The Dodge

   Cheryl was about to whip up some bodacious biscuits for breakfast last Sunday, when she discovered that she was out of baking powder. Since my time is not nearly as precious as that of our breadwinner, I was sent down the street to ask Alma Beeler if we could borrow some.
   It was a nice day, so I didn't really mind the walk, although my jaws did tighten a little when I saw the new Buick parked in Irv Nesbaum's driveway. He couldn't keep it in the garage? I shrugged it off and continued on the Beeler residence.
  Mrs. Beeler opened the door. "Well, how do, stranger."
  "Hello, Mrs. Beeler."
  She open the door. "Come on in ... and stop calling me Mrs. Beeler ... it's Alma." She has become much less formal since Mr. Beeler passed.
  I stepped inside. "Cheryl needs some baking powder ... you wouldn't happen to have any around would you?"
  "Well, of course I do."
  I followed her through the living room, past an impressive Hummel figurine collection, into the commemorative plate festooned kitchen.
  "How much does she need?"
  I admired the new William and Kate royal wedding plate."She's making biscuits ... you probably know better than I."
  She nodded and went about the business of getting the baking powder for me. "Say, I haven't seen your uncle around lately. Is he okay?"
  Although it had blown by me, Cheryl had noticed that she had taken somewhat of an interest in Uncle Billy when they were at our fourth of July party. This could be delicate. "Um, well, Uncle Billy has been ... well ... um ... busy lately."
  She handed me a small plastic container. "Busy? He hasn't said anything about that on his Facebook page. Perhaps I'll shoot him a Tweet and see what's up."
  I nodded vaguely, said, "Thanks," and turned to go.
  Alma walked me to the door. "Say, do you know a 'Clara Rickenbacker'?
  Oh, oh. "Why do you ask?"
  "Her name popped up as a mutual friend of William's."
  "Oh yeah, she lives at Back in the Day."
  "William's apartment house?"
  "That's right ... hey, thanks for the baking powder ... I'd better get this back to Cheryl taco pronto."
  I slipped out the door before Alma could respond.