Chapter Four - Long Past Lights Out

August 1943 - Early Sunday Morning

"Did you see his eyes?"

"Go to sleep."

"He was dreamy, wasn't he?  I mean, he really was."

"He was fine.  The right amount of dreamy.  Now, hush."

"You're sure he'll come back tomorrow?"

"The man has been eating air force food for months.  You think he'll pass up a home cooked meal?"

I didn't see him take down the address.  Did you see him do that?  Did you see him write down  ...".

"Girls!  It's late..  Quiet now."

"He must have memorized the address.  Do you think he memorized it?  I know he didn't write it down.  He must have memorized it."

"Of course he memorized it.  He's not an idiot, you know."

                                                               *********************

"I am such an idiot.  I can't believe I didn't write down the address."

"Do you mind, ya bum?  I'm trying to sleep here."

"Where was the dance?  If I got to where the dance was I could maybe figure out which bus to take."

"And where would you get off?  Dummy.  Why wouldn't you ask for her address?"

"I just didn't think about it."

"Her phone number?"

"I know they have a phone, but ..."

"... but you didn't get the number.  So, what's her last name?"

" ... "

"Genius.  So you don't know where she lives, don't know her telephone number, don't know her name, and what else ...?  How much more can you not know about someone?"

"I know she's a honey.  And I know she likes me."

"My make-believe girl is a honey, too.  And right now she's calling me back to sleep.  So shut up."

                                                 *****************

August, 1943 - Sunday, 2 P.M.

His jam-packed duffel over his shoulder, Justin asked one of the bellmen at the hotel about the dance the night before.

"It was at a roller rink.  In a park," the young airman said.  "Maybe a ten minute bus ride from here ...?"

"How drunk were you, young man?"

"I wasn't drunk.  I was with a bunch of the boys.  I thought we'd be coming back together, so I didn't need to remember where we were going.  But then I met a girl ..."   Justin spun the story out, long past embarrassment now.  The bellman chuckled.

"Do you remember anything about the neighbourhood?  Think, now.  This town has a whole bunch of neighbourhoods, and most of them have little things you can notice, like a smell or a sound or a big building or something."

"Railway tracks, I remember those.  I heard a train.  And ... horses?  Some sort of midway, with rides?"

The bellman nodded.  "OK.  No guarantees here, but it sounds like you were near the Exhibition Grounds.  I can get you that far, but after that you're on your own."

The bellman jotted out directions and handed them to the young serviceman.  "You shipping out with the rest of these boys tonight, son?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you have a nice time today and good luck overseas.  My boy is over there right now.  You take care of yourself.  And son ... ?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I hope you find her."

Justin hopped on the bus rolling along Jasper Avenue.  At the river, the road swung north.  He watched the numbers glide by, all of them unfamiliar, rising from the low 100s until they reached 118th Avenue.  The bus turned right and rumbled along the busy thoroughfare.

"Young fella, you wanted the Ex, right?" asked the bus driver.  "It's just over there.  Closed up today, i should think."

Justin got off the bus and stood in one spot, trying desperately to remember something - anything - about the direction they'd taken the night before after getting off the bus.  He searched his mind.  He could remember her sweater, the tiny embroidered flowers on the front panel; he could remember her eyes, her voice.  He could remember ...

... crossing the street.  He remembered that, because a car had been speeding and he had reflexively put his arm around Mary to hurry her across and he could still feel his hand on the small of her back.

Justin crossed the street and walked a block or two.  It couldn't have been much farther than this.  A tree-lined street - the trees blocking the light from the streetlamps.  Tall house, two stories, dark coloured - was it green?  Think!

On the corner of 72nd street, Justin stopped and looked North.  Then South.  It was a corner house, he remembered that much.  He walked North, looking at the large porch on the first  house he passed.  Was this it?

He could knock on the door, he supposed, but - do you really want to look that stupid?

He walked on past and up the block.  Halfway along the block, he ducked across the street and came back, now scrutinizing the house on the opposite side.  This might be it, too.  Or was it across the Avenue?  Or hell, on the other side of town?  Was he even close?

As he walked back towards the corner, he almost tripped over a boy of about seven or eight, kneeling down on the sidewalk gazing intently at the ground.  The boy looked up, a magnifying glass in one hand.

"Are you Mary Lou's pilot?" asked the boy.

"Ummm ... well, I guess I might be.  How did you know about me?"

"Everybody knows about you.  The whole street knows about you.  My mom has been talking about you all morning.  Mary sometimes babysits me.  Are you a fighter pilot?  Are you going to kill some Germans?  My Dad's in the army.  He's a cook."  The boy looked up at him and grinned.  "You can make ants melt with this microfying glass.  They wriggle."

Justin knelt down beside the boy.  "Can you tell me where Mary Lou lives?"

"You were just there last night."

"I know.  But I wondered if YOU could tell me."

"Sure.  The big green house.  Why did you walk right past it?  Why didn't you go in?  Are you going to just leave and not ever see her again?  That's what my Mom says.  Mrs.  Hextall, too."

"What's your name?"

""Ricky."

"Well, Ricky, I don't know what's going to happen.  I guess I'll go find out."

As Justin slung his duffel bag over his shoulder, he looked up at the big green house.  Mary was on the porch.

He walked across the street.  "Hi."

"Hi.  I see you've met Ricky.  Did he talk your ear off?"

