Free Clattering Sparrows by Marilyn Land Page A

soon—I promise. I love you and miss you terribly. Bye”
    “Me too Judy, I love you back. Go study so you won’t flunk out. Kiss Tony for me, and tell him that I love him too. Bye.”
    I hung up the phone and sat staring into space. I wasn’t sure if what Judy just told me was going to have consequences or not. Basically they were both of legal age and could pretty much do anything they wanted to do, but I was quite certain that the Ruth and Harry Levine I knew would think otherwise.
    The weeks following Thanksgiving passed quickly, and when Judy and Jenny came home for Christmas vacation, we had somewhat of a reunion in order to catch up. We were so glad to see one another that we talked nonstop, each of us hardly able to get a word in edgewise. Since Jenny had hooked her up with Tony in New York, Judy could speak freely about him to both of us and our conversations seemed to go on forever.
    Jenny was excited that her parents were selling the house on Oates. They were moving into her grandmother’s big house on 16 th Street, N.W., just two blocks down from the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church where her grandmother had worshipped since moving to DC. Several months before, her grandmother had fallen ill, and was no longer able to live on her own.
    Judy’s parents were also selling their home and moving to Chevy Chase, a mere stone’s throw from Bethesda; Judy and I were definitely okay with their choice.
    “With everyone moving out of the row of houses on Oates, have you heard anything about what Billy McAvoy’s mom is going to do? And have you heard anything about Billy?” I asked.
    Jenny smiled, “I have news about the McAvoys as well. Billy is flying jets just as he planned. He’s been training at Edward’s Air Force Base which, if you don’t know, is on the western edge of the Mojave Desert about 90 miles north of Los Angeles. We write to one another occasionally, and he’s waiting to hear where he will be stationed. But the big news is that Billy’s mom is getting married. She’s been seeing a really nice guy whose wife was killed in a car accident several years ago, and they’ve decided to tie the knot. Billy met him when they came out for a visit and liked him instantly. I think he’s quite happy that his mom won’t be alone anymore.”
    Judy sighed, “I guess everything does change. Our old neighborhood sure has, but that’s called progress and aren’t we constantly told that change is good and without change there can be no progress?”
    The remainder of our Christmas break passed quickly and all too soon, Judy and Jenny were on the train headed back to New York. I was a little sad, but it had been great spending time with my two friends and hearing all the news about our old gang— The Fabulous Five — especially since we were now living miles and miles away from each other.
    We parted looking forward to spring break.
    ***
    Growing up during World War II exposed us to loss and death at far too young an age. We entered high school with more of a purpose to excel than perhaps the generation of women before us. The world of single parents evolved as a result of the many men who didn’t return from the fighting, and the many who did that simply couldn’t cope with the life they had left behind. As a result of the War, women had become major players in the workforce, and more and more parents encouraged their daughters as well as their sons to get a college education.
    This quest for higher education and a career in our own right drove the enrollment figures for female students higher than ever before. Marrying and starting a family right after graduation from high school was no longer the norm.
    Although we had experienced many changes in our short lives, we became complacent with our choices in our own little world somehow neither seeking nor anticipating what lay ahead. We were caught up in the excitement of our first year of college and everything that life had to offer us.
    So far, Judy and