Before going down for dinner, I dropped my suitcase on the bed and finally opened it. I dumped everything out and sorted through the clothes, clothes I would never wear in 2023. Where were the jeans and plaid flannel pajama bottoms? I found a pair of tan pants and button down shirt similar to the one Teddy and Jimmy were wearing. Jimmy was neater than Teddy, that's for sure. Jimmy's shirt was tucked in and his sleeves rolled down and buttoned properly. I put on an undershirt, followed by the gray button down shirt. Tan and gray didn't match, but I didn't give a shit. I had no reason to be here during the Great Depression.

In the corner of the suitcase, I noticed a black leather toiletry bag. I unzipped it and recognized an old-fashioned shaving kit. I picked up the brush, can of shaving cream, and the gold metal razor, feeling the cool weight of the metal in my hand. At least it wasn't a straight blade. I was used to an electric shaver, not this metal razor. I set the kit aside and quickly ran a black comb through my dark hair. I was scheduled for a haircut next week, which I was obviously going to miss if I didn't wake up from this ridiculous dream. I opted not to wear the heavy woolen socks. In my bare feet, I carefully climbed down the ladder.

Three young women and the little girl sat on one side of the table. Jimmy, Teddy, and eleven year old Billy sat together on the other side, while the parents sat at the head. I was the last one to the table. I assumed the vacant seat between Jimmy and Teddy was meant for me.

"We normally wear socks at the dinner table," Mrs. McDonough said.

"I'll remember that next time," I said, sitting down. The idea of wearing wool socks didn't appeal to me, but I supposed it was better than disappointing Mrs. McDonough and being cold. It's not like the house wasn't heated. I was just used to a modern heating system and not a rackety radiator furnace.

Dinner was baked beans and fried bologna. I'd never had bologna in my entire life, not even in a sandwich. A stack of slices of white bread sat in the center of the table. Gluten-free didn't exist in 1935.

Every Sunday, the McDonoughs, an Irish Catholic family, attended church. As a Catholic, I was baptized and received my First Communion and Confirmation, but I only ever went to church on Christmas and Easter. I hadn't been to a mass since high school, except for weddings and funerals. Saying grace before a meal was new for me. In the McDonough family, each family member took turns saying grace. It was Teddy's turn tonight. Teddy was clearly the black sheep of the family. Everyone bowed their heads, waiting for Teddy to begin.

"Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub. Amen," Teddy prayed, echoing Bart Simpson's words.

Unable to control myself, I burst out laughing. Tears of laughter streamed down my face. Teddy and I were the only ones laughing. Mr. McDonough's lips pursed, frowning at Teddy's disrespectful prayer. "I'm sorry," I said, attempting to control my giggles.

"For once, be serious," Mr. McDonough said to Teddy.

"You're going to confession, Theodore," Mrs. McDonough said. I went to confession once. The red light in the confessional freaked me out so much, I refused to go again.

"Fine. I'll start over," Teddy said. "Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, whoever eats fastest gets the most. Amen."

Again, I laughed. I needed a good laugh.

"Stop it, Teddy," Dorothy said. "Stop showing off for the guest."

"Let's eat, everyone, before it gets cold," Mr. McDonough said. "Teddy will go to confession and ask for forgiveness for being disrespectful... again."

I expected Teddy to monopolize the dinner conversation, but there was a competition between Jimmy and sixteen year old Margaret. She was annoyed that I didn't remember her from third period junior history class. Teddy came to my defense. "Give him a break. He met a lot of people today."

And Jimmy just liked to talk, and Teddy liked to make faces at his brothers. Through Jimmy, I found out that Mr. McDonough was an accountant by training, but he was laid off three years ago like so many other Americans. Now and then, a business owner would ask him for help with taxes or something like that. At this point, he'd accept a job as a garbage man. Margaret's goal was to graduate from high school. Last year, Dorothy dropped out of school to go to work.

Teddy was the only one to graduate. People called him 'special,' but never described what they meant by 'special.'

As hard as I tried, I couldn't eat more than three spoonfuls of baked beans. I didn't want to be rude, but I also didn't want to vomit in front of everyone. At this rate, I'd lose twenty pounds in a month, and I couldn't afford to lose weight. I ate a slice of salty bologna and bread, and washed it down with a glass of lukewarm milk to stave off starvation.

"If you're not gonna eat that, can I?" Teddy asked.

"Be my guest," I said, pushing my plate toward him.

"Where are you from?" Dorothy asked. Jimmy had mentioned that Dorothy worked as a weaver at the Boot Mills. Every day she'd show up, only to find there was no work.

"Far away," I responded.

"But where?" Billy persisted.

"Boston," I lied. Boston sounded like a reasonable answer.

"Where in Boston?" Teddy asked.

"Near the North End," I said. The North End was the first area that popped into my mind.

"That's not far away," Teddy scoffed. "I don't believe you. I think you come from outer space."

