"A Half Hour for Mr. Martin"
“Some crazy song about little boxes, I think it was,” Frankie managed to choke out over the reprocessed filth she had pulled from the aluminum and plastic wrapped “TV” dinner, “but I’m not sure. I was too busy watching to make sure Fonzie made it over all of the cars on his bike.”
“Francesca Dean Martin! What have I told you about talking with your mouth full?” Mrs. Martin bleated after taking the precious time to grind her meal 32 times before swallowing. She had spent the entire day in the house doing laundry, cleaning, and taking care of baby Billie; there was no way she would endure such a blatant display of imperfection, and, to make sure of it, she even tried to set the example for everyone with her perfect 32 crunches. This meal was supposed to be oven-roasted turkey and smooth mashed potatoes, drenched in thick hearty gravy and accompanied by peas and corn kernels. It deserved the respect accorded to such a meal, and, despite the fact it tasted like asbestos insulation, she would make sure of it. No more than a year ago she had found these Sara Lee ™ dinners, and she rejoiced at not having to cook for hours to feed her family. Such things are important, don’cha know?
“Sorry, Mother,” Frankie returned after masticating and firmly swallowing.
“Well, that’s right dear. Obey your Mother. I don’t want to come home from the plant to find out that my daughter is turning into one of those beatnik hippies. Wouldn’t stand for it,” chimed in Mr. Martin as if he didn’t already have complete control of every aspect of their lives, even down to their names. He only had to maintain some sort of knee-jerk reaction to every stimulus—no genuine concern, necessarily—and he had to make sure that every one of those reactions further enforced the subjugation of his family. This was only one dinner in a long stream of dinners between 6:30 and 7 daily, and nothing they ever did was allowed to change if it induced Mr. Martin to have to contemplate a new reply. Mr. Martin had exactly what his father wished to build.
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