Leave It to Beaver, and Leave It Alone

By Jim Jenkins

Never look beyond the façade.

Illustration by KeyworkDove

Who wants to hear that Ward Cleever's company has been secretly dumping PCBs into Lake Mapleton for years? That he hurries home from the office every Friday night, dons his robes and hurries off to the local Klan meeting?

No one wants to see June cake on the makeup to hide her bruises after downing a Seconal, a phenobarbital and a Darvon just to get through the cocktail party.

Not even Ward and June want to know what that smell is that's emanating from the basement or exactly what Wally and Eddie are doing down there.

The Beaver's grades have fallen off and he hates to be touched but at least the kindly parish priest has taken a serious interest in him and one doesn't like to pry.