Another day another dollar. I got home late because of my job. So now I'm just enjoying the quiet. Mama was at her night classes so she was tired too.
"Franny! Get up! Your breakfast is getting cold!" Never mind.
"I'm coming, granny!" I get up and change my clothes. "God that woman is part vampire" I whispered. In case it wasn't clear I'm Francis, Francis Lucile Brown. I'm a 21-year-old gray-blue cat. I'm the only daughter to the only daughter of the Family.
I used to live in Paris with my immediate family. My mother was from Dublin and met my father while studying in France. He took her last name. But after papa passed we moved into my grandparent's house in St. Louis. Don't get me wrong I love my granny but she can be so. "Girls!" Loud. I head downstairs to the kitchen. "Morning granny" I greeted and sat at the table.
"Morning love," said Agnes Brown an old Irish woman, Aka my granny, as she pours me a cup of tea "Did you sleep well?"
"I was" I still didn't like the wake-up call but I know she only meant well.
"Well you should've been asleep in the bed" she scolded as she looked at me "instead of chirping with that Daisy slapper on the phone,"
"It's flapper, Grandmama." I tried to correct her.
"I don't care what they call it here it's not decent. And those two, well one, wanker" Granny stated "I can't imagine why your mother lets you hang around cats like that?" Then my mother comes to the kitchen. "Cats like what?" she asked.
"That Peppa Girl and her Toms. Laurel and Hardy."
"Oh Mammy, Freckle's not that bad and Ivy's a nice girl" Mama expressed. "Bright too, she's in my AP class."
"Cathy, what nice school girl works at a speakeasy flappin' for money?"
"Calm down mammy, it's not what you think," My mother Catherine tries to explain.
"I'll believe it when I see it, I know what happens in bars remember that's when I made one of you's," the old woman said.
"Mammy let's change the subject" my mother suggested.
"Fine" Granny agreed as she sat down "You just missed the boys."
"I'm sure we'll see them later."
"So, Francis, now that you're up what are your plans?"
"Going for a stroll around the neighborhood maybe pop by Rocky's for a session" I quickly answered.
Granny: "That fuckin' jinx."
"Mammy!" Mama lightly scolded even though she was not fond of Rocky either, probably because he spilled syrup on her book. "Cathy the boy is so annoying Nina kicked him out!" she stated, "and you know how much patience she's had with that boy."
"I thought you didn't get along with Mrs. McMurray?" I asked, aware of their tiffs.
"Course not love she's a bitch," she said with no hesitation "Mammy!" Not stopping Granny continues to rant about Nina "She thinks she's better than us just because she's lived here longer and her son hasn't gone to jail," I remember that day everyone was speechless which is a given in this family. "May I be excused?"
"Sure love," Mama said and I left for my room. "Well, mammy you weren't exactly Miss Manners during that bible study."
"All I said was that the stories were fictional and she blew that out of proportion," She added "I never said I wasn't a believer!"
"Well, mammy at least they know that much. Still, I wish you wouldn't argue with people so much, especially during these times."
"Please I've been through wars, immigration, and you kids." the old Irish woman stated, "And I'm still here so I think I can handle myself" There's a moment of silence.
I come back down dressed in pants, a coat, a button-up shirt, and a hat. Looking twice you wouldn't realize I was a girl. "How do I look?"
"Like a boy with no stones."
"Great then I'm off, au revoir" I walk out.
"I swear that girl has more balls than all your brothers put together" Agnes sighed concerned for her eldest grandchild "Why does she wear that when she looks so lovely in dresses?"
"She feels more comfortable in pants and she's not the only one a lot of women are wearing pants nowadays, especially in Paris."
"Yeah but at least you can tell they're still women. Franny hides her figure and she has a lovely one, not like some of those skinny slappers you see here."
Scene change: Backyard
As I headed out the door I was greeted with the sight of a familiar car parked in front of the house. I go over for a quick peek inside and surprise, surprise, it's... "Bonjour Rocky!" I yelled causing the sleeping to wake up screaming. "Ah! Franky! I wished you'd stop doing that" he said unlocking the door to let me in.
"Sorry, next time remember not to leave your window open when you are asleep," I joked as I sat in the car. "What can I say it was a busy night. You should stop by sometime."
"Thanks, but alas I'm already expected at another nighttime establishment. That's legal." I pointed out teasingly.
"Boring. Come on you love the crazy stuff we get into," he retorted.
"I know," I sighed "but it's my family's business and you know how that goes."
"Yeah. Hey did you hear about the missing people?"
"I read something about it last week why is it related to your activities?"
"Kind of. One of the Johns was a customer and not even a regular."
"Then how can you tell if he's missing?" I asked "He had a crush on Miss Mitzi, plus his picture was in the paper."
"Rocky, pardon my indifference but most of your clients are shady one way or another. Isn't there a chance that it's just a simple whacking gone wrong?"
"No if that was the case there would be no headline," He said and then with his crooked smile, "Course with my luck it may keep the heat off us for a while."
"With your luck, you'll be driving through a chicken farm. Again."
"It was pigs and it was only once," I gave him a blank look. "Okay more than once" He turns the radio on. "Did you have to set it on fire? and trick Freckle into your scheme."
"It was to cheer him up!" He excused "And in self-defense, they tried to kill us first!"
"I don't care about dead moonshiners I was thinking about the poor pigs."
"Franny they were being paid off," he joked referring to the cops. "ha-ha," I said in a deadpan tone.
"GOOD MORNING ST. LOUIS! This is your host (h/n). This has been one heck of a year. The alcohol ban may still be in effect but the world keeps going. From the great flood to the flight of the Spirit of St. Louis! But it doesn't stop there, oh no there's been scientific news in medicine and technology. With us today are Dr. Claudica and Inventor Raul Dumont"
"Thank you for having us"
"Now Dr. Claud your work in genetics has been credited for explaining certain aspects of offspring,"
"That right. We have been able to determine health histories and start treatment for patients" she answers.
"Dr., have you helped many clinics in Europe and the U.S.?"
"Yes, I believe it is right to share this with the medical world to benefit everyone, especially expecting parents"
"Fascinating and Mr. Dumont what of your new invention"
"I and several others have been working on a new device that may change the way we store information"
"I believe they are called typewriters and archives"
"Not this one, for one thing, you won't have to worry about running out of ink or paper when typing unless it needs to be printed."
"What but how would folks even read it?"
"The same way people can listen and talk on radios, phones, and watch TV. It's all electromechanical."
"So you're saying this thing is going to be a combination of those do-dads in one?"
"Not exactly, currently we are still prototyping but so far the results are promising."
"Well, that's all the time we have folks but tune it at night for another segment."