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THE STORIES OF MY LIFE

retirement home

I have considered writing the story of my life for a long time. But something held me back. There are a lot of reasons why people, myself included, procrastinate. We all have our own reasons for putting things off. You could be lacking in self-confidence and unable to start things for fear of failure. Or you could be lazy and have difficulty finishing things.

But my justification for procrastinating is not any of those. My reason is that since I was a young child, I loved telling people stories of my daily experiences. As a child, most of my experiences were similar to other children my age. So, at some point, at a subconscious level, I decided that I would embellish my stories. You know, tweak it here, tweak it there. Make it a little more interesting, more spellbinding. Take the mundane experience up a notch. That’s not so bad. I never considered it to be lying. I considered it to be similar to creative writing. I never thought of it as a lie. Or if it was a lie, it was only a white lie. In other words a harmless lie. But, my ultimate goal was to entertain people by telling them interesting and funny stories to make them laugh.

I told most of my “stories” to my family at dinnertime. At first, my parents seemed to believe every word that spilled out of my mouth. My siblings were not quite so easily led astray. They would sit at the dinner table quietly with a look of disbelief on their faces. And at the end of one of my tales, they would either laugh or say something to the effect of, “what you got to be kidding? And they would start laughing. My father would say, “oh brother, you must have really kissed that blarney stone. That was a good one, and then he laughed and laughed and laughed. Which means he thought I was exaggerating.

Well, to be perfectly honest, I did have a tendency to exaggerate. But, then, doesn’t every writer have that proclivity? And I didn’t just share my stories at the dinner table., I told them to my friends, their parents, all our neighbors, and strangers on the street waiting for the bus. I loved a captive audience. I would start by saying, “hello, how are you. And then I would say, “oh, you know what happened to me?” And off I would go.

Sometimes, I really got carried away with myself and didn’t know when to stop. And the people would eventually try to escape by saying, “oh, here comes my bus, nice talking to you, little girl or I have to be going. I’ll be late for work. One older man that waited on the corner of Main Street at the bus stop always said the same thing. “ I have to go. I have a dentist’s appointment. I’m having a tooth pulled.” The day he said that for the last time that I talked to him, I said, “I’m surprised you have any teeth left to get pulled out.” I knew I had met my match that day, and I didn’t stop and regale him with any of my stories after that. I just waved as I rode by on my second-hand bike.

And then, one day, when I came home, we all sat down to eat dinner. All my siblings were there for once. I was thrilled I rarely had the opportuning to tell a story to both my parents and all of my siblings at once. I sat quietly for a few minutes. I was trying to decide what story I should tell everyone. We were all sitting quietly, waiting for our Irish Stew to cool down. My mother cooked it all day because she wanted it to be thoroughly cooked and hot when she served it. We could all tell it was scalding hot because the steam was rising up over our bowls in unison. So, as I sat there contemplating the tale I would tell, it came to me in a flash.

After everyone settled down and started eating dinner, I said, “guess what I saw today walking down Main Street. My oldest sister said, “ “oh no, here she goes again, with her stories. Does she really think any of us believe these stories. She has a wild imagination, that’s for sure. My father looked at me and said, “go ahead and tell the story. What or who did you see?”

I looked at my father and said, “well, I was walking past that vegetable store next to the bar across the street from the school parking lot. And I saw a woman who was wearing a long, red velvet coat. And a big hat on top of her head with a chicken sitting on it. And it was clucking away. And she had a basket over her arm, and it was full of chicken eggs.”

Everyone at the dinner table stared at me, and then suddenly, they all started laughing. I looked at my mother and father, and then I started crying really loud. “my brother said, well, that’s the biggest whopper she ever told. That even beats the story she told about the old man. She said that he had a bowtie around his forehead and wasn’t wearing any shoes or socks. And he got off the bus at main street and went into the bakery, and came out with a huge box of donuts.”

My father said, “OK, stop laughing. She has an active imagination and likes telling stories. She isn’t lying.”

My mother said, “ stop laughing and finish your dinner. She looked at me with a weird expression on her face. And that made me start crying even louder. Then I got up and ran out the run to the bathroom I didn’t come out until I didn’t hear any of them talking anymore, and it sounded like dinner was over.

