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Daria plans her future, Amy makes another offer, Quinn goes to Mardi Gras
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1960s—Chapter 14
By Dr T
Spring of ‘69
A ‘Daria’ fanfic, so no claim to original characters, etc. claimed, just my plot twists. Based on an image from the last ‘Daria’ episode/movie, ‘Is It College Yet?’
Dear Aunt Amy:
I’m glad to hear you had a good time, just as I told you we had a great time in New York. Again, I also wish we could have met up, so let’s blame Mother for getting Marcus and I together over the winter break on such short notice. Even if I resent how it happened, I am glad it did. I just wish we could have gotten together for at least a little while. I hope you two will like each other once you meet.
As I mentioned when I finally confessed who my lover, now fiancée, is, that is why I dropped social science as a degree option – I was not about to risk a problem if I had to take a class with him. Still, I was able to take a few other history courses, to help if I set future novels in those time periods. On the other hand, after two French lit classes last semester, even if I managed to squeak A’s in both classes, I have to admit that the subject really isn’t for me. I’ve decided that I’m content to graduate with a BA in English with minors in French and History.
As to your question about possible graduate school, I have to admit that after classes in English, American, and last semester French literature, I can safely say I do not want to pursue a graduate degree in any sort of literature. We have more discussions of theory and backgrounds than we ever do about the actual stories, and I’ve been informed that this is even more true in graduate classes than they are here. I find a third of the theories we have to deal with to be ridiculous and at least another third totally boring and both are nearly useless in actually understanding the literature. I think a lot of this so-called ‘theory’ is just a way to justify academic arguments – invent a new ‘theory’ and then write about it and argue about it, even if has little to do with the material being analyzed and so justify your job. If there was a nearby university which offered a purely writing master’s program, I would likely undertake it, but they all mix actual writing with literary theory as well as writing theory. It’s possible I might enroll in one of those grad programs, but if I do, it will only be part time. I think I want to try writing full time and see if I can stay successful. I hope I am not a two-shot wonder! The sequel to Coventry should be polished by the end of summer, as will a chapbook of poems.
In any event, looking into classes that will help me with my writing as well as allowing me to graduate next December, I will be taking 15 credits this semester, which will leave me seven gen ed credits short. I will take those next fall, along with some electives, and should therefore, as I said, graduate next December, still technically a semester early. I’ve talked to one of my professors, and she might be willing to give me an independent study in script writing next fall.
I haven’t mentioned the following to anyone (other than Jane and of course Marcus). We’ve had several talks over the last week, and we’ve decided to marry next December, though if it will be Saturday the 28th or Wednesday the 31st is still undecided at this point, but we’ve promised ourselves that we’ll decide on which date by Valentine’s Day. Neither of us want a lavish production, so we won’t be cluing Mother in any time soon, which means mentioning this to no one except you for some time.
If Quinn didn’t write to you, she seems to have really enjoyed her visit with her friend in New Orleans. She’s been invited to several Mardi Gras functions over the next few weeks, and assures me that while she cannot attend all she was invited to, MMJC will allow her time off to attend at least one Mardi Gras event (presumably a parade and ball?) even if she has to miss nearly a week of classes if it’s over Mardi Gras itself. Well, since it is Quinn, or at least not me, perhaps Mother will not put up any objections.
All my love
Daria
-60s-
Dear Quinn:
I don’t know why you thought Mother would allow you to go to New Orleans for three weekend balls, especially since Mardi Gras is so early this year. Knowing Mother, perhaps it would be slightly more accurate to say ‘why did you think she would pay’ for three such weekends? However, you asked me for suggestions on what to do, even though you acknowledge I would have no interest in any of this for myself.
However, I recognize that this sort of activity is important to you. Therefore, my advice is: choose whichever ball is the one you would most want to attend. From what little I know of Mardi Gras, if you are willing to make a long day of it (and miss more than two days of classes), the Rex parade and ball sound like the most prestigious. Whichever of the events you do choose, to bypass Mother you will need to enlist Grandmother. The social leaders of New Orleans are probably the only ones outside her tight little circle she would care about a member of her extended family impressing. If you can get her on your side (especially if she is willing to fund the outfits or the trip, if not both), Mother will likely go along. You know how she reacts if she thinks she can earn Grandmother’s approval without having to back down.
Best of luck! If you are able to go, I hope you have a grand time.
love
Daria
-60s-
February 19
Dear Daria:
First of all, thank you again for the suggestions, I really don’t think I ever would have been allowed to come to New Orleans without them! I wrote another thank you letter to Grandmother already, outlining a lot of the activities over the long holiday weekend. I know you probably don’t care about those, so I won’t bother you with the details. I will be getting lots of pictures developed; would you like any from the parade or the Ball? If so, let me know.
Deirdre got us into a number of slightly informal dances Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights – very dressy but not formal ball gowns fancy. A lot of the music sounded odd, and I don’t think you would have liked it any more than I did. Still, the dances themselves were fun. Deirdre introduced me to a lot of cute boys, it’s just too bad none of them go to college anywhere near MMJC. I did meet a few boys who do attend school in Virginia, DC, or Maryland, but they are already taken by some of the girls there or back in New Orleans.
