by Linda Ellen
Phyllis paused in her stirring and thought for a moment. “Do you think you girls might shop on Fourth?”
Julie gave a shrug. “I’m not sure. Viv didn’t say.” She imagined they would, though, since Fourth Street was the shopping district of the city and had the most concentrated number of stores.
Phyllis smiled at her daughter. “Well, if you do, there’s a store called Appel’s. It’s between Walnut and Liberty. It’s the only place that sells Rose Bouquet and I’m down to a tiny sliver…”
“Your special French soap?” Julie asked, quite familiar with her mother’s closely guarded bars. Indeed, everyone in the house knew not to touch or use Mama’s fancy soap. Not that her brothers would…well, except the time her youngest brother, Jeff, had tried to make their dog smell better after he’d tangled with a skunk. Julie let out a soft snicker at the memory.
Her mother picked up a bowl from the table and began ladling the mouth-watering stew inside. “Yes. Your Aunt Ida usually gets it for me and sends it to me in the mail, but she broke her foot two months ago and she’s still not getting around well.”
“Oh, my goodness!” Julie cringed in sympathy as she thought of her dear aunt, the wife of her father’s brother who lived in Louisville. “I hadn’t realized her injury was that bad.”
“I’m afraid it is. I talked to her on the telephone yesterday and she said it still gives her quite a bit of pain, bless her heart.”
They worked in silence for a few moments, and then Julie turned to her mother with a smile. “I used to wonder where you got your soap. It smells so good. When I was little, I used to pick it up and take a quick sniff, when no one was looking.” She giggled when her mother jestingly scowled at her. “When did you start using it?”
Phyllis’ grin made her dimples deepen and her cheerful green eyes sparkle. “Oh, surely I’ve told you that story,” she protested, but Julie denied that with a shake of her head, eyebrows raised in curiosity.
Her mother paused, ladle in hand, and thought back over the many years. “Well, when we first moved here from Texas, before you were born, your father decided one Saturday before Christmas to pile me and the boys into our old Ford farm truck and take us to the ‘big city’ to do some Christmas shopping. Downtown seemed magical to me…still does at Christmastime, with the stores all decked out so festively, lovely displays in the windows, and garland and lights on every post. Louisville seemed so grand. We’d only lived in Baytown and another Texas oil town, and they were both dirty and smelly,” she remembered with a laugh, pausing to picture those long ago days.
“Well, your father left the boys and me in the truck and went into Appel’s to get me a Christmas gift,” she hesitated as she filled another bowl with the aromatic beef and vegetable dish. “He knew I liked roses, and he told the sales clerk so. The man quickly retrieved a bar of Rose Bouquet and let John sniff it. He said he knew instantly that I would love it, which I did. So, he purchased four bars!”
Julie watched her mother shake her head at the fond memory and she smiled, picturing her father as a young man wishing to get his wife something nice for Christmas. Phyllis added, “Such an extravagance. It was quite expensive. But that didn’t stop him. And all through the years, he’s managed to keep me in supply, no matter how short our money got at times. Indeed, during the height of the Depression, my only birthday present one year was one bar of my soap.” She paused with a smile as she thought of her wonderful husband. “I only ran out one time, during a long spell of bad snow and ice. Oh my, how I hated using his bath soap during those weeks!”
Mother and daughter shared a laugh at that. Julie understood her mother’s point. She used Ivory, herself, and hated when necessity had forced her to use something else.
“Alright, Mama, I’ll make sure to go into Appel’s and snatch you up a few bars.”
Her mother leaned over to give her a grateful kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart. Remind me to give you the money before you leave in the morning.”
Julie wiped her mouth and sat back, pleasantly full and content.
She, Viv, and Mary June had spent the day shopping for a few items the bride wanted for her big day. The couple hadn’t been planning to have as large of a celebration as Gene and Viv’s reception had been. However, while Mary June was intending to wear her mother’s wedding dress, there were things like the lace garter and luxurious underwear to purchase.