"Nope.  But he did call me "Mary Lou's pilot."  Unless another pilot shows up, I'll take it."

Mary blushed and Justin grinned as they walked arm in arm back to the verandah.  As they walked, Justin thought:  I remembered her as beautiful.  But ... not THIS beautiful.

And Mary thought: His eyes.  Wow.  Even bluer than I thought.

Comments

[Bucky Four-Eyes]

That would SO happen to me. But I'd probably never be lucky enough to run into a talkative child.

Oh, and what is this "neighboUrhood" of which you write so coloUrfully?

[William]

I am truly enjoying this story.

[Laura]

Bucky, Canadians and their spelling errors....*sigh*

I have the urge to turn the page to chapter 5, but it's the internet! there isn't one! arrrrrgh!

[CircusKelli]

Hee hee... he couldn't remember the address? Too funny! Good thing Ricky was there!

[Nils]

Pfft. Canadian story set in Canada about Canadians - and I am expected to dumb down my spelling? I don't think so.

Heathens.

[marybishop]

I'm loving it...the innocence of the time...the sweetness of new love; the details..they make the story come alive to me. I see the sweater with the little embroidered flowers. Wonderful Nilbo!

[Sarah]

Every time! Every single time, I get weepy and choked up. I mean jeesh, I'm such a girl. But you, you are a fantastic writer.

[The Kept Woman]

I love the chaptered segments...perfect length for my attention span!

[laura]

Finally! Yeah!! To two things:

One- That you have updated the story and

Two- That I can actually comment. I don't understand why sometimes my info is not in the little boxes up there and sometimes it is. Today it is, so I shall comment.

LOL Good for you, Nilbo. Dumb down the spelling! LOL Teehee LOVE IT! Little do these folks know what WE are actually the ones who spell things like colour and neighbour and honour correctly, eh?? Teehee

Neat to hear "The Ex" too! Only a prairie person would know about that:) I loved going to the Ex. all the time as a kid.

Jasper Avenue!??! AAAA!!!! HOME!! Talking about HOME!! LOVE IT!

Ok, no more yelling. I am sorry. SORE-EEEEE. Not SAW-reeee:) Couldn't resist.

I will be in Calgary in a few more days, I am so excited! Old Dutch Chips, Goodie Rings, Cheezies, Aero, Mr. Big, Tim Hortons...ah. I love Canada. Too bad you are out East, but at least you are still the in the right country:)

Anyway, this story is awesome! I was just freaking out all weekend, wanting to know what happened and if you Dad remembered how to get to the house. I can just picture you kids sitting and listening to this story told over and over again over the years. Rolling your eyes perhaps. But how glad you are now, eh???

[wordgirl]

I know you said that you embellished some, but I can't tell where or how. It's so seamless. Has the marriage been as great as the courtship was?

[Sara Sue]

Someone hand me a tissue!~

[nadia]

Thank goodness for that little boy. phew. i was scared he would have to turn back to his hotel.

[Bucky Four-Eyes]

I am hourribly sourry I cast aspersiouns upoun your Canadian spelling.

*tapping fingers on desk*

So...where in the wourld is the next installment?

[Nils]

Fck yo, Bcky.

[Squirl]

Now, you two kids behave here, oukay?

[Squirl]

All kidding aside, I'm still loving the story.

[Bucky Four-Eyes]

Squirl, doun't you mean "stoury"?

[whfropera]

anyone else see the beginnings of a truly charming musical theater piece?
Nils - email me your number - I want to ask you about something unrelated, and I don't have your number anymore. :)

[laura]

Why are these people putting "u"'s where they don't belong??

Tsk tsk. Poor folks are so confused.

Nils, you want me to mail you some Old Dutch?? Just shoot me an e-mail and lemme know:)

OH!!! Be sure to let me know what flavours you want, eh???

[Nils]

Oh, pay them no heed, Laura. They come from a country that lost all its "u"s in the Grout Duprussoun.

And thank you for the Old Dutch offer, but with the family arriving for my daughter's wedding in a couple of weeks, I suspect they'll be carting in a few cases for me. I'll end up with enough to get that bike I've been eyeing on Kid's Bids.

(And it amuses me to no end that only a few of my very few readers will actually understand that reference.)

To those awaiting the next installment, check later today.

[Laura]

Hi Nils,
I stopped by this mourning to see if you had a poust up, but it wasn't ready at the time.

I'll coumb back later to cheque!

[Nils]

Please, cheque later. My post will be up. Coume anytime you want.

[Bucky Four-Eyes]

So...what you're saying, Nils, is that America lost control of its vowels in the Depression?

[Effie]

Well, Nilbo, it's not our fault them Americans have been spelling words like colour and honour wrong their whole lives, is it?!

Now, where's more?? Hmm?

[Effie]

Um, isn't Old Dutch like Ajax?--you shouldn't be tasting that stuff ya know!

Hey--do Maritimers get the Monday or the Friday off for Canada Day weekend?

[Laura]

still waiting for Chapter 5, as you said it would be up later today.
Guess it will be up in the mourning.~

[Nils]

I'll get it up soon. I promise, no mourning.

[DdfrtDryhyu]

Adults only. That's really good!

[immoroFluibra]

And with a serious food allergy anaphylaxis occurs which is a severe allergic reaction that comes on suddenly and with several serious problems all occurring at once – the heart,