July 1945: When Billy G. met Mary W.
Maria smiled as I walked in. She shouted over the noise of the diner, “The usual Billy?” I smiled back and nodded yes. Charlie and me sat down for a Burger and a Coke, our regular spot at Mawbry's, a burger joint both cheap and good. Charlie took his post at the booth by the window, our strategic spot to watch for the fairer sex walking by outside. He dropped a coin in the Rock-O-La to play Five Minutes More, the only song that guy ever plays.
“When you starting at the plant?” he asked.
“Monday.” I replied, “thanks for puttin’ in a word, I owe ya one.”
“Nah, don't mention it,” he said.
A few minutes later our food arrived; I closed my eyes and sunk my teeth into the burger, the grilled onions crunched, the beef was perfect, the juices swam in my mouth and some escaped down my chin, damn this was good. Six months ago I was choking down government-issued shoe leather in a South Pacific chow tent. But once we won the war, getting back to my old stomping grounds in Cleveland was all good.
Then she walked in.
Charlie saw her first and kicked me under the table, a wingman doing his duty.
“What the?” I asked, but stopped mid-sentence. The door opened and the breeze blew in Mary Williams-- a soft curvy pink breeze, the tall side of five feet topped in auburn hair. The wind off Cedar seemed to puff up her dress, it was yellow. And she had a friend. Everything stopped.
I mixed up the chewing and swallowing with breathing and all of a sudden the burger was lodged in my windpipe....I was choking. I tried to jump up but knocked a glass over, it shattered as it hit the floor. I stumbled to my feet. Charlie looked confused so I gestured to my throat.
A woman screamed and shouted, “That man is choking! Somebody help him!”
Mary Williams rushed to help but Charlie jumped into action and gave me a bear hug. I coughed up my food and took a deep breath. Embarrassed, I sat on edge of the booth then looked up and there she was. Blue eyes, auburn hair and that yellow dress. Wow.
This was how it all began.