Plus, Mary June had wanted Viv to wear the maid’s dress she had worn for her friend’s nuptials, so they purchased a lovely shawl to go over the short-sleeved gown, since this would be a winter wedding. They’d practically walked their feet off roaming up and down Fourth and going in shop after shop until they’d found just the right one.
Now, Julie looked around at the long, rectangular interior of the Canary Cottage where they had gone to warm up and get something to eat. It was a rustic, old English inn type soda shop and tearoom that also served sandwiches and soup, right there on Fourth, near where the girls had been shopping. The lunch crowd had long since thinned out, and the supper crowd hadn’t yet begun filtering in, so only ten of the thirty mahogany tables were occupied.
Glancing around as her friends finished up their lunches, Julie admired the whitewashed fireplace situated in the center of one of the long sides, its fire blazing warmly. Various coats-of-arms adorned the adobe-like walls and silver chained chandeliers hung from the ceilings interspersed with dark-stained wooden beams, all of it lending to the relaxed and homey atmosphere. It was blessedly warm inside, versus the below freezing temperatures outside, which was made even colder by the wind that always whistled down the streets of the tall buildings and concrete. Julie was grateful that the snow had been short the night before, with no accumulation. Tramping through dirty slush would have been miserable.
The three friends had been chatting about everything from fashion, to cooking, to home decorating. Viv had told them both all about her and Gene’s cute little duplex apartment, in an area Fort Knox had named, “Goldville,” no doubt to honor the infamous Gold Vault, the US Bullion Depository there at the base. To Julie, their little nest sounded like heaven on earth. To be living in such a place with the man you loved, keeping house for him, cooking his meals, taking care of him…loving him. Oh, would she ever have that for herself?
“Oh, how could I forget?” Mary June suddenly exclaimed. “Steve called me yesterday and said that his commander is going to allow us to move into a small house in the west section of the property. It’s been used as an office for one of the contractors and they hadn’t torn it down. It will be perfect for us! The commander said we could live there until they have to demolish it to make way for the third plant.”
“That’s wonderful!” Julie and Viv gasped together, and then met eyes and laughed.
“Steve says he looked inside it, and there are a few pieces of furniture left, stored in a bedroom. He said he’s been scrounging up more. He also said,” she leaned forward to teasingly divulge, “That all we really need’s a bed and he’s arranged to buy one of those on time.” The three girls chuckled together at that.
“That’s our Steve, a man with a plan,” Viv kidded.
Mary June winked at her friend and grinned in agreement. “And another thing. He called his mother in Carmel and she’s agreed to come to the wedding. She’ll come in on the train on the twelfth, because weekday tickets are cheaper. Steve’s looking for a place she can stay while she’s here.”
“Perhaps my parents can put her up. I’ll ask,” Viv offered.
For the next few minutes, they lapsed into silence as several people came in from the cold and settled at tables near the fireplace.
Finally, Julie sighed contentedly and smiled at her two companions.
“This has been a wonderful day. I’ve had so much fun. Thank you for allowing me to tag along.”
“You’re welcome, honey. And yes, it has. I think I’ve just about got everything I need. Only a few last-minute details to iron out,” Mary J
une commented as she sipped her tea. “Thank you so much for doing this with me, ladies. It wouldn’t have been near as fun without you!”
“I hope it isn’t this cold on your wedding day,” Viv offered, a twinkle in her eye. “Perhaps it will be a warm Valentine’s Day this year.”
Mary June laughed. “I know, I know, we probably should have waited for spring. But…I just didn’t want to wait indefinitely to marry my blue-eyed corporal. I miss him so much during the week when he’s stuck out there at the Charlestown plant. Now that I’ve found my Mr. Right, I want to be with him all the time…and I don’t want him to get away,” she chuckled with a wink. The girls snickered with her. “Besides, Steve says he’s more than capable of keeping me warm on our wedding night,” she admitted in a suggestive purr.