I don’t know how the local girls, who go almost non-stop from New Year’s Eve through Mardi Gras, make it through without collapsing or at least suffering ankle problems. Granted, it may be a bit easier those years when Mardi Gras is later, a number complained about how crowded their calendars were this year. If it hadn’t been Deirdre, who is a sweetheart and without a mean bone in her body, suggesting some of the meals, I would have been suspicious. A number of girls came close to fainting because they hadn’t really eaten much. I have to admit, while some of the food on offer was too spicy, the food there is excellent. I think even I would be tempted to eat too much the rest of the year if I lived there.
Even though I only got to bed a little after midnight Monday night, we were up well before 7 yesterday morning to get ready. We got to the float we were riding right after 8 – it took a while to get there because of the traffic. If we had been just going to the parade instead of being dressed up for riding the float, it would have been quicker to walk the mile or so! We had quite a wait for our parade to start – there were a few little marching groups that started off the parade after 8, and then there was a Negro krewe called Zulu, and then us. Deirdre’s father (well, his company) sponsored the float for her and her friends, although it had some other title to fit into the theme of the day. Deirdre said it was one of the most modern floats in the parade. There was even a little hidden room that had ‘facilities’, unlike most of the other floats! We tossed lots and lots of these beads – I had five different kinds, I’ll try and enclose the two that were the nicest for you.
After the parade, we had some snacks and a lot of too-sweet tea and water and then laid down until it was time to get ready for the ball, called ‘the meeting of the courts.’ Surprisingly, at least to me, Rex is socially only the third in rank of the krewes, and so the leaders of Rex have to meet with the leaders of the original krewe during the ball. The balls were in a really huge building! We had nothing to do with that court thing – Deirdre’s father isn’t a member of the other krewe or an officer in Rex this year.
All in all, I had a wonderful time. I am sleepy, so I might nap a bit before the plane lands. Back to classes tomorrow. Thanks again for the advice.
Thank you again for everything!
love
Quinn
-60s-
“Hello; Teresa Barksdale speaking.”
“Hello, Grandmother; it’s Daria.”
“Oh, hello, dear. This is an unexpected pleasure. Is everything alright?” ‘Please don’t be pregnant,’ Tess thought.
“Yes, everything is actually wonderful, at least for me,” Daria answered. “I hope you don’t mind, but I am calling so that I ask you a favor.”
That surprised the older woman; Daria rarely asked for anything, especially from her. “You may always ask, dear.”
Daria’s mouth quirked at that statement. “First of all, may we talk frankly, rather than in code, like what our recent letters were written in? And I must ask you to keep this totally to yourself.”
Tess thought about that, knowing Daria likely meant to keep her mother in the dark about whatever this was. That would mean Tess could not mention it to Rita, as Rita always wanted to lord it over her younger sister. “We may speak frankly, dear, and as to the second, yes, I promise,” she stated.
“Briefly, I will be finishing my degree next December, and that means I will be getting married towards the end of that month.”
“Congratulations,” Tess stated drily. “I take it you at least know who the groom will be.”
Daria rolled her eyes at that. “Thank you, and of course – and yes it’s who you and everyone suspects.”
“Your ‘landlord’ professor.”
“Yes. His name is Marcus Church, if mother hasn’t mentioned it.”
“She has, and you have as well, dear, just not in the full context,” Tess pointed out. “And?”
“And as far as I’m concerned, Mother has dealt herself completely out of having anything to do with making any arrangements. We intend to have a smallish, simple wedding and reception – between guests and family even for the two of us, I doubt there will be more than sixty people. I know Mother wants both my and Quinn’s weddings to be grander than Erin’s, but I at least want no part of that.”
Daria’s grandmother winced at that jab. “I understand, Daria.” Tess knew she had gone rather more than just a bit overboard with the lavishness of Erin’s wedding. “But since you are contacting me this early about it, may I assume you would like some help?”
“Only if you want to,” Daria stated. “Marcus and I have agreed to the basics, and he is already arranging the venues. My friend and I can organize ‘nice.’ With a little help, we can make everything tasteful as well.”
“That does sound…reasonable,” Tess had to admit, considering what she knew of her granddaughter. She was surprised that Daria would ask for even limited assistance. Of course, there was at least one good reason she would do so. “And what do you think your mother will say?”
“To be honest, I would like her to attend, but that’s up to her. If you help, it’s up to you if you want to make her aware of it.” Daria’s voice took on a teasing tone. “If you wish, we can have ‘Reception curtesy of Teresa Barksdale’ printed on the bottom of the place cards.”
“That would be fun,” Teresa responded, smirking in a way that those who knew Daria would recognize. “You believe you said you have a venue?”
“The college actually has a small rehearsal stage in one of the buildings – the seating is for a hundred and fifty. Fifty or sixty people won’t make it look too empty and the ceremony can take place on stage. It’s about thirty yards from the faculty cafeteria. He will put the deposit down on both today, trying to reserve them for New Year’s Eve, and we can easily have the cafeteria decorated and catered.” After a brief moment, Daria added, “I suppose we’d do a bit of decoration on the little theater as well.”