But that incident didn’t deter me from telling my stories. I just decided that I would have to broaden my audience beyond people waiting at the bus stop and my family at dinner. So, I thought about it for a long, long time. And then it came to me. I would start visiting the old people’s homes and telling them stories. I was certain that they would love having a young visitor who spent time with them and told them some tall tales. So, the first thing the next day, I rode my bike down Route 73 and across the highway to visit the old people.

I parked my bike outside the front of the building and walked through the front door to a desk where a lady was sitting. She said, “ can I help you, young lady?” I looked at her, and then I looked all around, and I didn’t see any ladies, so I figured she must be talking to me. I had never been called a young lady before, and I was either called by my name or “hey, kid.”

“I would like to visit the old people every day and tell them stories. They’re very good stories. And I know they would love to hear them.”

She looked at me and the biggest smile I ever saw spread across her face. “When would you like to start?”

“Well, there’s no time like the present. That’s what my mother always says.” She laughed out loud after I said that. Just wait a few moments while I call one of the aides to come up front and show you around. And you can decide if you want to talk to one person at a time or everyone at the same time.”

“Well, I think I’ll tell one person at a time. And see how it goes over. And if they all like my stories, I’’ tell them all at once. What do you say?”

I say, ‘outstanding.” And then she called someone’s name over the loudspeaker. And I stood at the desk and looked around until a woman came over to me and said, “Hello, my name is Miss Hartman. I heard that you would like to tell our residents some stories. What is your name?” They are going to love that. Some of them hardly have any family or friends that come to visit them. And they rarely see young people.”

“ Oh, everyone calls me Sissy. Why don’t their families come to visit them?”

“Well, for the most part, they have outlived their mates and family members, or sometimes they live far away or don’t take the time to visit them. They get lonely. However, we have a lot of activities for them. They miss seeing people from the outside.”

“Outside.” Aren’t they allowed to go outside?”

“Oh, of course, they can go outside. I meant that they seldom come to visit them. So, it just so happens that most of the people are in the dining room eating lunch. And so, off we went to a big room with a lot of round tables spread out across the whole place. And there were four people at each table, and there was a lot of chatter from all the people talking. I noticed it was mostly old ladies and an old man here or there.

Then she said, “let’s go up to the front of the room, and I’ll make an announcement about you and how you like to tell stories to people. You can come up and stand next to me, and then I will introduce you to them. How’s that?” I was surprised that she wanted my opinion, “ I said, that’s great.” She smiled down at me. Let’s do it. So, I followed her up to the front of the room, and she called out,” Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement. Can you quiet down for just a moment, please?”

They all quieted down. You could have heard a pin drop. This young lady, whose name is Sissy, is going to start coming here and telling us some stories. She is a storyteller. And she said she could tell stories to everyone at once or come to your rooms and tell one person at a time. What do you think?”

And then, all of a sudden, everyone was clapping and stamping their feet, and someone yelled out, “tell a story now. Please.”

Miss Hartman looked at me with a big smile on her face, “Well, Sissy, it looks like you have a captive audience. Do you have a story you would like to tell right now?”

“Yes, I have a story about my neighbor, Mrs. Collins. She lives down the street from me, two doors down. She loves cats, and she has a long fenced-in area in her backyard that runs the length from front to back. And the cats have a door in the basement that they can go through to the cat run. She has over thirty cats. I like to visit them almost every day. They like to be scratched and talked to. I know all their names. And she has a big white dog with black spots, and his name is Rudy. He barks a lot.

And sometimes, one of her cats escapes out of the pen and gets in a big fight with the neighbor’s cats. They roll around and scream at one another so fast that you can’t even see them clearly. So, they all have scars on them from fighting with other cats, mostly Strottles, who loves to fight. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. And all the people started clapping and yelling, “tell another one.”

So, I said, “sure, well, let me think. Oh, I know I’ll tell you about what happened to me last Halloween.” And they all started clapping again. Well, first of all, my mother made me a costume. And it was a hot dog, with a roll with mustard on it. And I was in the Halloween parade. At first, everyone laughed at my costume, but I won the first prize because it was such an original costume. Since most of the other kids were dressed as ghosts or witches, a princess, or pirates. Then after the parade, we all started going around town with our pillowcases and knocking on everyone’s door and saying,” trick or treat.”

