Class of '59 (American Journey Book 4)

by John A. Heldt

  "Hello," Marilyn said.

  Mary Beth offered a feeble wave.

  "Hi."

  Piper looked at Mary Beth with puzzled eyes, peered over her shoulder, and stared at her sister's new acquaintance. She needed only five seconds to realize that the woman at the nearby table was no ordinary diner. She dropped her peanut butter sandwich on the patio.

  "You're … you're her," Piper said. She snapped back to Mary Beth. "It's her. You knew. You knew she would be here today. That's why we came."

  Mary Beth smiled.

  "Aren't you glad you skipped school?"

  Piper looked over her shoulder again.

  "Hi."

  Marilyn smiled.

  "Hello."

  Piper returned to her sister.

  "We have to talk to her. What do we say?"

  Mary Beth shrugged.

  "You can say whatever you want," Marilyn said in a voice that carried.

  Piper looked over her shoulder a third time.

  "Really?"

  Marilyn smiled and nodded.

  "I won't bite."

  Piper grinned at her sister.

  "She won't bite."

  Mary Beth laughed.

  "Then I think you should talk to her."

  Piper turned her chair to face the blonde.

  "Do you mind if I talk to you?"

  "You already are," Marilyn said. "Why don't you join me? I could use a diversion."

  Piper and Mary Beth did not wait for another invitation. They got out of their chairs, stepped across the patio, and sat at the other table as Marilyn put away her pen and papers.

  "I'm sorry for staring at you," Mary Beth said. "I'm sure you get that a lot."

  Marilyn sipped her tea.

  "I do. But I don't mind."

  "That's good," Mary Beth said. "I feel better already."

  "You girls are southern," Marilyn said. "I don't meet southerners very often."

  "We're visiting from Alabama."

  "I see."

  "I looked for you at the Oscars," Piper said. "Were you there?"

  Marilyn shook her head.

  "I was in New York with my husband."

  "Oh."

  Marilyn looked at Mary Beth.

  "Have you enjoyed your visit to California?"

  "We have," Mary Beth said. "We've had a blast."

  "How long do you plan to stay?"

  Mary Beth looked at Piper and then at Marilyn.

  "We haven't decided. We're kind of on an extended vacation. I want to extend it. My sister does not. We'll probably meet somewhere in the middle."

  Marilyn turned to Piper.

  "Why do you want to leave?"

  Piper hesitated before producing an answer.

  "I'm homesick."

  "You're homesick for Alabama?" Marilyn asked.

  "She's homesick for a boy, Miss Monroe," Mary Beth said. She smiled at her clearly relieved sister. "She has a smoking-hot boyfriend back home and is starting to miss him."

  Marilyn laughed.

  "I should have suspected."

  "He's only mildly hot," Piper said.

  Marilyn smiled.

  "There's nothing wrong with that. I'm sure he's very nice."

  Piper smiled.

  "He is."

  "Speaking of 'hot,' I saw your latest movie on Tuesday," Mary Beth said. She referred to the recently released Some Like It Hot. "I enjoyed it."

  "I'm glad you did," Marilyn said. "I enjoyed making it."

  Mary Beth doubted that was true. She knew from a book she had read in 2015 that the making of the film was a hellish experience for all involved. Marilyn could not memorize many of her lines and needed as many as forty-seven takes to get some of them down. Her acting coach and husband tried to influence the production. Director Billy Wilder joked that his doctor and psychiatrist told him that he was "too old and too rich" to do another movie with the actress.

  "Do you like making movies?" Mary Beth asked. "It seems like a lot of work."

  "It is," Marilyn said. "There are a lot of rules to follow."

  "That's how we feel about school."

  "What grades are you in?"

  "Piper, my sister, just graduated. She's headed off to college. I graduated from college a few weeks ago. I'm on my way to medical school. I'm Mary Beth McIntire, by the way."

  Marilyn smiled.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you – both of you."

  "The pleasure is ours," Mary Beth said. "Believe me."