“How much is the difference between the deposits and the full rental for both, dear?”
“A thousand,” Daria admitted.
“I’ll send you a check tomorrow. Would you accept an equal amount towards the catering, and perhaps half again for decorations, invitations, and so on?”
“I would be most grateful, Grandmother. Marcus has some money, but….”
“I understand, dear. At least he already has a home. May I presume you have helped decorate it, or perhaps redecorate it?”
“He had just moved in, and it was certainly partially unfurnished when we…got together. So yes, he and I have agreed on how it’s currently furnished as well as what we’ll have done by December.”
“You will need to decide if you wish to register for anything in particular, or leave things up to the taste of your guests. It sounds like you won’t need nearly as much as many new couples. So, you said this will likely be New Year’s Eve?”
“Yes, that’s a Wednesday this year.”
“I see. That will be an easily remember anniversary date at least. I presume Rita, Erin, and her idiot will be invited?”
“Of course. Aunt Rita may even bring an escort.” Her divorce had been finalized some time before.
Tess snorted in amusement. “And will there be any open places in the wedding party?”
“My friend Jane will be the Maid of Honor. If Mother doesn’t fuss about it and Quinn would like to be, she can be a bride’s maid, but that would be all.” Daria’s Aunt Amy had already declined a place up front, but Daria saw no reason to inform her grandmother of that. “Small and intimate, remember?”
“I do, dear, and I do understand.” Tess thought weddings should either be huge and lavish or small and tasteful – she didn’t care for intermediate events. “Do you know when will you be dropping this information on everyone?”
“I figure once the fall term starts in late August. I’ll look around and see what catering will be available. Jane’s father is the main as well as the best local photographer. Marcus and I are still debating the music, but I have some friends in the music program who would likely play whatever we decide upon for the wedding itself. Jane’s brother is in a band that does play wedding receptions in addition to dances.” They didn’t like playing weddings, but it helped them make a decent living.
“I know you’ll keep me informed, dear, and thank you for letting me help out.” She thought a moment and added, “If your friend’s brother and his band want to gift you their music as a wedding present, that’s nice, but if they would like payment, let me know, and I’ll take care of that as well.”
“Thank you again, Grandmother.”
-60s-
Daria’s semester moved slowly through the rest of March. Like all the students and most of the faculty, she was looking forward to spring break. In a seemingly-arbitrary system, when the mid-point of the spring semester did not coincide with Easter, the spring break could either be at that mid-point or the week before or after Easter. Exactly how the Administration chose each summer when they created the academic calendar was a mystery to the faculty, staff, and students. (In reality, it largely depended on the whims of a few of the upper administrators and where and when they wanted a vacation). This year, it was the week before Easter.
This year, the art department had arranged a group tour of several of the New York museums over the break. To say Jane was interested was of course an understatement. Her father and Marcus each paid part of her way.
Daria’s grandmother rather surprised her (not to mention Amy, when Daria told her). In addition to the check for $2500 she had promised to help with the wedding and reception (she did say Daria could have ‘Reception curtsey of Teresa Barksdale’ if she wanted to annoy Helen – which both Tess and Daria wanted to), she had sent along an ‘engagement gift’ of $7500, with the request that they consider using at least part of it for a vacation over spring break or the summer and part for a honeymoon.
The pair had considered that over the previous weeks. Daria still had a valid passport from a high school sponsored trip to France. Marcus had been to Italy and France, as well as having made a number of research trips to the United Kingdom, especially London and Oxford. Considering some of the student unrest, however, they decided that it wasn’t worth the risk. Maryland in the late winter/early spring was chilly and sometimes dreary enough that both felt that perhaps a trip to someplace sunnier might be fun.
That meant choices of Florida, California, or perhaps Hawai’i. Granted that fifteen or twenty years before, the go-to destination would have been Havana, but none of the available Caribbean islands really appealed to either of them, any more than some of the small cruise ships that sailed those islands did. After a bit of research, they decided that there was really nothing in Hawai’i other than the nice beaches. Neither of them were overly interested in beaches, which rather eliminated any reason to go to Florida as well. Daria certainly did not want to go back to San Francisco, considering the changes since she and Jane had been there. The greater Los Angeles area really only had Disneyland and other somewhat lesser attractions (Notts Berry Farm and such).
Having eliminated all the possibilities by early March and time running out, the couple sat down and rethought, finally deciding that Europe seemed to have largely settled down. Both had seen Paris, and as much as Daria thought she would enjoy visiting Rome, getting decent accommodations during Holy Week at this late date seemed very unlikely. Therefore, London became their destination almost by default, despite the likely weather in early April.
Most flights to Europe left in the evening, therefore they were able to catch a flight to London on Friday, March 28th. As Daria liked the Sherlock Holmes stories (although not as much as Marcus did), the pair stayed at the luxurious Langham Hotel, which was mentioned in two of the stories. The two managed to nap a bit on the flight (Daria more so than Marcus), and so after taking the weekend off, spending the entire time in the hotel (and a great deal of time in the bed), they were ready to play tourist Monday morning.
