. That means both of us are with people all day long. It’s so nice to look forward to coming home to a clean house and a gracious and delicious meal after a full day at work.”
Dinner was served by Sarah, a large jovial Black woman who, they were assured, was absolutely indispensable around the house, especially as both of them were much too busy to look after the place properly. Kay imagined that it must indeed be a challenging job to chase dust off everything in such a spacious house inhabited by only two people and their domestic.
Too bad they have no children, she thought. He can’t be much over forty, and she could be my age. What a difference children would make around here!
After dinner they sat in the living room for half an hour, sipping expensive cognac. In the course of their conversation, they discovered that Steve was to be the last or “culminating” feature in a rather full program. The school concert band would be kicking the evening off with two futuristic pieces followed by three short talks of “no more than five minutes each” presented by three faculty members pertaining to future trends in literature, in South American politics, and in telecommunication. After that the Drama Department would be presenting a relevant skit, and then would come Steve’s address which would “gather up the loose ends and present them in a sweeping diorama of the World of Tomorrow.”
Dr. Pearson understood his task. He was far less certain of his duty.
“O yes!” exclaimed the principal. “There is a reception in your honor at the home of the Leif Landgrens on Merry Rose Lane in the Queen’s Crest Estates. Leif is executive vice president of the Three-N Corporation and his wife is a renowned obstetrician-gynecologist who serves on the school board. They have a son in Harvard, a daughter who is a junior in our high school, and a son in grade school. They are a charming family. Other members of the school board and their spouses will also be there, as well as our senior administrative staff. It will be a delightful way to close our day of celebrations with you.”