The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop
Page 21
Some said that it had been his own cousin that had done him in. The Liggets were never known to be a close-knit family. Not where money was concerned.
WHISTLE STOP, ALABAMA
WHEN THE EASEMENT documents came through, Evelyn called Ruthie immediately. “How soon can you get back over here?”
“I’m packing as we speak. Would three hours be soon enough?”
* * *
—
THE NEW ROADS leading in and out of town were being built, and new curbs and sidewalks put in. Utilities lines had been laid, and, after a lot of hard work on the part of the building crew, the cafe was finally almost finished. Evelyn and Ruthie had created an exact replica of Whistle Stop, only better. Unlike in the old cafe, everything in the kitchen now worked perfectly, plus, it had air-conditioning. The living quarters in the back were just about ready for Ruthie to move into. She wanted to live onsite, so she could oversee the rest of the work.
As the project progressed, Evelyn Couch, who was on the board of a local theater group, called her friends Philip and Bruce, who were set decorators, to come work on the project. Ruthie explained to them what she needed, and, using all the old photos of the town, they went to work. Philip found a photograph of the old Whistle Stop railroad crossing sign, created a new one, and put it back where the old one had been. They also re-created the original cafe signs and the old green lettering on the windows that read FRIED GREEN TOMATOES. They had even copied the old original cafe menus from the thirties. Only the prices were changed. Who could serve a full breakfast these days for twenty-five cents?
* * *
—
BUD’S NEW HOUSE was coming along nicely. And at the old Threadgoode family home, pieces of rotten wood were replaced and painted. The lawn was replanted, and the old chinaberry tree in the front yard trimmed.
As they stood admiring it, Evelyn said, “You know what, Ruthie? This old house would make a perfect bed and breakfast. It has eight bedrooms and a big kitchen.”
Ruthie agreed. “It would be perfect. I found some pictures of vintage rose-patterned wallpaper online. I can do the entire house over in the exact same period. It was built in 1894, so when you go in, you’ll feel like you’re going back in time. I’ll bet people would love to stay here.”
Evelyn looked at her and smiled. “Are we having fun or what?”
* * *
—
SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, Ruthie was busy overseeing the hanging of the deer head above the cafe counter when her cellphone rang. It was her dad.
“Hey, it’s me. Honey, are you sitting down?”
Oh dear. She walked over and sat down. She could tell by the tone of his voice that something either terribly bad or terribly good must have happened.
“Yes, Daddy, what’s up?”
“I just wanted you to be the first one to know that we eloped.”
“You did what?”
“Lois and I got married at the courthouse down in Columbus.”
“You and Lois ran off and got married?”
“Just to Columbus. We were back in time for lunch.”
“Well, this is a surprise. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I would have, but I thought it might upset you…because of your mother.”
“No, no. I’m happy for you, Daddy. I like Lois.”
“Can we come over and visit? We have a car and a driver all lined up. I want her to see where we’ll be living.”
“Of course, Daddy.”
“And can Virgil come, too?”
“Fine.”
This was something Ruthie hadn’t expected, but then why not? The more the merrier.
* * *
—
BRIARWOOD MANOR BEING such a social place, news naturally traveled fast. Over at Caldwell Circle, Martha Lee had just been called by a friend and informed of the latest excitement.
After she hung up, she looked as if she might faint. She turned to Gerta and exclaimed, “My God, Bud Threadgoode has just married the Coca-Cola heiress!”
Luckily, Gerta caught her right before she hit the ground.
WHISTLE STOP, ALABAMA
ALTHOUGH THEY HAD tried to keep it quiet, an article about the renovation project appeared in The Birmingham News. But it turned out to be good news for Evelyn and Ruthie, who were now busy looking for people to hire for the grand opening.
Opal’s granddaughter Bea, who was also a hairdresser, saw the article about the town of Whistle Stop opening back up. She quickly called the office and left a message. “Mrs. Couch, you don’t know me, but my name is Bea Wallace, and my grandmother Opal Butts used to own the beauty shop in Whistle Stop. I was wondering if you had rented out that space yet. If not, I would love to talk to you about it.”
Earlier in the day Alberta Peavey had called, telling her that she was an experienced chef and could bring her grandmother’s recipes with her. That is, if there happened to be a job opening.
When Evelyn heard that she almost started to cry. Suddenly all the little chickens were coming home to roost.
And soon there would be another chicken flying in.
After hearing that the old Whistle Stop church had been restored, a young female minister fresh out of the seminary showed up at the office and expressed an interest in starting a new congregation. She explained that it would mean a lot to her, because her grandfather had once been the preacher there. She said her name was Jessie Jean Scroggins.
All they needed now was someone to run the new bed and breakfast.
