Working (It) Out

Joy was named after her mom’s twin sister, who had died in a car accident at twenty-three while living in California.  Joy’s grandmother had endured multiple miscarriages and when two identical infant girls were born, it was only befitting that they were named Hope and Joy.

The arrival of the two infant girls signified a new beginning for the newly arrived immigrants.  Joy’s grandfather was a quiet man who went about his days working on the railroads while his wife tended to their two children.

His work required that he move his small family from town to town across the United States, which eventually led them to Minneapolis, where they would plant roots.  He had taken a job at one of Minnesota’s well-known flour mills. With the girls being of school age, their mom was able to find work at one of the many apparel factories that supported the Minnesota economy. Which gave Hope and Joy so much time alone.

Settling in a small, diverse Minnesotan immigrant community, Joy and Hope were able to fit right in with their classmates and participated in all things American.  From elementary school plays to high school cheerleading, homecoming dances, and starlit themed proms, they found their home.  Their foundation, upon parting ways to go to separate colleges, the two sisters promised to return to their old neighborhood, get married, and raise families in identical Sears fabricated homes.  While Hope studied at Minnesota State University, and Joy at Berkeley, they would write to each other weekly. Little did they know that California would awaken Joy’s zest for adventure and delay her returning home. 

On the other hand, Hope had met Steven her last year of college, which made it easier for her to keep her promise of staying in Minnesota.  They fit perfectly together, Steven with his sense of adventure, and Hope willing to go along for the ride. Hope would jokingly call Steven her very own Peter Pan because he seemed to create adventure in even the most mundane daily activity.  Keeping with their weekly letter writing, Hope would share stories of her and Steven’s courtship and in contrast, Joy would share stories about the inhabitants of the only female boarding house she lived in and the gossip of the busy office she worked in as a secretary.

When possible, they would arrange a phone call, each looking forward to hearing their own sweet voice echoed back to them. These memories and others like them, Hope would share with her daughter. 

Through these stories and observation, Joy could sense the loss and longing that her mom felt.  She often wondered if this same longing plagued her too.  Could this cut short history of her mom and aunt be the reason why Joy always felt alone? As an only child, Joy often wished she had other siblings to play with, confide in, and grow old with.  This longing often led her to confidence in false friendships, flighty lovers, and ultimately to Stephan’s father.

When she had first seen Antonio, she couldn’t help but notice how his navy-blue turtleneck hugged his well-developed pecs and how his brown polyester pants hugged every curve.

How his shiny dark curly hair trickled down the sides of his face, highlighting his olive skin and making his eyes look greener than they were.  Later Hope would learn that depending on the light and time of day, his hazel eyes would turn to a lighter shade of green, and at other times in a fit of rage, a darker shade of brown.  In the beginning, she was smitten by his accent, worldliness, and remedial use of the English language.  They fell for each other quickly and found themselves skipping classes just to be with each other.

They’d sneak into the university’s auditorium and make love in the orchestra pit, muffling their sounds with kisses and hands over mouths.  On weekends, they would borrow a friend’s car and take weekend trips to nearby towns, and at other times paddle down the Mississippi River on a quiet afternoon.  Their love was everything a midwestern love story would be, until…