  "I confess I'm a bit envious," Marilyn said. "I never finished high school."

  Mary Beth took a moment to ponder the admission. She had not known that. She suddenly felt great sympathy for a woman who had everything except a high school diploma.

  "You read though, right? I've heard you like to read."

  "I do. I love reading," Marilyn said. She sighed. "It's one of the ways I stay sane. That can be hard to do in this town."

  Mary Beth looked again at Marilyn. This time she didn't see a glamorous movie star. She saw a fragile, tired, and somewhat sad woman who did what she could to get through each day.

  A moment later, the waitress, carrying her pad, stepped onto the patio. She paused to assess the new seating situation, glared at Mary Beth, and then spoke to Marilyn.

  "Are they bothering you, Miss Monroe?"

  "No," Marilyn said. She smiled. "These ladies are making my day."

  "OK. Let me know if that changes."

  "I will."

  The waitress turned toward the girls, frowned, and then did what she had come to do. She tore a sheet from her pad, handed a bill to Mary Beth, and left the scene.

  Mary Beth laughed.

  "I think that's our cue to leave. We've taken up enough of your time."

  "I don't mind," Marilyn said. "I like talking to real people."

  "I still think we should go."

  "Do as you wish."

  Mary Beth got up from her chair, pushed it in, and then motioned to Piper to do the same. A moment later, she looked at Marilyn, took a deep breath, and offered her hand.

  "Thanks for putting up with two bumpkins."

  Marilyn smiled as she shook Mary Beth's hand.

  "Let's do it again."

  "Let's do," Mary Beth said.

  She laughed to herself as she considered the likelihood of a second encounter. She was more likely to win a multi-state lottery than to share a table with Marilyn Monroe again.

  Mary Beth gestured to Piper to lead the way and then followed her sister toward the door. She made it about halfway when she heard a voice and stopped.

  "Girls?" Marilyn asked.

  Mary Beth turned around.

  "Yes?"

  Marilyn smiled warmly.

  "Don't you want an autograph?"

  Mary Beth shook her head.

  "I think we're OK."

  Marilyn chuckled.

  "Are you sure?"

  Mary Beth appealed to Piper for a second opinion and got one in the form of a hard stare. She laughed and looked again at Marilyn.

  "I believe Piper would like an autograph."

  "I thought so," Marilyn said. "Most people do."

  The actress retrieved her pen and a piece of stationery and scribbled a few lines. Then she got out of her chair, stepped toward the girls, and handed the note to Piper.

  "Enjoy college, dear."

  Piper beamed.

  "I will. Thank you, Miss Monroe."

  Marilyn looked at Mary Beth.

  "Are you sure you don't want anything?"

  The older sister nodded.

  "I'm sure," Mary Beth said. She placed her hand on Piper's shoulder and smiled. "I have a wonderful memory. That's more than enough for me."

  CHAPTER 36: PIPER

  South Pasadena, California – Friday, April 17, 1959

  On the morning of her last day as a member of the Class of 1959, Piper McIntire exited the Chaparral Motel, stepped toward a red Thunderbird, and smiled at its driver. She did not know what she w
ould say to him or what he would say to her. She knew only that she had to set things straight before she left this time for her own.

  "Good morning," Piper said.

  Ben offered a wistful smile as he stood next to his car.

  "Good morning."

  He opened the passenger door.

  "Thank you," Piper said. "What a gentleman."

  Ben nodded but did not reply. He shut the door, walked around the vehicle, and entered it from the other side. He did not speak again until after he had driven the T-Bird out of the lot, turned onto the street, and pointed the car toward Midway High School.

  "How are you doing?" Ben asked.

  "I'm doing fine," Piper said. She paused. "How about you?"

  "I'm miserable."

  Piper did not need to ask why. She knew Ben had been miserable since Saturday, when she had left him at the drive-in, and especially miserable since Thursday, when she had informed him that she intended to leave the past for good on April 18.