And I stayed out really late and ate so much candy I thought I might get sick. When my pillowcase was so full, I took it home and emptied it and then went out again on the other end of town and got it filled up again.’

Everyone started clapping and laughing. One old guy got up and said, “Hey, I used to do the same thing, and a lot of other people said the same thing. Al, the old ladies, and the men started talking to one another and telling them about their Halloween experiences, and everyone was laughing and smiling at each other.

Ms. Hart looked over at me at said, Sissy, I think that it would be just wonderful if you came all the time and talked to our residents. It looks like you helped bring back some of their good childhood memories and made them happy. Would you like to come and visit them?”

“Yes, I would love that. Especially visiting the old people that don’t get any visitors.”

Then Miss Hartman said, “may I have your attention, please? Would anyone like to have Sissy come back again and visit? And then everyone stood up and clapped their hands. And that was the beginning of me coming to visit the old people and realizing that they were just like me, only with wrinkles and gray hair. And making new friends every time I went to visit them. And it was one of the best experiences of my life.

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THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

 

It’s the first day of the rest of my life. Today is my first day of retirement. I worked hard all my life and saved money so I will be prepared for a happy and secure retirement.

I wake up at 6:30 AM. At the same time, I have been waking up for the past thirty-plus years. Old habits are hard to break and all that. I stumble out of bed and make my way into my bathroom. I look in the mirror at my reflection. I’m still trying to come to terms with the face that stares back at me in that mirror. There’s a similarity to the face I expect to see but still, it looks like a stranger, even if it looks like a familiar stranger. In fact, I look a couple of decades older than I feel.

I expect to see my bright, blue eyes, a ready smile, and a youthful countenance. I guess the youthful part is what’s missing.

I made a commitment to begin every day of my new life by exercising. I start by doing some warming-up exercises like doing deep knee bends, sit-ups, and stretches. And then I get on my clothes and walking shoes, grab my keys and head out my kitchen door to walk two miles.

I have to admit I’m somewhat out of shape and my feet are killing me even though I bought expensive walking shoes. I have no doubt that tomorrow my back and legs and feet will be killing me as well. But I will not let that stop me. I made a promise to myself that I will get in shape within the next six months.

My intention is to get in shape and stay in shape and live for at least another twenty years. I just wish that my face would cooperate and get in shape. If that is even possible. While I’m walking my miles, I consider the next steps to take to rejuvenating my body from head to toe. And decide that I will call my hairdresser and make an appointment to get a haircut and maybe some highlights in my hair. And perhaps a facial as well.

As I’m heading towards the last block I have to walk before I head home for breakfast, I see someone, a middle-aged man looking in my direction. He is standing next to a car that has the trunk open. I wonder if he is having car trouble? I keep walking but quicken my pace as I get closer to the man standing on the sidewalk. He looks at me and I nod and keep going. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but you never know what might happen. I decided that when I’m out walking alone, I will keep alert, not wear headphones and maybe even keep my keys in my hand at all times just to be safe. I suppose I’m being paranoid, but better paranoid, than dead.

As I continue my walk, I decide to cross the street just in case. As I cross the street I glance over and I see the man get in his car and drive off. I feel a sense of relief. Maybe I am a little paranoid. But still…

I’m only halfway through my walk and my legs are starting to ache a bit, probably from all the years I sat working at my desk. I did have a sedentary job. I should have made an effort to do some kind of physical activity, but I can’t change the past so I’ll just have to do better now. As I’m walking along, I start thinking about all the things I missed out on because I spent the last thirty-something years working to support myself. I never got married, didn’t have children. Didn’t even have a pet, since I often had to go on business trips.

And then the solution to my newly retired lifestyle comes to me, I need to get a pet. I consider getting a cat. But then I think if I get a dog, he can go on walks with me. And I won’t be as nervous because I won’t be walking alone. And that is when I decide that when I get home, I’m going to look on the internet for all the local shelters and go looking for a dog. I haven’t had a dog since I was a kid. I feel excited. I step up my pace and head back in the direction of my house.