Marcus was more familiar with the academic side of London than the purely tourist aspect, but he had visited the basic locations at least once. They spent Monday in Westminster. The morning was spent in the Abbey, while they were able to take in the sights between the Abbey and Parliament up through the area around Buckingham Palace during the afternoon. The next day, they spent in and around the Tower of London. Wednesday they spent at the British Museum, Thursday and Friday some of the other museums (Victorian & Albert, National Portrait Gallery, and so on). Saturday, they toured around some of the other sites.
As for their evenings, neither was interested in venues like nightclubs. They both wanted to take in at least one play. They were tempted to see the West End production of ‘Hair,’ just to see how it compared to the Broadway version. In the end, they saw two plays during the week, Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap’ and a production called ‘Canterbury Tales.’
While Daria was dressed fairly straight throughout the trip, Marcus made sure they made a stop on Carnaby Street. Daria was mostly amused by some of the fashion, but she did expand her wardrobe by adding some of the ‘mod’ fashion, and even a few items from the new London ‘peacock’ fashions. Granted, the latter was more designed much more for men than women, but Daria at least got Marcus to buy a few neckties in the new style as well as some accessories for herself.
As the pair had Easter Monday off at the college, they flew back to the US on Easter itself. By then, Jane was back and settled in. All they had to do was see the last weeks of class and finals through. Jane would be taking a jewelry-making course during the first summer session and would be working on her personal projects the rest of the summer. Daria would be taking just one course during the summer session; it was a new course, and she was taking it just for fun. The college had finished the building and installing of a planetarium that spring, and was offering a one credit evening course, to test out the equipment, with some outdoor work (weather permitting) for comparison.
-60s-
Daria was pleased, if a bit curious when towards the end of April she received a phone call from her Aunt Amy. After a few pleasantries, Amy asked, “Tell me, is there any chance you think you’d be up for an adventure this August?”
“I don’t know,” Daria replied, curious. “What kind of adventure?”
“There’s a group who’s going to try and put on a huge outdoor musical festival in upstate New York this August. Right now, the tentative dates are August Fifteenth through the Seventeenth. A group called ‘Creedence Clearwater Revival’ just signed to appear, so this looks like a go. No word on any other groups.”
“They’re a pretty well-known group, and their song ‘Proud Mary’ is a really big hit right now,” Daria told her aunt. “What’s the deal?”
“In a sense, for what we’re looking for, it’s about the same as the Frisco deal. In exchange, we’ll supply you with tickets and a van to get you and Jane, if she wants in. She’s a really good photographer. If you want, we can supply some guys to travel with you. What do you think?”
“What do I think?” Daria paused in thought before answering. “I think it will be a mess, but possibly a fun one. How about I talk this over with Marcus and Jane and let you know tomorrow night?”
“Sounds good.”
A thought occurred to Daria. “You know, I bet Jane’s brother and his band would love to go. They’re very protective. Any chance you can include them instead of company bodyguards?”
Amy was happy to go along with the idea.
Daria got Jane over to the main part of the house and explained the outline that Amy had supplied to her and Marcus. Jane indicated Marcus should go first.
“Alright, overall, I have to say I don’t care much for the idea. There could easily be ten or even twenty thousand people there if it goes off.”
Jane was skeptical. “Ten, maybe, but twenty?”
“So, you don’t want me go?” Daria asked neutrally.
“I would prefer you not to,” Marcus agreed. “However, if you really want to go, you know I’m not going to try to talk you out of it. It’s not like I can forbid you to go or would even if I could. It’s not like I would, I don’t know, throw a fit or threaten to break up or anything.” He turned to Jane. “From your reactions, you want to go.”
“It might be fun,” Jane admitted.
Marcus turned to Daria. “If you both go, I know you’ll keep an eye out for each other. I’d certainly be less concerned if you both went. If Trent and the rest of the band goes, that would be even better.” He knew the band was very protective of Jane and adored Daria – who was still writing lyrics for them.
Daria and Jane exchanged a smile. They were going to be going on an adventure together!
As for the Spiral, Trent and Jesse agreed to come along as well.
-60s-
The incentive of attending what would become simply known as Woodstock picked up Jane’s lagging enthusiasm, and added a bit of fire to Daria’s outlook as well. Daria got through the semester with her usual high grades and Jane’s were near her usual average.
Of course, once they were finished near the middle of May, that left with them with about three months to wait until they could travel to upstate New York. Jane took her planned jewelry class and added a gen ed class she needed, while Daria only took the one-credit astronomy class. The festival would coincide with the final exams for the second summer session, so neither would be taking classes in that second session.
Other than one painting, Jane would spend most of the summer working on her photography, making certain she could get decent candid shots. Daria, having sent the ‘Coventry’ sequel off to her agent, started a new novel, an historical novel set in Maryland during the Civil War. This was yet another historical romance, this one between the daughter of the Confederacy-sympathizing daughter of a slave-owning family and a pro-Union man who would fight in the War.