  "Don't be miserable. Be happy," Piper said. She looked at the driver. "We had some good times, Ben. We had some really good times. Let's remember those and not the rest."

  Ben sighed, glanced at Piper, and nodded. Then he returned his attention to a road filled with cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses headed to the east side of the city and points beyond.

  "Have you told Wayne and Sally you're not coming back?" Ben asked.

  "No," Piper said. "I'm going to do that today."

  Piper berated herself for not saying something sooner. She could have at least hinted at a possible departure when Wayne and Sally had taken her to school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but she had not. She had saved almost everything for her final day.

  Ben stopped for a red light. As he waited for the light to change, he sat up in his seat, tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, and stared blankly at the car ahead.

  "Piper?"

  "Yes, Ben?"

  "I'm sorry."

  "There is no need to apologize," Piper said. "You did nothing wrong."

  "Yes, I did. I took you for granted. I treated you poorly and compounded my mistakes with more mistakes. I screwed up."

  "Ben?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Who brainwashed my friend and is forcing him to say kind and thoughtful things to me on my last day of school?"

  Ben laughed.

  "No one brainwashed me. I came to my senses on my own."

  "Has Mark said anything to you?" Piper asked.

  "No," Ben said. "Was he supposed to?"

  "No."

  "I heard you two went for a walk on Tuesday."

  "We did," Piper said.

  "What did you talk about?"

  "We talked mostly about our difficult siblings."

  Ben chuckled.

  "Did he approach you?"

  "As a matter of fact, he did. He approached me during your doubles match and pulled me away from the action," Piper said. "I'm glad he did though. We had one of the best conversations I've had in a long time."

  "Is that so?"

  "It is. Your brother is a nice guy."

  Ben nodded.

  "Did he delve into my sordid past?"

  "No. He did just the opposite," Piper said. "He told me about your 'innocent' youth. He told me about the poems you wrote as a freshman."

  Ben laughed.

  "That was a long time ago."

  Piper gazed at Ben.

  "It wasn't that long."

  "I suppose not," Ben said. "What else did he tell you?"

  "He said the two of you have grown closer since your dad died."

  "That's true. Did you talk about anything else?"

  "Yes," Piper said. "We talked a little about this weekend."

  Ben started to say something but stopped when they approached the school. He pulled the signal lever, turned into a parking lot, and drove halfway through the lot to his favorite space. A moment later, he turned off the ignition, set the brake, and pivoted to face his passenger.

  "We're here," Ben said.

  Piper gazed at the driver.

  "Yes, we are. Thanks for the ride, Ben. Thanks for all the rides. Thanks for everything you've done to make my time here enjoyable."

  Ben nodded.

  "You're welcome."

  Piper grabbed a door handle.

  "We should go."

  "Piper?" Ben asked.

  "Yes?"

  "Can I ask you one more question?"

  "Of course."

  Ben turned away for a moment and took a deep breath. When he looked again at Piper, he did so with eyes that reflected anxiety, sorrow, and humility.

  "Will you go to the prom with me?"

  Piper sank in her seat. She hadn't seen that coming. For the first time since jumping into Ben's car at seven thirty, she didn't know what to say to him.

  "Aren't you taking Vicki?" Piper asked.

  "No," Ben said.

  "Can't you take someone else?"

  "I don't want to take someone else. I want to take you."

  Piper sighed.

  "I don't know, Ben. This is awfully late. If I say yes, I'll have to stay here an extra week. I'm not sure I want to do that."

  Ben dropped his head and stared at his feet. He did so for what seemed like an eternity before lifting his head, looking at Piper, and making his final pitch.

  "I know it's late. I know I could take someone else. I know I could have a good time with someone else, but I don't want to do that. I don't want to settle. I want to take the girl who has been in my head for nearly a month. I want to give you the experience you came for."

  Piper pondered the matter as a bell rang and students ran toward the school. She weighed the pros and cons, considered Mary Beth, and came away as undecided as ever. Then she looked at Ben, saw the sincerity in his eyes, and decided that a week, in the great cosmic scheme of things, was still just seven days.

