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Marjorie Sue was married to Jackson Clemens, they had two sons; Darren and Charlie ages 5 and 8 and they all happy familied at 1406 Horseshoe Drive in the city of Arrowsic, Maine; once home to the French and Indian War a mid eighteenth century civil battle that was one might say the American rendition of Europe's Seven Year War. Arrowsic would one day be hallowed ground for artists and birding enthusiasts. Arrowsic was a seemingly unremembered place at the time the Clemens family decamped in their symmetrically square Colonial house that was purchased in cold cash during the Prohibition era's last hurrah. The Clemens liked to keep it under their hats as to not let their less than privileged neighbors feel inferior - but it was true - the Clemens family was doing just dandy in their pockets and mercifully would not suffer the bellied-up stock during the grayest days of the Great D. And how was it so? Much of contemporaneous America from sea to shining sea barely managed to keep afloat. In the cities those erstwhile shakers and movers, once shining now shopworn - pavement pounders plodding along - cardboard insoles at a threadbare time. But the Clemens, they had new shoes.
It was not from old money, the origin of their riches and it may have been accumulated in a most unconventional manner though not dissimilar to the more important Rockefeller - the family's main moneymaker, who confessed years after securing a fortune himself - that it was simply the retention of nickels and dimes, coins gathered as a child that led to his wealth . And what once began as a makeshift savings bank conveniently located under a mattress soon was transferred into some very strategic escrow accounts and it was near voila time, ching,ching. Now the Clemens couple, Marjorie Sue and Jackson since the time they were but knee-high on the measuring stick - cosmically shared the same pastime - furniture foraging. Foraging for any small fortune, to a child a stone nickel may have well been a million bucks after all. Marjorie Sue and Jackson both precociously aware that when grandma Millie and Uncle Victor came over for their Wednesday night suppers, their pockets would be all but lined with coin. Neither Marjorie Sue nor Jackson would have realized the value of the monies found in the settees and chairs but as soon as their respective beloved family members were kissing goodnight cheeks, escapees of earshot and clear were the coasts, into the cushions they would go.
Sometimes it wasn't domestic pennies that they would find or nickels and dimes- at times what they excavated was the currency of exotic lands. Both of their families were fond of crossing the sea and keeping remnants. But that wouldn't ever deter ambitious little Marjorie Sue and Jackson. and into the secret jars that Marjorie Sue and Jackson both coincidentally kept under wraps - under the floorboards of their respective garden shacks they would go - ching ching. Marjorie Sue and Jackson would keep their sequestered stashes secret until the day they turned eighteen - everyone knew eighteen was the age you couldn't get a spanking anymore. And independent of one another because you see - Marjorie Sue and Jackson were not aware of each other's existences until this point - but kismet was just around the corner, in fact it was four calendar months from the day which happened to be the same day they took their jars to deposit in the Second National Savings Bank on Springsummer Road, when Marjorie Sue and Jackson would meet and sweep each other straight off their feet. And the day Marjorie Sue showed Jackson she had Ten Thousand, four hundred sixty two dollars and twelve cents. in her passbook Jackson showed Marjorie Sue his and the amounts were magically the same.
When Marjorie Sue finally mustered up the courage to confess to her father Murray and her mother Harriet that while it may have been a most naughty thing to do, that she was collecting the dropped pocket change of every family guest that came to visit the Baxters since the year 1919. Surprisingly mother Harriet was not surprised, for Mama H had been cleaning out Daddy Murray's pockets for years, and wasn't she a little entitled too? After that red lipstick mark she could never completely remove from Murray's best business shirt, where did this stain come from - Harriet's lipsticks were always coral. Only a heathen hussy would sport crimson lips. No one ever mentioned the lipstick mark again - but it was now that Harriet earned however the hard way - every last crumb that was kept inside Murray's various coat pockets . And wasn't that a mere pittance for the damages the anomaly caused. Finally a rainy day arrived as she presented to her daughter these three saved special jars, the three special jars were decidedly heavier than Marjorie Sue's jars this would require a second trip with some help to the Second National Savings Bank on Springsummer Road.
Harriet had her own set of keys to Murray's 1932 Ford Highboy truck, the keys were in her apron pocket since the day of Harriet's other epiphany - Harriet never, not the once sported Caron Narcisse Noir toilet water, for Harriet was more you could say the Giuerlin fragrance type of gal- and besides orange blossom was overbearing. And everyone knew only a whore would festoon Caron Narcisse Noir all over her person. It took a year and a day before the scent of the perfume would dissipate in Murray's truck. This was no hostile takeover and though Harriet would not hold the deed - the truck appeared to be always available for Harriet to use any time she wanted. Any time.
Harriet and Marjorie Sue presented the pleasant-faced teller at open window three at the Second National Savings Bank with the now three overflowing coin jars and after fifty-minutes of tallying its contents - all was accrued - the amount inside the jars was twenty-nine thousand, four hundred and thirty-three dollars and two cents. Marjorie Sue asked her mother if she was certain she was doing the right thing, handing over all of the savings from the three special jars and Harriet insisted Marjorie Sue keep the cash. Marjorie Sue was the prettiest daughter. Lorraine, though lovely was not the loveliest of the three and Penelope was plain. Poor plain Penelope. Penelope was the spit of Lillian Gish.
And so you see, that is how the Clemens reaped their riches and never had to fret during the time of the Great Depression - and as for Jackson Clemens, well... his earnings once thought in earnest for his years dedicated to rummaging the underneath of rugs and swan-diving into sofas, it would be no serendipity as once believed - as the money was purposely placed there beginning in 1916 by Daddy William Clemens, ten cents left for the taking each day after Daddy Clemens and Marjorie Sue's mama ,who Daddy Clemens knew as Mrs. Baxter, the flame-haired woman who worked as a maid for the Clemens family but it was only a temporary job Mrs Baxter held secretly when she resigned herself to taking such a menial position with the remit of earning a few extra Christmas dollars. Mrs. Baxter and Mr. Clemens were overheard one night in November by Mrs Clemens, during a Clemens family dinner party making the kitchen table move and shake in a most peculiar manner an act that was followed by a few most peculiar yelps. No, it would never be mentioned again.
THE END
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