Daria also practiced a great deal on her guitar, even if she was undecided about taking it on the trip.
By Dr T
Spring of ‘69
A ‘Daria’ fanfic, so no claim to original characters, etc. claimed, just my plot twists. Based on an image from the last ‘Daria’ episode/movie, ‘Is It College Yet?’
Dear Aunt Amy:
I’m glad to hear you had a good time, just as I told you we had a great time in New York. Again, I also wish we could have met up, so let’s blame Mother for getting Marcus and I together over the winter break on such short notice. Even if I resent how it happened, I am glad it did. I just wish we could have gotten together for at least a little while. I hope you two will like each other once you meet.
As I mentioned when I finally confessed who my lover, now fiancée, is, that is why I dropped social science as a degree option – I was not about to risk a problem if I had to take a class with him. Still, I was able to take a few other history courses, to help if I set future novels in those time periods. On the other hand, after two French lit classes last semester, even if I managed to squeak A’s in both classes, I have to admit that the subject really isn’t for me. I’ve decided that I’m content to graduate with a BA in English with minors in French and History.
As to your question about possible graduate school, I have to admit that after classes in English, American, and last semester French literature, I can safely say I do not want to pursue a graduate degree in any sort of literature. We have more discussions of theory and backgrounds than we ever do about the actual stories, and I’ve been informed that this is even more true in graduate classes than they are here. I find a third of the theories we have to deal with to be ridiculous and at least another third totally boring and both are nearly useless in actually understanding the literature. I think a lot of this so-called ‘theory’ is just a way to justify academic arguments – invent a new ‘theory’ and then write about it and argue about it, even if has little to do with the material being analyzed and so justify your job. If there was a nearby university which offered a purely writing master’s program, I would likely undertake it, but they all mix actual writing with literary theory as well as writing theory. It’s possible I might enroll in one of those grad programs, but if I do, it will only be part time. I think I want to try writing full time and see if I can stay successful. I hope I am not a two-shot wonder! The sequel to Coventry should be polished by the end of summer, as will a chapbook of poems.
In any event, looking into classes that will help me with my writing as well as allowing me to graduate next December, I will be taking 15 credits this semester, which will leave me seven gen ed credits short. I will take those next fall, along with some electives, and should therefore, as I said, graduate next December, still technically a semester early. I’ve talked to one of my professors, and she might be willing to give me an independent study in script writing next fall.
I haven’t mentioned the following to anyone (other than Jane and of course Marcus). We’ve had several talks over the last week, and we’ve decided to marry next December, though if it will be Saturday the 28th or Wednesday the 31st is still undecided at this point, but we’ve promised ourselves that we’ll decide on which date by Valentine’s Day. Neither of us want a lavish production, so we won’t be cluing Mother in any time soon, which means mentioning this to no one except you for some time.
If Quinn didn’t write to you, she seems to have really enjoyed her visit with her friend in New Orleans. She’s been invited to several Mardi Gras functions over the next few weeks, and assures me that while she cannot attend all she was invited to, MMJC will allow her time off to attend at least one Mardi Gras event (presumably a parade and ball?) even if she has to miss nearly a week of classes if it’s over Mardi Gras itself. Well, since it is Quinn, or at least not me, perhaps Mother will not put up any objections.
All my love
Daria
-60s-
Dear Quinn:
I don’t know why you thought Mother would allow you to go to New Orleans for three weekend balls, especially since Mardi Gras is so early this year. Knowing Mother, perhaps it would be slightly more accurate to say ‘why did you think she would pay’ for three such weekends? However, you asked me for suggestions on what to do, even though you acknowledge I would have no interest in any of this for myself.
However, I recognize that this sort of activity is important to you. Therefore, my advice is: choose whichever ball is the one you would most want to attend. From what little I know of Mardi Gras, if you are willing to make a long day of it (and miss more than two days of classes), the Rex parade and ball sound like the most prestigious. Whichever of the events you do choose, to bypass Mother you will need to enlist Grandmother. The social leaders of New Orleans are probably the only ones outside her tight little circle she would care about a member of her extended family impressing. If you can get her on your side (especially if she is willing to fund the outfits or the trip, if not both), Mother will likely go along. You know how she reacts if she thinks she can earn Grandmother’s approval without having to back down.
Best of luck! If you are able to go, I hope you have a grand time.
love
Daria
-60s-
February 19
Dear Daria:
First of all, thank you again for the suggestions, I really don’t think I ever would have been allowed to come to New Orleans without them! I wrote another thank you letter to Grandmother already, outlining a lot of the activities over the long holiday weekend. I know you probably don’t care about those, so I won’t bother you with the details. I will be getting lots of pictures developed; would you like any from the parade or the Ball? If so, let me know.
Deirdre got us into a number of slightly informal dances Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights – very dressy but not formal ball gowns fancy. A lot of the music sounded odd, and I don’t think you would have liked it any more than I did. Still, the dances themselves were fun. Deirdre introduced me to a lot of cute boys, it’s just too bad none of them go to college anywhere near MMJC. I did meet a few boys who do attend school in Virginia, DC, or Maryland, but they are already taken by some of the girls there or back in New Orleans.