According to Google, there are a couple of animal shelters within a mile of my residence. I go to each site and write down their addresses. I jump in the shower and then throw on my clothes. I can’t wait to find out who will be my new best friend.

I forgo breakfast and head out to my car and turn on my GPS to the first animal shelter. I’m the first person to arrive at the shelter. In fact, the volunteers and the employees haven’t even arrived. I listen to a podcast while I wait for the shelter to open. About thirty minutes later a woman pulls up in a Volkswagen. A woman well over six feet tall unfolds herself and steps out of a tiny car. I’m amazed that she fit in the car.

I jump out of my car and quick-step over to where she is emerging from her car like a butterfly out of a cocoon.  I say, “good morning” in the cheeriest voice I can muster up. And she almost jumps out of her skin, because she had no idea I was standing there. She screams, at the top of her voice. “Dear god, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you would have seen me waiting in my car.”

“We don’t open up for another twenty minutes. And I need to have a cup of coffee before I will be able to interact with another human being. Why don’t you go around the corner there is a small coffee shop there and have some coffee and a donut. And by then I will be fit to talk to.”

“Sure, I’ll do just that. I’m sorry if I startled you, I’m just so excited to find my new companion, I just retired, today in fact. And I want to get a dog and—–“

“Please, can you just come back in about a half-hour?”

I look at her, and I realize I better give her the half-hour or she may just put the kibosh on me adopting a dog. “I’ll see you in a little while.”

I decide to walk around the block rather than driving and then having to look for a parking spot and then having to drive back here. It’s a beautiful Fall day and I haven’t been in this area before. I see a shop on the corner called, “HITS THE SPOT.” And I think that must be it, what a clever name.

I push open the door and I hear bells ringing. I look up and I see a bell attached to the chain on the door. There is something so cheerful and inviting about doorbells, I just love them. As I walk through the door, I hear laughter. And to my surprise, there are about fifteen people sitting at the counter. There is a man about my age behind the counter and he seems to be the center of attention. His hair is a mixture of red with white highlights. And he has a red beard. There has always been something about beards that I like. He flashes me a toothy grin and says, “Hey guys move over and let the lovely lady take a seat.”

I can’t believe it but I blush all the way to the roots of my hair. I probably haven’t blushed in thirty years. I smile and take a seat.

“What can I do for you? How about a cup of the best coffee in thirty miles to start?”

“Yes, that sounds great, I haven’t eaten anything today.”

“Well, then how about the house specialty, creamed beef on toast or shit on a shingle like they used to call it in the old days. What do you say, sound good?”

“Well, I’m trying to lose some weight, but since it’s my first day of retirement I think I’ll make an exception and have the house specialty. It sounds great. I don’t think I’ve had that since I was a kid.”

“Well, this is a day for a celebration, how come I never saw you around here before?”

“Well, as I said I just retired and I had to go to work, and I don’t live in this area. I just came here to visit the Animal Shelter. I decided I needed to get a dog since I will be home from now on. I arrived before the shelter opened so the woman who works at the shelter recommended your restaurant to me since I had some time to kill.”

“Oh, well that was nice of her. Was she kind of grouchy?”

“Well, yes. But I was early and waiting for the shelter to open, and she wasn’t too thrilled by that.”

“Well, that’s Madge for you, but she gets better as the day goes on, she usually comes here for lunch every day. OK, let me get busy and make you the best Shit on a Shingle you ever had. I’m sure you’ll be back tomorrow for more.”

I sit quietly and listen to the conversation flow around me. It’s a mixture of retired men and the occasional working stiff that stopped in for a cup of coffee on their way to work. I was enjoying the comradery.  And before I know it, my breakfast was ready. I said, “oh that does bring back memories of my childhood, we used to have this every Friday night for dinner when I was growing up.”

I start eating, and it was even more delicious than I remember. I didn’t say a word, while I was eating. And then I just sighed. Then the cook said, “by the way, my name is Harry and this is my place, and you are welcome to come back anytime, in fact, we would love to have a beautiful lady such as yourself come share breakfast with us. “

“You know, I was going to start the day with a long walk, and I think I will do just that it is about a mile from my house to here and I could stop and join you guys for coffee and occasionally have breakfast since I’m trying to lose weight. By the way, my name is Kathleen. And I’m happy to meet you Harry, and the rest of you as well.”

