Jane

(This chapter comes later in the book.  It’s when Jane, a good friend, meets Cyndi Lauper in the Dining Room of the House) 

Then I hear Jane’s voice.

“Hello! Hello!” she yells.  “Where are you?”

“In here Jane, in the dining room”.

Jane comes into the dining room, takes one look at Cyndi, and says, “Oh my! Youre Cyndi Lauper”.

I let out a nervous laugh and say ‘Yes Jane meet Cyndi”.

“Oh, I love your music. Wow.  Robert, you didn’t tell me your Airbnb guest was Cyndi Lauper’

“Hey Jane, it’s a pleasure I’ve heard so much about you and your work”.

“Oh, that’s nothing compared to you.  I have followed you since you became popular.  I loved every one of your songs and even have all of your videos cataloged on my hard drive. “

“Ok wait, Jane. Hello? You have all of Cyndi’s songs and video cataloged on your hard drive?  Come on.  Who are you?  I truly don’t recognize this part of you.”

And I started laughing loudly.  “How cool is that?”

“Believe it or not,” she says, “I can’t always have my head in an old dusty book or map.  A girl had to enjoy herself too.   Oh my. Cyndi When Girls Just Wanted To Have Fun came out, I would dance around my house listening to it.  My husband thought I was nuts, and my kids were like who are you, mom?  My husband has since passed, but he used to laugh and laugh when I put on your music”

“Oh, I’m sorry Jane,” Cyndi says. “Sorry he’s passed’

“Oh thank you but seriously Al?  I loved Al and wasn’t it your mom who was sitting at the table with you in the video?

“Yes yes !  At first, no one seemed to know but then it was all over the place.”

I am looking at the two of them wide-eyed.   The last person on the earth I would have thought would know Cyndi Lauper was Jane. This was so amazing and unexpected.

Maddie finally comes to life and comes into the dining room.  

“Hey all,  Hey Jane! nice to see you!”

“Hey there Madeline, so did you spend the night too?”

“No, I came over this morning and found these two here. “Fun huh?
“Totally fun.’

I start to cut up the half-frozen meat, toss some bacon fat into the pot and start ftrying the meat up. Then the onions, then the carrots.  Then some water and a little chicken stock.”

“Ok, guys, so the stew will be ready in about a half an hour.  In the meantime, I have all this bread and butter.   We can make a salad, and of course, I have some wine.”

“Aw Robbie you are amazing.  This is just amazing how he can through all this together on a flipping fireplace no less”.

“Oh, ya, he’s known for this around here,” Jane says.  ‘They say Robert can take a sack of flour and make a 12-course meal”.

“Well, not that much but I do like to cook,”

“So Jane,” Cyndi says.  “Tell me more about James Palmer?”

“Oh, Robert told you?”

“Yes. He sounds so interesting.”

Jane starts with the history of the family.