Fiction: The Start of a Story

It was the summer of 1967 and in a small town placed somewhere in memory, the evening sun was setting on the last day of July. A noisy pick up truck rattled along past the only diner in town and a pretty faced girl looked up as a young man about her sister’s age entered and sat at a table. When the moment presented itself she went over and handed the young man a menu, with a shy quiet smile that hid a hint of sadness he took the menu from the young girl. As she turned, the pink ribbon tying her hair in a pony tail caught his attention.

He sat silently for moments until she returned and when she asked for his order his reply was quiet. He wished for her to sit down and talk with him for tonight was his last night in town. She looked down at him and noticed his uniform, a soldier, being called off to duty for their country. She let him know her shift ended in an hour and she knew the perfect place they could go to sit and talk. With a smile he waited.

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With summer coming to an end and her best friend Mary Anne going off to college Suebeth was not looking forward to its end. Suebeth had a job starting at the beginning of the week helping to serve drinks down at Rusty’s the only bar in town. Her parents didn’t approve, but since she was not going to college she had to get a job and this was the only place hiring in town so they did not give her too much trouble for it. Sitting at the lake with her friends Suebeth watched the sun setting and leaving a red tint to the coming night sky.

“Hey Sue!” a voice called from behind and as she turned she noticed Mary Anne coming down from the road toward the group. With a smile she stood up and noticed a slight quirk to her friends brow. When the pretty dark haired young woman reached her friends the words just rushed from her, “Have you heard? Johnny Dean was drafted.” Shaking her head Sue looked down. “He was the only one from our class that wasn’t going off to college.” Digging in the sand with her toes she looked back up, “At least of guys.” Giving her friend a hug Mary Anne whispered, “I’ll come visit Sue. I am going to be only a few hours away and my parents want me home at least one weekend a month.” With a smile Sue looked back at her friend, “Thanks, I just feel like I am going to be the only one here stuck in this town.”

“You’ll find someone Sue. You’ll find your place and by the time I’m out of school you’ll have found so much about life that I’ll be the one feeling left behind.” With a giggle both girls turned and hurried down to the water’s edge to join their friends in the water.

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