“So, what kind of dog are you going to get?”

“Well, I don’t know, I don’t know what kind of dogs they have available yet. And I haven’t had a dog since I was a kid. I guess I’ll know when I see him or her. I’m really excited about it.”

“Well, after you get your new best friend stop by and introduce him to the rest of us.”

“I will do just that. What do I owe you? That was the best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

Harry slides the bill over to Kathleen, and says, “the first meal is on the house, but only if you promise to become a regular customer.”

“Really, oh this really has been a great beginning to my retirement. Kathleen looks around at all the smiling faces and says, “the day I get my new dog, I’ll stop and have a celebratory meal. Is that alright, Harry?”

Kathleen waves goodbye as she goes out the door and gives them all a big smile. She can’t believe what a great start she’s having on her first day of retirement and now she’s walking back to the shelter to meet her new best friend.

Kathleen wants to walk faster but she’s afraid she ate a bit too much and she doesn’t want to feel sick so she takes her time getting back to the shelter.

As she walks through the front entrance of the shelter, she can hear dogs barking. Then she hears a young woman’s voice call out, “good morning, can I help you?”

Kathleen is relieved that she doesn’t have to speak to the woman that she met earlier. “Yes, I just retired, and I want to adopt a dog. I wasn’t ever able to have one before because of my job and the hours I kept and business trips.”

“Well, that’s wonderful. Do you know what kind of dog you want?”
“I had a Cocker Spaniel when I was a kid. Her name was Naomi, and she was so sweet and intelligent. Do you happen to have any kind of Cocker Spaniel or even a mixed Spaniel?

“Well, as a matter of fact, we do. And I think that you will just love her. She is about five years old. She has a wonderful, loving nature and is smart as a whip. Do you want to go meet her?”

“Really, she sounds great. Can I see her now?”

“Of course, lets’ go see her. How about if I take her out of her kennel and you can meet me outside in the back. That way she won’t be distracted by all the other dogs. How’s that?”

“Great, oh I can’t wait. I’ll meet you outside.”

In about five minutes, Kathleen hears someone open the back door of the kennel and the woman she talked to comes out with the most adorable dog Kathleen has ever seen. She’s in love the second she sees her.

Oh my, isn’t she precious? I love her.”

“Why don’t you walk over slowly and she will get to know you. I think the two of you will be a great pair.”

Kathleen slowly walks toward the little dog, And the dog starts wagging her tail and smiling at her. Kathleen gets down on her hands and knees and approaches the dog. She slowly moves her hand toward her and the dog licks her hand. She moves her hand and slowly pets the dog from head to toe.  “Oh, aren’t you the sweetest little thing? Can I walk her around a bit?”

“Yes, I’ll stand back here and let you two get acquainted. Take your time. You want to be absolutely positive that this is the dog for you. You don’t even have to make up your mind today. If you want to you can meet some other dogs too.”

Kathleen spends almost a half-hour quietly talking to the little dog and getting to know her. She is such a calm, yet happy little dog. She knows that they will get along together. “Thank you, for being so patient with me, I definitely want to adopt her. So, we can get the paperwork started and I can find out what I need to do. Did she get spayed yet or are there any problems I should know about her?”

“Let’s go inside and do the paperwork, and I’ll tell you her history and by the way, you can change her name if you wish, but her name is Goldie.”

“Oh, that’s perfect. I love it. Let me start filling out the papers, and pay the fee and find out any health issues. And oh, does she up to date on her shots?”

“OK, let’s take one thing at a time, and I’ll take Goldie in the back and have her get the latest flea treatment so you won’t have to worry about that. And I’ll give you all her paperwork and let you know her history. It won’t take that long.”

About thirty-five minutes later Kathleen heads out the door with Goldie and begins her new life with Kathleen. It’s a new beginning for both of them. “Come on Goldie, we just have to take a short walk to my car and maybe meet some new friends of mine. And then we’ll be on our way home, and wait until you see your new backyard. You’ll never have to be chained up again.  And they take their first step towards their new life together. A beginning neither one of them expected when they woke up that morning. You never know what good things lie ahead of you in life.