“From what I heard, he proved that that night in the cabin,” Viv returned, prompting Mary June to shoot back, “He did, indeed!” as all three girls giggled. Julie felt her face flush at the remark, but nevertheless enjoyed the camaraderie she had with her sister-in-law and friend.
“You girls are lucky. You’ve found your Sir Galahads. I’m afraid I might be destined to be an old maid, at least for the duration of the war,” Julie lamented, emitting an exaggerated sigh and forming her lips into a silly pout as she pressed the back of one hand to her forehead.
Viv leaned over and swatted at her sister-in-law. “You silly thing. You’re cute, sweet, and smart. Why, you’ll have no trouble reeling in a catch. You just have to be careful where you throw your line.”
“But that’s just it, Viv! E-town’s stable of eligible stallions has been picked clean by that darned draft board. The only ones left wearing pants in the entire county are old men and boys,” she only half joked. “Sometimes I feel like I’m going to either wither away from boredom, or explode with frustration. And there are no jobs to be had near the farm. Other than milking cows, feeding chickens, knitting, and listening to radio soaps, there isn’t much to do, believe me.”
“Say, I’ve an idea,” Mary June offered with eyes alight. “Why don’t you come here and get a job at one of the defense plants? I’d say I would try and get you on at the bank, but they’ve already replaced Viv—with a man—Felix Plimpton.” At the girls’ interested looks, she rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Nah, you don’t want him—he’s about forty, three inches shorter than I am, wears wire-rimmed glasses that are always fogging up on him—why, I’m sure I don’t want to know—and is rapidly losing his hair. And he’s constantly taking out his hanky and cleaning said glasses. Plus, he talks like this,” she added in a nasally imitation. All three girls pressed their fingers to their mouths to muffle their laughter.
Julie shook her head at the mental picture Mary June’s words conjured as their mirth subsided. “You may have an idea there…coming to Louisville, I mean. But…where would I live? A boarding house?”
Mary June swallowed a sip of her tea and nodded as she wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Maybe, if they aren’t all full. There are so many people coming in from the outlying farms and counties to work downtown, they’re filling up.” At Julie’s downcast sigh, she added, “I have another idea, though. You could stay at my house.”
“Your house?” Julie puzzled, glancing at Viv.
Mary June reached over and touched Julie’s arm. “I think that would be good for several reasons. See…” she paused, choosing her words carefully. “My mom is a bit hard to live with, and she’s been worse since my brother was drafted. He took his basic training at Knox, and then he was shipped somewhere overseas. We don’t even know, but they put him in the tank corps, so he’s with an armored battalion somewhere.”
She stopped a moment as a small wave of sadness washed over her and Viv reached over to grasp her hand as she continued, “Anyway, Mom complains all the time about him being gone, not only for missing him, but also because he helped out with bills. Plus she’s been bellyaching about me getting married and ‘going off and leaving her’. I figure you could rent his old room, just like you’d rent a room at a boarding house and then once I leave, you could be kind of like a surrogate daughter to her and my dad. That would also save your parents from worrying about you living in Louisville alone. Wha’dya think? My dad’s a sweetheart, by the way. You’ll love him.”
“I can vouch for that,” Viv put in. “Mr. Harriman has always been kind and friendly, every time I’ve seen him. Many times, he would drive us to the USO on Saturday nights.”
Julie sat for a moment thinking about the proposal. Hmm…come to Louisville…work at a defense plant…rent a room at Mary June’s house…and maybe even happen to see a certain man who lived in the city…” Her heart began to pound with excitement and anticipation. This might be the answer to all those late-night prayers…
Eyes sparkling, she met the gazes of her companions. “And maybe even join the USO? It worked for you guys,” she added with a giggle.
The girls answered her giggle with those of their own as the three reached to clasp hands.
“Sounds like a plan!” Viv exclaimed.
CHAPTER 3
“Just a minute,” Gary had called out that morning in answer to a knock on his hotel room door.
He finished wiping shaving cream off his face and tossed the towel on the sink before heading over to let his brothers in. Swinging it open as he grinned in welcome, his eyes then narrowed in confusion.
