(How my parents met in June 1945. My mother had just graduated and was working as a waitress while she waited to start college that fall, when she met my father. From her memoirs I am currently writing.)
After I graduated, I looked forward to being a lawyer or a teacher for a few years before settling down with a doting husband, maybe a doctor or judge, in a nice little house in town with a flower-filled yard, and a couple of curly-haired children who stayed clean and out of sight until I needed to show them off. I’d spend my days taking the children to the library, dance lessons, and parks, my evenings at restaurants and concerts with my handsome husband. Till I started college, I’d keep my job as a waitress. Lo and behold, Bill came along and swept me off my feet with his charming repartee, “Hey, Shorty, how about a cup of coffee?” and an impressive tip.
The first time he came in, he stood around talking to me so long his buddy said, “Bill, you better marry that little gal. You’re fixin’ to get her fired.” I had no intention of going out with him when I first met him. He’d shown up in Clarksville with a construction crew during the time of the “Phantom Killer” when no girl wanted to go out with a new man. Gene had asked me if I’d like to go to the movies with him if he got back off his supply run early enough. He’d give me a call at the hotel desk if he did. I wasn’t worried about going out Gene, having known him for years, dated him off and on through high school, and best of all, he’d gotten back from service after the “Phantom Killer” started his murders. Gene was safe. I was dressed and waiting at seven, impatient for his call, though I had no reason to be. He’d warned me he might not get back in time. A tap on the door alerted me, “Miss Kathleen, you have a call at the desk.”
I flew down the stairs, two at a time, answering without even saying hello, “Well, thank goodness, you finally called. I’d just about given up on you! I’m dressed and ready to go! Just give me five minutes to grab my sweater.”
“Hold your horses, girl! If I’d known you wanted to go out with me that bad, I’d have called sooner!” I was mortified to hear Bill’s voice on the other end of the line, laughing furiously. I could barely get my explanation in.
“I was expecting someone else. I was waiting for a date.”
“Well, since you got stood up, you might as well go out with me, you poor thing!” This just got worse and worse.
“No, my date will be calling any minute. ” Bill managed to keep me on the phone till he had me hooked. Against my better judgment, I finally agreed to go to the movie with him, mostly because I was embarrassed and he was pushy, both bad reasons.
For the first and only times in our lives together, Bill rushed right over in a nice little coupe he and his brother owned. I later found out, he only owned it for that night. We went to the late movie in Paris. I felt comfortable in the movie but once we stepped out onto the deserted side street to walk to the car, the hairs on the back of my neck tingled. Bill opened my door, helped me in, and then slid in under the wheel, sitting there just a minute before turning to me. “What would you say if I told you I was the Phantom Killer?” My blood ran cold. I thought I would faint. I stared at him for a minute, reached for my purse, hoping he’d think I had a gun and answered in my bravest squeak, “Uhhhh……You’re not. You’re just saying that.”
He stared me straight in the eye, laughed, and said, “You’re right. I’m not. Now I better get you home.” The rest of the way home I worried, thinking he might pull over any time and slaughter me, but obviously he didn’t. Over the years, I’ve thought many times how crazy it was for me to go out with him again, but I was eighteen and foolish. Indeed, he was handsome, charming, and shared my vision of a better life. Not only that, his job moved him from town to town every few months. We would be carefree gypsies, seeing the world, and living the good life. We’d get a lovely little cottage in town whenever we got ready to settle down eventually welcome a precious little boy and girl. I was hooked, putting my career plans on hold. I could always go to college when Bill and I got through traveling.
I love that part about two curly-headed children who’d stay clean and out of sight until she wanted to show them off. Where are the children like that? I’ve never seen any. 😀 — Suzanne
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Neither have I!
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I still love this story so much 🙂
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Thank you.
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my favorite post and I am looking forward to the next one!
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Thanks so much.
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Oh so sweet – young dreams and in love!
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How is she doing these days ??? Thinking about you both. 💖
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Good. Her hearing finally is almost back to normal.
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Glad to know. 💘
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That would be a great title for a good story. Your father got his timing perfect.
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Glad you enjoyed.
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Funny what love does to our heads
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So right.
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Beth, this is such a beautiful, and cute, story. It leaves me wanting to read more!
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I hope to have her memoirs in a. Few days. Will let you know.
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Thank you!
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Reblogged this on Nutsrok.
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Beth,
A beautiful story with a happy ending and a wonderful by-product of that union. Did she manage to complete her college education ?
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No, but she got a couple of years of college later. She does illustrate my blog now. Go look at the illustrations on my site.
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This is so well written!
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Thanks. I’ve been working on it for a while. It’s from Mother’s memoirs. Chk your email.
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Wow, what a story! But I’ve got to ask, how did Gene respond to being stood up?! (In a novel, it would be ironic if Gene ended up being the Phantom Killer and going out with the stranger saved the heroine’s life. Just sayin’.)
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I guess he wasn’t really stood up since it was a maybe date, but she never went out with him again. Married Daddy three weeks later. That would have been a good story line. Maybe Mother could have been Phantom Killer and Daddy saved Gene from her!
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That would make an awesome (fictional) twist!
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Great idea!
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Thanks so much for sharing!
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Your stories are terrific!!!!!! I enjoy them so much… Have you thought to write them in a book as little stories??????
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I have one in progress.
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Reblogged this on A Momma's View and commented:
Thanks so much for sharing this! The story how her parents met! Love it 🙂 If you are in a beautiful relationship or you know of someone who has a beautiful story to tell, then please share it with me. I would love to feature it in ‘Couples’.
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I’d love that. Thanks.
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Your mother may have been attracted to his danger…real or not.
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Young girls and mystery!
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Your mother was very pretty Beth.
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Thank you.
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dun dun dunnnnn…. he must still be out there. A hundred years old now, and his murderous hands crippled with arthritis, but… one never knows when he might teeter up behind you on dodgy knees and with a creaking hip and do his worst… 😀 Loved this story, lbeth! A lovely tale… best because it is true! MH
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A suspicious man was jailed for car theft around that time. The police didn’t have enough to hold him on murder. Went to jail for car theft and died in prison. No more murders. His girlfriend ratted him out.
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She probably saved her own life…
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Whew…wondering till the end, although if Bill was the “Phantom Killer,” surely you would not be writing here! 🙂
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He never was caught.
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