When we got to the diner, I told Harley to wait outside. When we walked in, everyone
said “hey” to Walter—the waitress, the cook, and an old man sitting on a barstool at the
counter. Walter said “hey” back, and pointed to a booth near the front door. So, that’s
where we sat.
When the waitress came over, she pulled a pad of paper out of her bra and a pen out of
her hair, and she said , “Burger and fries, Josie?”
“Nope. I think I want to change things up today,” I answered, “I’ll have the BLT and onion rings. Oh, and instead of coke, I want root beer, please,” I could feel Walter watching me.
As she wrote down my order, she said, “What about you, Walter?”
Walter answered, “Uh…I’ll have the same, that sounds good.”
The waitress wrote it all down while looking from me to Walter. As she started walking off, Walter added, “Tell Lenny to toss the mutt a bone, would ya?”
“You got it, Daddy-O,” she said with a wink.
Walter stared out the window, and I stared at Walter.
Something told me that it would be okay to talk to Walter about Bennie. I’d never told anyone about how I felt about him and about how I locked my door at night just to make sure that he didn’t sneak into my room. I surely would never tell mom. She always took Bennie’s side in everything.
“So, Bennie really gives me the creeps. I don’t like him and I hate that he hangs around our house so much, ya know?,”
“Really? Why is that? Has he done anything to you?” Walter asked. He was wringing his hands.
“Uh..no. He has not done anything, really. I just don’t think he likes me. I try to stay in my room most of the time when he’s there. And there was that one time when I woke up in the middle of the night and I just felt like someone was watching me, ya know? But, I was half asleep, so stuff didn’t make much sense. I thought I saw a shadow standing by the door, but I just pulled the covers over my head. It wasn’t until the next day when I saw Bennie sitting at the kitchen table that I realized that I had seen a light flash next to the door—I think it was Bennie’s gold chain reflecting off of the light through the window.”
Walter put his elbows on the table and held his head between his hands. He seemed to be thinking hard about what I just said. I was afraid that I said something wrong. Walter was really the only person who seemed to care about me, so I didn’t want to make him mad or anything. Then, he looked me straight in the eyes and I swear I saw his eyes get all watery for a second.
“Listen, kid. There’s something I have to tell you. Hold tight, ok? This may surprise you, but we’ll get through this together, ok?” He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his t-shirt pocket and lit one up.
My heart began to race, but I was curious at the same time. Then, he took a couple drags off the cigarette and looked me in the eyes, again.
“Your mom and me used to know each other a long time ago, before you were born,” he said while shifting around in the booth, “In fact, we dated once, and…well…we were married once. I was there when you were born…if you know what I mean.”
It took me a minute to figure out what he was telling me. I could feel him watching me, like he was waiting to see how I would react.
“I think I know what you’re trying to tell me. So, you don’t got to say it out loud,” I said.
That’s when the waitress brought our food. I was kinda glad that she came when she did. It gave me time to think before I said anything else.
Walter squirted ketchup all over his onion rings. I usually put the ketchup in a puddle on the side of my plate, but this time I squirted ketchup all over my onion rings, like Walter.
He looked a little sad, or disappointed, or something, so I figured I better go ahead and say what I was thinking. “So, I’m glad. I mean, I think it’s cool. You have always been nice to me—a lot nicer than most people.”
“I think, from now on the whole world should be nice to you,” he said, “You don’t have to worry about Bennie any longer. He won’t be bothering you again.”
I smiled. I thought Walter was about to cry or something, but after a few seconds, he smiled and called the waitress over.
He told her, “Bring me a banana split, will ya?”
The waitress said, “What about you, Josie? Want that usual strawberry sundae?”
“Nope,” I replied and put the twenty-dollar bill on the table, “Today, I’ll have a banana split.”
I had no idea banana splits tasted so good.
said “hey” to Walter—the waitress, the cook, and an old man sitting on a barstool at the
counter. Walter said “hey” back, and pointed to a booth near the front door. So, that’s
where we sat.
When the waitress came over, she pulled a pad of paper out of her bra and a pen out of
her hair, and she said , “Burger and fries, Josie?”
“Nope. I think I want to change things up today,” I answered, “I’ll have the BLT and onion rings. Oh, and instead of coke, I want root beer, please,” I could feel Walter watching me.
As she wrote down my order, she said, “What about you, Walter?”
Walter answered, “Uh…I’ll have the same, that sounds good.”
The waitress wrote it all down while looking from me to Walter. As she started walking off, Walter added, “Tell Lenny to toss the mutt a bone, would ya?”
“You got it, Daddy-O,” she said with a wink.
Walter stared out the window, and I stared at Walter.
Something told me that it would be okay to talk to Walter about Bennie. I’d never told anyone about how I felt about him and about how I locked my door at night just to make sure that he didn’t sneak into my room. I surely would never tell mom. She always took Bennie’s side in everything.
“So, Bennie really gives me the creeps. I don’t like him and I hate that he hangs around our house so much, ya know?,”
“Really? Why is that? Has he done anything to you?” Walter asked. He was wringing his hands.
“Uh..no. He has not done anything, really. I just don’t think he likes me. I try to stay in my room most of the time when he’s there. And there was that one time when I woke up in the middle of the night and I just felt like someone was watching me, ya know? But, I was half asleep, so stuff didn’t make much sense. I thought I saw a shadow standing by the door, but I just pulled the covers over my head. It wasn’t until the next day when I saw Bennie sitting at the kitchen table that I realized that I had seen a light flash next to the door—I think it was Bennie’s gold chain reflecting off of the light through the window.”
Walter put his elbows on the table and held his head between his hands. He seemed to be thinking hard about what I just said. I was afraid that I said something wrong. Walter was really the only person who seemed to care about me, so I didn’t want to make him mad or anything. Then, he looked me straight in the eyes and I swear I saw his eyes get all watery for a second.
“Listen, kid. There’s something I have to tell you. Hold tight, ok? This may surprise you, but we’ll get through this together, ok?” He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his t-shirt pocket and lit one up.
My heart began to race, but I was curious at the same time. Then, he took a couple drags off the cigarette and looked me in the eyes, again.
“Your mom and me used to know each other a long time ago, before you were born,” he said while shifting around in the booth, “In fact, we dated once, and…well…we were married once. I was there when you were born…if you know what I mean.”
It took me a minute to figure out what he was telling me. I could feel him watching me, like he was waiting to see how I would react.
“I think I know what you’re trying to tell me. So, you don’t got to say it out loud,” I said.
That’s when the waitress brought our food. I was kinda glad that she came when she did. It gave me time to think before I said anything else.
Walter squirted ketchup all over his onion rings. I usually put the ketchup in a puddle on the side of my plate, but this time I squirted ketchup all over my onion rings, like Walter.
He looked a little sad, or disappointed, or something, so I figured I better go ahead and say what I was thinking. “So, I’m glad. I mean, I think it’s cool. You have always been nice to me—a lot nicer than most people.”
“I think, from now on the whole world should be nice to you,” he said, “You don’t have to worry about Bennie any longer. He won’t be bothering you again.”
I smiled. I thought Walter was about to cry or something, but after a few seconds, he smiled and called the waitress over.
He told her, “Bring me a banana split, will ya?”
The waitress said, “What about you, Josie? Want that usual strawberry sundae?”
“Nope,” I replied and put the twenty-dollar bill on the table, “Today, I’ll have a banana split.”
I had no idea banana splits tasted so good.