I don’t know how the local girls, who go almost non-stop from New Year’s Eve through Mardi Gras, make it through without collapsing or at least suffering ankle problems. Granted, it may be a bit easier those years when Mardi Gras is later, a number complained about how crowded their calendars were this year. If it hadn’t been Deirdre, who is a sweetheart and without a mean bone in her body, suggesting some of the meals, I would have been suspicious. A number of girls came close to fainting because they hadn’t really eaten much. I have to admit, while some of the food on offer was too spicy, the food there is excellent. I think even I would be tempted to eat too much the rest of the year if I lived there.
Even though I only got to bed a little after midnight Monday night, we were up well before 7 yesterday morning to get ready. We got to the float we were riding right after 8 – it took a while to get there because of the traffic. If we had been just going to the parade instead of being dressed up for riding the float, it would have been quicker to walk the mile or so! We had quite a wait for our parade to start – there were a few little marching groups that started off the parade after 8, and then there was a Negro krewe called Zulu, and then us. Deirdre’s father (well, his company) sponsored the float for her and her friends, although it had some other title to fit into the theme of the day. Deirdre said it was one of the most modern floats in the parade. There was even a little hidden room that had ‘facilities’, unlike most of the other floats! We tossed lots and lots of these beads – I had five different kinds, I’ll try and enclose the two that were the nicest for you.
After the parade, we had some snacks and a lot of too-sweet tea and water and then laid down until it was time to get ready for the ball, called ‘the meeting of the courts.’ Surprisingly, at least to me, Rex is socially only the third in rank of the krewes, and so the leaders of Rex have to meet with the leaders of the original krewe during the ball. The balls were in a really huge building! We had nothing to do with that court thing – Deirdre’s father isn’t a member of the other krewe or an officer in Rex this year.
All in all, I had a wonderful time. I am sleepy, so I might nap a bit before the plane lands. Back to classes tomorrow. Thanks again for the advice.
Thank you again for everything!
love
Quinn
-60s-
“Hello; Teresa Barksdale speaking.”
“Hello, Grandmother; it’s Daria.”
“Oh, hello, dear. This is an unexpected pleasure. Is everything alright?” ‘Please don’t be pregnant,’ Tess thought.
“Yes, everything is actually wonderful, at least for me,” Daria answered. “I hope you don’t mind, but I am calling so that I ask you a favor.”
That surprised the older woman; Daria rarely asked for anything, especially from her. “You may always ask, dear.”
Daria’s mouth quirked at that statement. “First of all, may we talk frankly, rather than in code, like what our recent letters were written in? And I must ask you to keep this totally to yourself.”
Tess thought about that, knowing Daria likely meant to keep her mother in the dark about whatever this was. That would mean Tess could not mention it to Rita, as Rita always wanted to lord it over her younger sister. “We may speak frankly, dear, and as to the second, yes, I promise,” she stated.
“Briefly, I will be finishing my degree next December, and that means I will be getting married towards the end of that month.”
“Congratulations,” Tess stated drily. “I take it you at least know who the groom will be.”
Daria rolled her eyes at that. “Thank you, and of course – and yes it’s who you and everyone suspects.”
“Your ‘landlord’ professor.”
“Yes. His name is Marcus Church, if mother hasn’t mentioned it.”
“She has, and you have as well, dear, just not in the full context,” Tess pointed out. “And?”
“And as far as I’m concerned, Mother has dealt herself completely out of having anything to do with making any arrangements. We intend to have a smallish, simple wedding and reception – between guests and family even for the two of us, I doubt there will be more than sixty people. I know Mother wants both my and Quinn’s weddings to be grander than Erin’s, but I at least want no part of that.”
Daria’s grandmother winced at that jab. “I understand, Daria.” Tess knew she had gone rather more than just a bit overboard with the lavishness of Erin’s wedding. “But since you are contacting me this early about it, may I assume you would like some help?”
“Only if you want to,” Daria stated. “Marcus and I have agreed to the basics, and he is already arranging the venues. My friend and I can organize ‘nice.’ With a little help, we can make everything tasteful as well.”
“That does sound…reasonable,” Tess had to admit, considering what she knew of her granddaughter. She was surprised that Daria would ask for even limited assistance. Of course, there was at least one good reason she would do so. “And what do you think your mother will say?”
“To be honest, I would like her to attend, but that’s up to her. If you help, it’s up to you if you want to make her aware of it.” Daria’s voice took on a teasing tone. “If you wish, we can have ‘Reception curtesy of Teresa Barksdale’ printed on the bottom of the place cards.”
“That would be fun,” Teresa responded, smirking in a way that those who knew Daria would recognize. “You believe you said you have a venue?”
“The college actually has a small rehearsal stage in one of the buildings – the seating is for a hundred and fifty. Fifty or sixty people won’t make it look too empty and the ceremony can take place on stage. It’s about thirty yards from the faculty cafeteria. He will put the deposit down on both today, trying to reserve them for New Year’s Eve, and we can easily have the cafeteria decorated and catered.” After a brief moment, Daria added, “I suppose we’d do a bit of decoration on the little theater as well.”