They were standing, or rather, swaying together, with an arm around one another’s shoulders, their uniform ties skewed, caps crooked, hair messy, outerwear and gloves cockeyed, and their uniforms were in general, discombobulated. They continued to sway in unison, softly singing, “How dry I am,” and giggling like schoolboys. For a moment, Gary wondered if they had been guzzling moonshine all morning and were soused to the gills.
“Don’t you know it’s socially unacceptable to get plastered at only,” he paused to consult his watch, “ten o’clock in the morning?” He shook his head in mock disgust. “You goof balls. Get in here,” he griped, striving to keep a stern expression as he motioned them both into the room. They looked pathetic and ridiculous. Vaguely, he wondered how he was going to sober them up…then on the heels of that thought, he wondered how they had even gotten there. Great Caesar’s Ghost! They drove the girls in this condition? He didn’t think he had seen anyone this schnookered since his college days.
They stumbled forward together until their shoulders wedged in the door jam, stopping their progress. They looked at one another as more giggles escaped. Gary took hold of their ties and yanked them inside, kicking the door shut with his foot.
“What in the Sam Hill are you idiots doing?” he laughed, watching in shock as they transformed back into their normal personas and began straightening their clothing.
“Steve said, ‘Let’s act like we’re soused and see what he does’. I said, ‘Okay,’ and it kind of got out of hand,” Gene laughed and hitched a thumb toward Steve. “I think he’s a bad influence on me.”
“Hey!” Steve protested with a half-hearted whack at Gene’s bicep, all the while grinning from ear to ear. “I didn’t hear you arguin’.”
“I think you’re both bad influences on me,” Gary shot back, although the laughter in his eyes told his brothers he had enjoyed their little joke. “I wondered why I didn’t smell any alcohol on you.”
“Had ya goin’ for a minute, though, huh?” Steve asked as they all began to chuckle.
Gary shook his head again and threw an arm around each of their shoulders. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do with you two. I’d say you both need keepers. Better yet, maybe I should report this to your commanding officers.”
With more laughter, they progressed as one into Gary’s suite and flopped on the couch and adjacent chair where they spent the next thirty minutes catching up on their lives and finishing one another’s sentences. The more they got to know one another, the more that seemed to be happening. For all three, it was a good feeling. Something each had sorely missed
growing up apart.
Finally, each one taking slugs from their Dr. Peppers, Gary glanced from Steve to Gene.
“So boys, what’s the plan?”
“Well, we took the girls to Fourth Street so they can shop till they drop,” Gene began, “and arranged to meet up with them again around four at a small eatery. We left our cars in a pay lot. So, that gives us five and a half hours to kill. What you guys wanna do?”
“I’d be up for a movie, maybe shoot some pool after,” Steve suggested, with Gary nodding in agreement.
“A few of the fellas out at the base said that new one, This is the Army, is a riot. Matter of fact, I was kicking myself for not trying to go to the premiere at the Mary Anderson last Friday night; Viv would have loved it. The guys said they even put on a parade down Fourth with all kinds of army vehicles from Bowman Field, lots of well-dressed folks in attendance, and they raised $10,000 for the Army Emergency Relief fund.” Gene paused a moment, realizing the Brown was only a few blocks down. “Hey, did you go? Or see any of that?”
Gary cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I worked late at the office,” he said, for some reason not wanting to admit that he had been suffering from a bout of self-pity and had paid a cab driver to take him up to the top of Iroquois Hill, where Gene had proposed to Viv. He didn’t stay long, though. Once the darkness took over cars began to pull up and park around the circle, filled with couples intent on doing a little necking. After that, he had the cabbie drive out into the country for a while until he got hungry and directed the man to take him to the hotel. By that time, the festivities must have been over.
“Well, anyway, I vote for the movies,” Gene finished.
Exchanging glances and nods, Steve said, “Sounds like a tactical maneuver. Mount up, troops.”