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THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG

It’s February 14th, and believe it or not, I’m going on a blind date. I gave up long ago on finding Mr. Right. Now I’m willing to consider Mr. Not That Bad. I recently celebrated my thirty-fifth birthday. Please don’t try telling me I’m not that old. It’s true. I’m too young to apply for Social Security, and I wouldn’t qualify for the Senior Special at my favorite restaurant, that’s for sure. But when I walk into the room, I’m not turning anyone’s head anymore. Unless there trying to look at the twenty-something behind me.

My date asked me to meet him at his favorite restaurant. A Greek Restaurant called “Taziki’s.” I pull my 2003 Mitsubishi Galant into the last parking spot next to a pristine red sports car with wire wheels. I glance at the back of the car as I pass it. And it bore the legend of Alfa Romeo. I don’t know a whole lot about cars, but even I can recognize class and style. “Wow,” I said out loud. I wonder who owns such a car and would be eating at this place.

I’m ten minutes late because I changed my dress five times before I left my apartment. I want to look sexy but not cheap. Available but not free for the taking. If you know what I mean, I wore a touch of mascara and red lipstick. I’ve always thought my hair was my best feature. It’s black and hangs down to the middle of my back. I wearing it down. I finally decide to wear my sleeveless, turquoise silk tunic that hits just above my knees. My date asked me to look for someone who held a red flower; he didn’t say what kind.

As I pull open, the doorbell chimes announcing my arrival.  I notice everyone within hearing distance looks in my direction. For some reason, this makes me feel flustered, and I feel myself blushing—something I hadn’t done since high school. And then I see a man sitting in a booth next to the wall waving at me. I’m not sure how he knows I’m his date.

I walk towards him, and I see him stand and wait by the table. He’s over six and a half feet tall. His hair is jet black and slightly curly. His eyes are green. As I step up to the table, he extends his hand out to me. He’s holding a single red Amaryllis. It is enormous and fragrant. Up close, he looks like a Greek god.

I take the flower and put it up to my nose, and the smell is intoxicating. I feel slightly dizzy. “Thank you, how beautiful, I’ve never seen one as large before, and the fragrance is amazing.

He is not handsome in the traditional way. But he is the most attractive man I ever saw, nonetheless. “I’m hoping that you’re Alexander. I’m Maria Caledonia.”

“Yes, of course, I’m Alexander. Will you have a seat? I have so looked forward to this moment. I hope you don’t mind me ordering for us. It’s somewhat presumptuous, but I know this restaurant so well. I practically grew up here.”

Really, you like Greek food that much?”

“Well, yes, of course, but my family owns this restaurant and several others.”

“Really, I’m sure the food is delicious. I’m curious how my friend Elizabeth knows you. She told me you were old friends, but I don’t remember her mentioning you before.”

“That’s probably because we knew each other as children.  Then when I was about to start high school, my family decided that they wanted me to go back to Greece to continue my education until I was ready to go to University.  When I came back, I decided to continue my studies, and I lived in New York several years ago.

“Oh, and then you reconnected with Elizabeth? Did you and Elizabeth ever date?”

“No, we have always been close but more like brother and sister. I was talking to her about my desire to find that special woman to spend my life with. I know it’s too soon to talk about this. I just wanted you to know that I’m not interested in casual dating.”

“Well, I understand that I’ve dated my share of men. I know the kind of person I would like to spend the rest of my life with. Perhaps we should take this one step at a time. And get to know each other.

“Elizabeth, I see our dinner is about to arrive. I hope you enjoy it. I thought we might take a walk after dinner. If you like?”

“A walk, that would be fine. It’s a beautiful evening for a walk.”

“Sir, Madame, here is your meal. I hope you enjoy it.”

“Thank you, Aleixo. I’m sure it is perfection.”

“Elizabeth, once again, I apologize for ordering for you, but I hope you will love this dish as much as I do. It’s called Spanakopita. It is a spinach pie.

“Try it first, and let me know what you think.”