  "I'll need a dress," Piper said.

  Ben perked up.

  "My mom is a dressmaker."

  Piper smiled.

  "I'll need shoes too."

  Ben chuckled.

  "Pasadena has stores."

  "Can I pick the restaurant?" Piper asked.

  Ben grinned.

  "You can pick anything you want."

  Piper fixed her gaze.

  "Will you behave yourself?"

  "I'll be as good as the pope."

  Piper giggled.

  "I suppose that's good."

  "It is," Ben said.

  "In that case, Mr. Ryan, I accept your offer," Piper said. She leaned to her left and kissed him on the cheek. "You have a date."

  CHAPTER 37: MARK

  Los Angeles, California – Saturday, April 18, 1959

  Mark watched his mother with admiration, interest, and concern as she reached for the bottle of whiskey in the middle of the table and filled her glass for the fourth time. She continued to inspire him even as she continued to worry him.

  "Are you all right, Mom?" Mark asked.

  "I'm fine, honey," Donna said. "I'm just feeling a little sentimental. I've found that whiskey and sentiment go hand in hand."

  Mark laughed. He couldn't argue with that. He had spent the last two hours drinking whiskey and getting sentimental as he and his mother remembered Theodore Henry Ryan on what would have been his fiftieth birthday. He allowed his mind to drift to pleasant places from his past until a woman with a pleasant voice brought him back to the present.

  "Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Ryan," Mary Beth said.

  "You're welcome," Donna replied.

  "Thanks as well for including me in your day. I know how hard it is to be around strangers when mourning the loss of a loved one. It's an honor to be here."

  Donna sipped her spirit and gazed at the woman to her left. She looked at Mary Beth like the daughter she never had or perhaps the woman she used to be.

  "I appreciate your presence," Donna said. "I know young people have better things to do on a Saturday nigh
t than help an old woman reminisce."

  Mark shook his head.

  "You're not old, Mom. You're forty-eight."

  Donna laughed.

  "I am. But I feel ninety-eight."

  Mary Beth smiled.

  "You don't look a day over thirty to me."

  Donna looked at Mark.

  "She's a charmer, son. Don't let her go."

  Mark gave Mary Beth a wistful smile.

  "Trust me, Mom. I don't want to."

  Mark didn't either. He didn't want to let her go. He didn't want to say goodbye. He wanted to hold on to Mary Beth McIntire for as long as he could.

  Mark felt fortunate to have her at all. Until Ben had come home from school on Friday and announced he was taking Piper to the prom, he had expected to spend the weekend alone, directionless, and in a perpetual state of misery. He had expected to watch Mary Beth and her sister step into the tunnel and vanish forever.

  Now he did not know what to expect. He knew only that he had another week to enjoy a woman who mesmerized him on a daily basis. He gazed at Mary Beth for a moment and then turned his attention to the other important woman in his life.

  "What are you doing tomorrow?" Mark asked.

  Donna looked at her son.

  "I'm going to the cemetery to put flowers on your father's grave."

  "I thought you did that today."

  "I had planned to."

  "So why didn't you?" Mark asked.

  "I went shopping instead," Donna said.

  "You went shopping?"

  "Yes. I went shopping. I went shopping with two charming girls."

  Mark looked to Mary Beth for a clue and found one in the form of a wide grin. He could see she was part of a conspiracy to keep him in the dark.

  "What's going on?"

  Mary Beth laughed.

  "We scoured the earth for rayon."

  "You're not helping," Mark said.

  Donna finally came to the rescue.

  "We went shopping for fabric today. I'm making Piper a prom dress, Mark. She wanted a certain fabric. I agreed to help her find it."

  Mark looked at Mary Beth.

  "Is that why you passed up the game?"

  "It's one reason," Mary Beth said. She smiled. "I also wanted a manicure."

  Donna laughed.

  "I'm so glad I'm not a girl," Mark said.