“How much is the difference between the deposits and the full rental for both, dear?”
“A thousand,” Daria admitted.
“I’ll send you a check tomorrow. Would you accept an equal amount towards the catering, and perhaps half again for decorations, invitations, and so on?”
“I would be most grateful, Grandmother. Marcus has some money, but….”
“I understand, dear. At least he already has a home. May I presume you have helped decorate it, or perhaps redecorate it?”
“He had just moved in, and it was certainly partially unfurnished when we…got together. So yes, he and I have agreed on how it’s currently furnished as well as what we’ll have done by December.”
“You will need to decide if you wish to register for anything in particular, or leave things up to the taste of your guests. It sounds like you won’t need nearly as much as many new couples. So, you said this will likely be New Year’s Eve?”
“Yes, that’s a Wednesday this year.”
“I see. That will be an easily remember anniversary date at least. I presume Rita, Erin, and her idiot will be invited?”
“Of course. Aunt Rita may even bring an escort.” Her divorce had been finalized some time before.
Tess snorted in amusement. “And will there be any open places in the wedding party?”
“My friend Jane will be the Maid of Honor. If Mother doesn’t fuss about it and Quinn would like to be, she can be a bride’s maid, but that would be all.” Daria’s Aunt Amy had already declined a place up front, but Daria saw no reason to inform her grandmother of that. “Small and intimate, remember?”
“I do, dear, and I do understand.” Tess thought weddings should either be huge and lavish or small and tasteful – she didn’t care for intermediate events. “Do you know when will you be dropping this information on everyone?”
“I figure once the fall term starts in late August. I’ll look around and see what catering will be available. Jane’s father is the main as well as the best local photographer. Marcus and I are still debating the music, but I have some friends in the music program who would likely play whatever we decide upon for the wedding itself. Jane’s brother is in a band that does play wedding receptions in addition to dances.” They didn’t like playing weddings, but it helped them make a decent living.
“I know you’ll keep me informed, dear, and thank you for letting me help out.” She thought a moment and added, “If your friend’s brother and his band want to gift you their music as a wedding present, that’s nice, but if they would like payment, let me know, and I’ll take care of that as well.”
“Thank you again, Grandmother.”
-60s-
Daria’s semester moved slowly through the rest of March. Like all the students and most of the faculty, she was looking forward to spring break. In a seemingly-arbitrary system, when the mid-point of the spring semester did not coincide with Easter, the spring break could either be at that mid-point or the week before or after Easter. Exactly how the Administration chose each summer when they created the academic calendar was a mystery to the faculty, staff, and students. (In reality, it largely depended on the whims of a few of the upper administrators and where and when they wanted a vacation). This year, it was the week before Easter.
This year, the art department had arranged a group tour of several of the New York museums over the break. To say Jane was interested was of course an understatement. Her father and Marcus each paid part of her way.
Daria’s grandmother rather surprised her (not to mention Amy, when Daria told her). In addition to the check for $2500 she had promised to help with the wedding and reception (she did say Daria could have ‘Reception curtsey of Teresa Barksdale’ if she wanted to annoy Helen – which both Tess and Daria wanted to), she had sent along an ‘engagement gift’ of $7500, with the request that they consider using at least part of it for a vacation over spring break or the summer and part for a honeymoon.
The pair had considered that over the previous weeks. Daria still had a valid passport from a high school sponsored trip to France. Marcus had been to Italy and France, as well as having made a number of research trips to the United Kingdom, especially London and Oxford. Considering some of the student unrest, however, they decided that it wasn’t worth the risk. Maryland in the late winter/early spring was chilly and sometimes dreary enough that both felt that perhaps a trip to someplace sunnier might be fun.
That meant choices of Florida, California, or perhaps Hawai’i. Granted that fifteen or twenty years before, the go-to destination would have been Havana, but none of the available Caribbean islands really appealed to either of them, any more than some of the small cruise ships that sailed those islands did. After a bit of research, they decided that there was really nothing in Hawai’i other than the nice beaches. Neither of them were overly interested in beaches, which rather eliminated any reason to go to Florida as well. Daria certainly did not want to go back to San Francisco, considering the changes since she and Jane had been there. The greater Los Angeles area really only had Disneyland and other somewhat lesser attractions (Notts Berry Farm and such).
Having eliminated all the possibilities by early March and time running out, the couple sat down and rethought, finally deciding that Europe seemed to have largely settled down. Both had seen Paris, and as much as Daria thought she would enjoy visiting Rome, getting decent accommodations during Holy Week at this late date seemed very unlikely. Therefore, London became their destination almost by default, despite the likely weather in early April.
Most flights to Europe left in the evening, therefore they were able to catch a flight to London on Friday, March 28th. As Daria liked the Sherlock Holmes stories (although not as much as Marcus did), the pair stayed at the luxurious Langham Hotel, which was mentioned in two of the stories. The two managed to nap a bit on the flight (Daria more so than Marcus), and so after taking the weekend off, spending the entire time in the hotel (and a great deal of time in the bed), they were ready to play tourist Monday morning.