“Alexander, it smells delicious. Elizabeth takes her first bite. “Oh, this is wonderful. I love the combination of onions and cheese, and seasoned perfectly. And this crust is so light. Wonderful.

“Oh, I’m so pleased. I hope you will enjoy it. And wait until you taste dessert. I ordered the Greek lemon cake.”

“Alexander, the cake was heaven. Thank you, I’m so full, I don’t think I could eat another bite.”

“Oh, would you like some coffee or anything else to drink?”

“Thank you, no. I’m full. But I wouldn’t mind just sitting for a bit before we take that walk. Just to let the meal settle.”

“So, Elizabeth, while we’re sitting here, would you like to tell me a little bit about yourself?”

“Well. I’m afraid it isn’t that exciting. I grew up in a small town in New Jersey called Merchantville. My father was the principal of the public high school. My mother was a stay-at-home mom. I have to admit it was somewhat awkward when I was in high school, my father being the principal. But sometimes, it came in handy.

I have a younger brother. He’s studying for his master’s in psychology. He wants to be a counselor for at-risk kids in the inner city. Probably in Camden or Philadelphia. He’s twelve years younger than I am, so we didn’t really grow up together. He’s really a remarkable young man. I’m proud of him. I don’t get to see him often since he’s busy with school and a part-time job. My parents are still married, happily, I think.

“After college, I got hired as an editor for a book publisher. Nothing glamourous. These weren’t best sellers. They’re scientific journals. I’ve always been interested in science but couldn’t really settle on a field of study. But I love learning about it, so it seemed like a good fit. Since I have a secondary degree in journalism.

“How about you, Alexander? Do you work in the restaurant business with your family?”

“Actually, I’m part-owner. And I did manage several of them in the past, but now I’m more in an advisor capacity. I decided to devote the rest of my working career to trying to promote the changes we need to make to protect our climate. I do spend a great deal of my time in Washington.”

“Really, that’s wonderful. There are a great many scientific journals written about climate change. I hope you are making some positive changes.”

“Right now, it is an uphill battle. But let’s continue this serious conversation for a later time.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea. Would you like to take that walk now? It’s really a beautiful evening.”

“New York is such a beautiful city. I can’t imagine moving to the suburbs. The art museums, the theater, the symphony. If I could, I would spend every day of my life listening to music, and I would be a happy and content woman.

“Elizabeth, I’m so happy you love the symphony. I hold season tickets. And as a matter of fact, I have two tickets to the Matinee on May 20 for the opening of “Singing in The Rain.”

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. I would so love to attend that. I adore Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in that movie. Such an extravaganza, the singing, the dancing. Just enthralling and so romantic, don’t you think, Alexander?”

“I do. I’m a romantic at heart. I would be thrilled if you would agree to go with me. I’m sorry it is a matinee, but in the evening, I’m often busy with one of the restaurants or In Washington.”

“Sorry, you have no need to be sorry. I accept. I would be overjoyed to attend the opening matinee concert. Over the moon, really, Alexander.”

“That’s wonderful, Elizabeth. How about we meet here on May 20th at noon for lunch, and then I will escort you to the matinee at 2 pm. Would you like to take that walk now? Would you rather take a walk here in this area, or can we go wherever you like?”

“Oh, you know where I love to walk at night in Times Square. I know it’s what most tourists do, but I love it, the excitement, the lights, people watching.”

“That’s a great idea. Let’s take my car, and when we are finished, I’ll bring you back here to your car. Instead of us taking both cars.”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

As they walk out to the parking lot, Alexander walks towards Elizabeth’s car. She looks over at him and says,” how did you know that was my car.”

“Your car Elizabeth, I don’t know your car. This is my car right here, the Alpha Romeo.”

“You’re kidding. That’s my Mitsubishi right next to it. In fact, I was admiring your car before I came into the restaurant. It’s a classic beauty.”

“As are you, Elizabeth. Allow me to open the door for you.”

“Of course, thank you.”

Elizabeth gets comfortable and puts on her seat belt. Alexander says, “I hope that this day will mark the beginning of the rest of our lives, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth feels her face blushing once again. And touches her cheek.  And smiles her most radiant smile and looks straight into Alexander’s eyes. “I hope so too, Alexander. Let’s begin our journey now.”