It was Saturday, and Ruthie was busy on the Internet looking at wallpaper, when her phone rang. When she picked up, a somewhat familiar voice said, “Mrs. Caldwell?”
“Yes?”
“You may not remember me, but I was your father’s nurse a few years ago when he was at UAB Hospital.”
“Terry?”
“Yes. You remember me!”
“Well, of course I remember you. How are you?”
“Hanging in there. How’s sweet ol’ Bud doing, still sassy as ever?”
“Oh, sure, but what a surprise to hear from you. Are you still over at UAB Hospital?”
“No, I retired last year.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, it was time, but listen, I know you’re busy so I will get straight to the point. I’ve been reading a little bit in the papers about what you and Mrs. Couch are doing, and I read that you are looking for someone to run a bed and breakfast.”
“Yes, we are.”
“Now, this may be a complete long shot, but I was wondering if I might apply for the job.”
“Oh, Terry, are you serious?”
“Yes, I’ve had a lot of experience looking after people, and believe it or not, I’m a hell of cook.”
At that moment, Evelyn walked in the door and Ruthie said, “Hold on a minute, Terry,” and she put her hand over the phone.
“Evelyn, it’s Terry, Daddy’s nurse from UAB calling.”
“Oh yes. How is she?”
“She’s retired from nursing and wants to know if she can apply for the B&B job.”
Evelyn quickly walked over and took the phone. “Terry, this is Evelyn Couch. Why, hell yes, you can apply. Get yourself over here.”
* * *
—
LATER, AFTER THEY gave Terry the job, Ruthie said, “Won’t Daddy be pleased? He really liked Terry. And I think it’s good to have an ex-nurse around, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Evelyn said. “And think about it, Ruthie. You’ll be managing the cafe, Terry is running the B&B, Bea will have the beauty shop, plus with Alberta cooking and Jessie Jean preaching it’s going to be an all-gal town. Your dad is going to be the only man here.”
Ruthie smiled. “Knowing Daddy, he’s sure to love that.”
WHISTLE STOP, AL
ABAMA
IT WAS IN the middle of one of those sudden Alabama rainstorms when she heard someone knocking loudly on the back door of the cafe. Ruthie opened it, and to her surprise, there stood Martha Lee Caldwell, soaked to the bone, with suitcase in hand.
“I have come to Alabama, not with a banjo on my knee, but to fling myself upon your mercy.”
“Oh, Martha, come in. What happened? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at Briarwood?”
Martha Lee stepped inside. “I was, but I was told by that little worm Richard Merris that Briarwood had a waiting list and I’m number six. Can you believe it? Me? On a waiting list? He said my financials are not acceptable at the moment. Well, we’ll see about that.”
She then affected the best humble look she could manage and said, “Might you have some small little corner where I could wait? I promise I’ll be as quiet as a mouse.”
“Oh, of course you can. But my gosh, Martha, does Carolyn know? I’m sure she’d love to have you come stay with her.”
Martha Lee looked at her strangely. “Haven’t you heard?”
“No, heard what?”
“Carolyn is getting a divorce.”
“What?”
“Yes. But I’ll let her tell you the particulars, I must lie down now. I’m tired to the bone.”
Of course, after that, Ruthie didn’t sleep a wink all night.
The phone call came early the next morning.
“Mother, Brian has left me, and moved in with another woman.”
“Oh, honey, what happened?”
“He left me for his dental hygienist. Can you imagine?”
“Oh, no.”
“I am so humiliated I could just die. All our friends know. I can’t stay here another minute.”
“Does Grandmother know Brian moved out?”
“Yes. But I can’t talk to her about it, she wouldn’t understand. I need to be with you right now. Can Cameron and I come down there with you?”
“Of course you can, darling, and don’t you worry. We’ll figure something out, okay?”
“Oh, thank you, Mother, I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you to turn to.”
After Ruthie hung up, she was heartbroken for her daughter, but also a little hopeful. It was the first time she had ever heard Carolyn say that she needed her. And that felt good. Life certainly had its twists and turns. Her daughter and her granddaughter would be coming to Whistle Stop to be with her. Maybe forever. Who knows? There was a brand-new school opening up not far from there. Ruthie had to stop herself from getting too far ahead of herself. But it was a possibility.
WHISTLE STOP CAFE
Present Day
EVERYBODY WAS THERE for the cafe’s big grand opening. Ruthie’s son, Richard, and his girlfriend, Dotsie, came all the way from Oregon and were delighted. Being vegan, they could eat all the fried green tomatoes they wanted. Bud and Lois were there, along with Billy Hornbeck and Geena. And many of the grandchildren of Reverend Scroggins and Sheriff Grady flew in from out of town. Janice Rodgers, a popular news anchor at the local TV station, came out and filmed a special feature on the town and cafe, and interviewed Bud about the old days. Later, the mayor of Birmingham dropped by and presented them with a plaque, declaring that July 28 would be forever proclaimed “Whistle Stop Day.” All the railroad engineers had been alerted about the event, and every train that passed by blew its whistle in honor of the day.
