Chapter 4: Sleeper

I think I'll keep silent about the night ... a gentleman never kisses and tells.

No? Wait. I'm a lawyer.

After a suitable pause in the presentation of the house to Seven, we ganged up on her and pitched her in the pool. She was a little too over awed by the place ... and by us.

She seemed to think we weren't 'folks' but the pool trip settled that. When we all managed to keep afloat and calmed down a bit, clothes came off and splushed on the edge of the pool. Gwendolyn, who was 'it' this evening, gathered up the pieces and bits, headed for the washers and did two loads.

We have a ton of fluffy pink robes, so everyone robed. I led a pink parade out to the suburban, and we fetched clothes ... for, it seemed, like hours. Then everyone unpinned, de-tagged, button checked, sorted, sized and piled in Laundry, Dry Cleaning and Hand Wash. We might buy off the rack but we don't wear off the rack.

Gwendolyn transferred our pool clothes either to the gas dryer or hung them to drip dry on our exclusive backyard solar powered linear dryer.

"I'm not doing all that new stuff by myself," complained Gwen. "You all have to help."

"I'll take the dry cleaning," I commented. 'Wendy? One hour or two day?' I thought to ask.

'Oh ... My ... God! I heard you.' A strange voice was in my head.

'Seven?' 'Daddy?' A chorus of thoughts questioned.

It wasn't just Seven who heard me. Four girls, four boys and Seven all started asking assorted versions of, 'I hear voices in my head, am I going crazy?'

The room was crowded by kids and wives.

It must be the water. The kids had never broadcast or received before.

"Seven?" I vocalized my question. "How long have you been able... ?"

"Not exactly. I got good grades because I could 'feel' what the teachers wanted. I'm oriental, my parents have a study ethic. They pushed ... I never thought..." she replied.

"I did very well at my job because I could imagine what my customers were looking for. I thought it was my fashion sense. Women would have a look about them when I showed them exactly what they wanted. Wow, this is really strange.

"I could have done very well if I could have stomached sleeping with Flint. He kept me off the floor and in the stockroom most of the time. I had just put out a new line of dresses when Wendy and the girls wandered in. I waited on your wives because no one else would."

"Wendy? Would you explain about our 'Gift?" Wendy had had it longer than I. "I'm going to the cleaners ... One hour or two day? Marines ... think Marines."

That put all else on hold. There was a mad dash for the dry cleaning pile. In seconds there were two piles.

"One hour." She pointed at one. "Two day for the other." She grinned at me, "you should wear something else. Fluffy pink is not a manly color."

"Oh, right."

While I changed to khaki shorts, pocket tee and Berks, the gang hauled the dry cleaning out to the Suburban.

"One hour behind you, two day in the way back." Wendy said.

"Yes, Ma'am. One if by me, two if by seat."

That gained a chuckle.

"Oh ... what is that bag with my name doing in my closet?" she asked.

"I'll have to get back to you on that. Gotta run."

We have a real Chinese laundry just five minutes away. I think we keep them in business.

Nice people, the Chins. Very polite and honest. I tend to leave folding money loose in my pockets; it's always paper-clipped to the hanger. Nice.

I try very hard to be polite and always pick up on time. Besides, they stayed open late for me.