"That's enough," Mrs. McDonough said. "Just for that, you can do the dishes tonight."

"I did them last night," Teddy said.

"You're doing them again."

Grumbling, Teddy got up with his plate without being excused. He continued to spoon the beans into his mouth as he brought his plate to the sink. "It's hard to believe you're twenty-two," Mr. McDonough said. "When are you going to grow up?"

"When I die," he replied, heading out of the kitchen-dining room. "I'll be back to clean up in ten minutes."

I offered to help since I felt guilty for laughing during grace, but Mr. and Mrs. McDonough insisted that Teddy do all the cleaning up by himself. I suspected this was a common scenario in the household.

After dinner, Billy and Millie, (their rhyming names also made me laugh), lay on their stomachs on the floor, facing the radio as if it were a TV, listening to their favorite show, Little Orphan Annie. It reminded me of a scene in A Christmas Story. As kids, Erin and I used to watch A Christmas Story marathon on TBS on Christmas Eve. Mr. McDonough was back in his chair, working on the crossword puzzle in the newspaper. I excused myself and headed upstairs to tackle Jude, the Obscure, hoping it wouldn't put me to sleep.

As I read chapter two, I nearly jumped out of my skin as the attic ladder collapsed. "I need my book," Teddy said, peering into the room.

"Which one? You have books everywhere."

He climbed all the way into the room and headed to his messy desk. He immediately found the book he wanted.

"What are you reading?" I asked.

"You probably never heard of it."

"Try me."

"Mrs. Dallaway."

After I saw the movie, The Hours and read the book, I became obsessed with Virginia Woolf and read everything she ever wrote and saw nearly every documentary and movie about her.

"Virginia Woolf," I said. "That's a classic."

"A classic? It's only ten years old. I'd call Plato's Republic a classic or Charles Dickens or Edgar Allan Poe... those are classics."

"Have you read Orlando?"

"No, not yet. It's on my list of books to read."

"Read any Hemingway?"

"Yes... A Farewell to Arms."

"The Sun also Rises is better."

Teddy wandered around the room, reluctant to leave what he considered 'his place.' "Have you read any Oscar Wilde?"

"A long time ago. Have you?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I hadn't." With his book under his arm, he crouched at his chest of drawers. "Don't tell anyone I have this." He opened his bottom drawer and removed a pair of socks. Approaching me, he unfolded the socks and reached inside one. He pulled out a Hershey's chocolate candy bar. "If Billy knew I had this, he'd eat it all without sharing. You want a piece?"

"If you're willing to share."

He broke the candy bar in two and handed me half. "I have more in my drawer," he said. "Don't eat them all."

"I won't. You told me not to touch your stuff. Why are you sharing with me?"

"Because I feel like it," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You're reading Jude, the Obscure, huh? I hated that book."

"Students are reading it in one of my classes. Can you tell me what it's about?" I really missed the internet. Wikipedia would have been useful right about now.

"Are you kidding? I'll put myself to sleep." Teddy bit a piece of chocolate, staring at me suspiciously, making me self-conscious and uncomfortable. He was both weird and cute. "This may sound odd, but I feel like I know you. Have we met before?"

"No, we've never met. I think I'd remember if I met someone like—" I stopped myself from finishing the sentence before I said something he'd misconstrue as insulting.

"You think you'd remember if you met someone like me?" he finished the sentence for me. "I guess I have that effect on people. You're not offending me. I know what I'm like. Do you like going to the movies?"

"I guess."

"The Bride of Frankenstein is playing at the Rialto Theatre downtown. Nobody else wants to go with me. Wanna go?"

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to an old movie theater to see an original 1930s movie. There was only one problem: I had no money. "I'd love to go, but I have no money, and I don't know when I'm gonna get paid."

"That's okay. I'll front you the quarter."

A quarter for a movie? It cost me fifteen bucks to see the 3D version of Avatar: The Way of Water two months ago.

"Why me?"

"Why not? You got anything better to do than teach?"

"I don't know. Could we go Saturday? I have a lot of work to do; lesson planning and reading books I hate."

"You're so responsible," Teddy said, standing up. "Well, I better go. I'll get another lecture about harassing the guests."

"You're not harassing me."

"You're responsible and polite. Good night, Eric Gagnon. Maybe you'll eventually tell me where you're really from."

"Good night, Teddy McDonough," I said.

He smiled at me as he descended the ladder.

In the morning, I noticed some loose papers on the nightstand in cursive writing that I could barely read. Virginia Woolf's Orlando held the papers in place, preventing them from blowing away. After deciphering the writing, I realized it was a synopsis of Jude, the Obscure. 'I hope this helps,' Teddy wrote at the top of the page.

Teddy was more intellectual than his siblings. He'd rather have his nose in a book than hit the streets searching for work. His father and Jimmy would accept any job they could get, but not Teddy. He'd never accept a menial job that he thought was beneath him. I bet he would have thought differently if he lived on his own and paid his own rent.

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