The Kenos On Venables

I moved in with the Family Keno, on Venables St. The family consisted of the mother, a widow, and her two grown offspring. Daughter had given up her Room to be rented out, and was sharing room and bed with her mother. Son lived in the basement, and only came up for meals and to check out the new occupant of the Room.

Daughter was 31, and resembled one of Cinderella's ugly sisters. She was tall, and very thin, in a stooped over, big-nosed sort of way. I remember that she had very large feet. She and her mother attended a Baptist church, unusual in that city, and doubly so for an Italian family. She invited me to go to her church youth group with her. I jumped at that, being somewhat lonely, and wistfully remembering my high school Anglican Church youth groups, which were pretty lively. We had dances, hikes, picnics, movie-nights, parties with other groups, etc. Her youth group sat around singing hymns (no foot tapping allowed), and nibbled moderately on packaged cookies and (you guessed it) koolaid.

The next Wednesday, I declined to go to church, which left me alone in the house with Son, who was 28 and worked for the City. I think he was in the Sanitation Dep't, but it was a long time ago, and I could be wrong about that. He ordered a pizza (which I had never had), and tried to introduce me to other practices with which I was totally unfamiliar. I went to my Room. He knocked on the door. I turned out the light, and told him to go away. He did. I was twitchy and nervous, and piled my suitcases in front of the door, which had no lock. I had just dozed off, when the tumbling cases woke me. He went away.

I was very careful not to be left alone with him again.