Marcus was more familiar with the academic side of London than the purely tourist aspect, but he had visited the basic locations at least once. They spent Monday in Westminster. The morning was spent in the Abbey, while they were able to take in the sights between the Abbey and Parliament up through the area around Buckingham Palace during the afternoon. The next day, they spent in and around the Tower of London. Wednesday they spent at the British Museum, Thursday and Friday some of the other museums (Victorian & Albert, National Portrait Gallery, and so on). Saturday, they toured around some of the other sites.
As for their evenings, neither was interested in venues like nightclubs. They both wanted to take in at least one play. They were tempted to see the West End production of ‘Hair,’ just to see how it compared to the Broadway version. In the end, they saw two plays during the week, Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap’ and a production called ‘Canterbury Tales.’
While Daria was dressed fairly straight throughout the trip, Marcus made sure they made a stop on Carnaby Street. Daria was mostly amused by some of the fashion, but she did expand her wardrobe by adding some of the ‘mod’ fashion, and even a few items from the new London ‘peacock’ fashions. Granted, the latter was more designed much more for men than women, but Daria at least got Marcus to buy a few neckties in the new style as well as some accessories for herself.
As the pair had Easter Monday off at the college, they flew back to the US on Easter itself. By then, Jane was back and settled in. All they had to do was see the last weeks of class and finals through. Jane would be taking a jewelry-making course during the first summer session and would be working on her personal projects the rest of the summer. Daria would be taking just one course during the summer session; it was a new course, and she was taking it just for fun. The college had finished the building and installing of a planetarium that spring, and was offering a one credit evening course, to test out the equipment, with some outdoor work (weather permitting) for comparison.
-60s-
Daria was pleased, if a bit curious when towards the end of April she received a phone call from her Aunt Amy. After a few pleasantries, Amy asked, “Tell me, is there any chance you think you’d be up for an adventure this August?”
“I don’t know,” Daria replied, curious. “What kind of adventure?”
“There’s a group who’s going to try and put on a huge outdoor musical festival in upstate New York this August. Right now, the tentative dates are August Fifteenth through the Seventeenth. A group called ‘Creedence Clearwater Revival’ just signed to appear, so this looks like a go. No word on any other groups.”
“They’re a pretty well-known group, and their song ‘Proud Mary’ is a really big hit right now,” Daria told her aunt. “What’s the deal?”
“In a sense, for what we’re looking for, it’s about the same as the Frisco deal. In exchange, we’ll supply you with tickets and a van to get you and Jane, if she wants in. She’s a really good photographer. If you want, we can supply some guys to travel with you. What do you think?”
“What do I think?” Daria paused in thought before answering. “I think it will be a mess, but possibly a fun one. How about I talk this over with Marcus and Jane and let you know tomorrow night?”
“Sounds good.”
A thought occurred to Daria. “You know, I bet Jane’s brother and his band would love to go. They’re very protective. Any chance you can include them instead of company bodyguards?”
Amy was happy to go along with the idea.
Daria got Jane over to the main part of the house and explained the outline that Amy had supplied to her and Marcus. Jane indicated Marcus should go first.
“Alright, overall, I have to say I don’t care much for the idea. There could easily be ten or even twenty thousand people there if it goes off.”
Jane was skeptical. “Ten, maybe, but twenty?”
“So, you don’t want me go?” Daria asked neutrally.
“I would prefer you not to,” Marcus agreed. “However, if you really want to go, you know I’m not going to try to talk you out of it. It’s not like I can forbid you to go or would even if I could. It’s not like I would, I don’t know, throw a fit or threaten to break up or anything.” He turned to Jane. “From your reactions, you want to go.”
“It might be fun,” Jane admitted.
Marcus turned to Daria. “If you both go, I know you’ll keep an eye out for each other. I’d certainly be less concerned if you both went. If Trent and the rest of the band goes, that would be even better.” He knew the band was very protective of Jane and adored Daria – who was still writing lyrics for them.
Daria and Jane exchanged a smile. They were going to be going on an adventure together!
As for the Spiral, Trent and Jesse agreed to come along as well.
-60s-
The incentive of attending what would become simply known as Woodstock picked up Jane’s lagging enthusiasm, and added a bit of fire to Daria’s outlook as well. Daria got through the semester with her usual high grades and Jane’s were near her usual average.
Of course, once they were finished near the middle of May, that left with them with about three months to wait until they could travel to upstate New York. Jane took her planned jewelry class and added a gen ed class she needed, while Daria only took the one-credit astronomy class. The festival would coincide with the final exams for the second summer session, so neither would be taking classes in that second session.
Other than one painting, Jane would spend most of the summer working on her photography, making certain she could get decent candid shots. Daria, having sent the ‘Coventry’ sequel off to her agent, started a new novel, an historical novel set in Maryland during the Civil War. This was yet another historical romance, this one between the daughter of the Confederacy-sympathizing daughter of a slave-owning family and a pro-Union man who would fight in the War.
Daria also practiced a great deal on her guitar, even if she was undecided about taking it on the trip.
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