Eunice smiled. “Ever hear of Longer than Always?
“He wrote that? I was in that play in high school. I played Mr. Van Duesan.”
“Sammy wrote that part for himself, but he couldn’t act worth a damn,” Eunice laughed. “So, it seems that I inspired the longest-running non-musical in Broadway history. Of course, the royalty checks aren’t too bad, either.” Eunice gave Adam a playful pat on the cheek. “Sammy would have liked you. And if I were 50 years younger, you’d really be in trouble.”
Adam grabbed Eunice’s hand and shook it goodbye. He wanted to give her a hug, but he wasn’t sure if he knew her well enough. Mr. Van Duesan never let the good ones get away without letting them know how he felt. Neither would Adam.
________________________________
“Good Shabbas,” Adam said to his father, Burt, as he entered the foyer of his parents’ grand home for the family’s traditional Friday night dinner. After several recent trips to Israel, his parents had become more Jewish. The Winters had always eaten at home together on Friday nights, but his parents now included some more traditional Sabbath rituals: having all the women light the Shabbas candles and recite the accompanying prayer; chanting the Kiddush (the prayer over the wine); and reciting the ha’motzi (the prayer over the bread). With Adam’s sister Judy away at graduate school, the attention was usually focused on him during these weekly meals. Luckily, Adam’s cousin Jeremy, his wife Suzanne, and their two-year old son Benjamin were in town for Suzanne’s ten-year high school reunion. Because the grandchild Adam’s parents wanted so desperately was still a ways off, Benjamin was a suitable surrogate for the evening.
“Hi, guys. Welcome back. It’s great to see you,” Adam said, hugging both of them. “How are you?”
“Great,” they said in unison. “Do you remember your cousin?” Suzanne called to Benjamin, but he was too busy playing with the new toys that Adam’s parents had just given to him.
Page 78