Later, Bud and Lois walked to the cafe for lunch, and after Bud had eaten a full plate of fried green tomatoes, Alberta Peavey came out of the kitchen and asked, “How were they, Mr. Threadgoode?”
He looked up at her and smiled. “Alberta, my dear, let’s put it this way. If I wasn’t already married, I’d ask you to marry me on the spot. These are the best fried green tomatoes I’ve had since 1949.”
It was one of those days that Bud would never forget. His whole family was back together again, and Whistle Stop was up and running once more.
Martha Lee, with her new business partner Carolyn, had opened an antique shop in the building where the post office used to be. They would feature fine Asian porcelains, of course. The new Busy Bea Beauty Shop was next door and doing very well.
And as for Evelyn Couch, she was extremely happy. As usual, after a rocky start, another one of her investments had paid off big-time. The woman couldn’t lose for winning, and she enjoyed being back in the game. In fact, she was starting construction on thirty new two-story condo units that she was building behind the cafe called One Railroad Place. She was planning to market it to the younger set, with a top-of-the-line fitness center that would include a large indoor heated pool and a fresh juice and coffee bar. She was even thinking of moving there herself. Her house was too big for one person, and besides, as she found out, it’s a good thing to have younger friends.
They say that timing is everything. As luck would have it, a few months after the cafe opened, Birmingham suddenly became a serious “foodie” town. With an exultant write-up in The Birmingham News and a great television review, almost overnight, the Whistle Stop Cafe became the trendy place to eat. A place that, as one food critic wrote, offered “Delightfully Delicious Authentic Farm-to-Table Cuisine.”
Soon, they had customers coming from as far away as Atlanta and Nashville. It was such a success that they had to expand the cafe to almost triple its original size. Someone said that if Ruth and Idgie could have seen the place today, they wouldn’t have believed it. Who would have dreamed that Sipsey’s fried green tomatoes would ever be considered gourmet food, or that the Whistle Stop Cafe would be taking lunch and dinner reservations weeks in advance?
And here’s something else Ruthie would never have guessed. Since the cafe décor was green and white, it was amazing how cute those two hundred frogs looked on the shelves.
A YEAR AGO, Bud Threadgoode had given up on making plans for the future, but today, he and Lois were busy planning a world cruise.
It was hard for Ruthie to believe, but this morning her daddy was flying to Europe on a private jet with his new wife and Virgil. She had to laugh. At this point, Virgil had traveled to more places than she had. But then, she hadn’t married the Coca-Cola heiress. Before Bud left he called her from the airport and said, “Ruthie, don’t forget what I told you, to enjoy every minute. That’s what Lois and I are doing.”
And as it so happened, so was she. She loved waking up every morning, going to work at the cafe, meeting and greeting people from all over the country, serving them good food, and telling them the story of Idgie and Ruth. Just last week they had an entire busload of tourists come in for lunch.
But there was this one person in particular who had been coming in quite a bit lately. A nice-looking retired investment banker from Birmingham, a widower. Ruthie could tell he liked her, and she was surprised at how much that pleased her. A boyfriend at her age? Well, why not? Look at her daddy. He’d found love at eighty-nine. Her future was wide open with possibilities. Didn’t they say sixty was the new forty? And he did remind her of Brooks. After being so down for so long, she just couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.
For Colleen
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank my agents, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, Sylvie Rabineau, and Suzanne Gluck, and Random House Publishing for all their support throughout the years, with very special thanks to my longtime editor and friend, Kate Medina.
BY FANNIE FLAGG
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Fannie Flagg’s Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!
Standing in the Rainbow
A Redbird Christmas
I Still Dream About You
Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven
The All-Girl Filling S
tation’s Last Reunion
The Whole Town’s Talking
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
FANNIE FLAGG’s career started in the fifth grade when she wrote, directed, and starred in her first play, titled The Whoopee Girls, and she has not stopped since. At age nineteen she began writing and producing television specials, and later wrote for and appeared on Candid Camera. She then went on to distinguish herself as an actress and a writer in television, films, and the theater. She is the bestselling author of Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man; Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!; Standing in the Rainbow; A Redbird Christmas; Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven; I Still Dream About You; The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion; and The Whole Town’s Talking. Flagg’s script for the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was nominated for an Academy Award and the Writers Guild of America Award and won the highly regarded Scripter Award for best screenplay of the year. She is also the winner of the Harper Lee Prize. Fannie loves all animals, especially human beings, and lives happily in California and Alabama.
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