"Sylvia and Eleanor"
Sylvia and her husband Ernie flew down from Carmel because her mom was 98 and not doing well. She’d stay a while at her sister’s in Yorba Lindz when he flew back
Sylvia loved Fullerton and never wanted to leave, anyway. She’d been on the freshman and sophomore class councils, a Student Senator, a Pep Club officer, on the Helios staff and on several reunion committees over the years. She cheerfully admitted she’d been what some called a “Soshe”.
She was in Neiman-Marcus in Fashion Island when she looked up from the cosmetics counter to see Eleanor Horgan, her fourth and fifth grade best friend. Eleanor saw her, too, and the two women stepped together for an embrace.
“You slut! You look beautiful!” Eleanor told her old friend.
“You look fantastic, Ellie! So slim!” Sylvia said.
They walked to a restaurant and talked for an hour. Eleanor had kept in touch with everyone. Sylvia tried, but couldn’t always from where she lived now.
“Remember when we tried to make pancakes from scratch in first grade?”
“Oh, God! Remember when Peggy spilled a malt in Bobby’s dad’s new Lincoln Continental?”
“Oh, yeah! Remember the party at Gracie’s when Donnie started a swan dive and his trunks slipped off?”
They were in hysterics, almost sixty years later. Eleanor had been a “Soshe”, too.
They checked their watches. They had things to do.
“Can you come for lunch next week, meet my daughter? She lives two streets over,” Eleanor said.
Sylvia checked her Blackberry calendar.
“I’d love to. What day?”
“Does Tuesday work for you?”
Sylvia concentrated and the tip of her tongue peeked out of her lower lip, same as ever.
“Well, I have Timmy Franton’s sister Gina’s funeral in Murrieta at 11 AM. Pancreatic cancer. Doubt if I can get back before 2, even 3. He married Elsie Gladden and we were at Osceola together.”
“Oh, could I tag along He was so sweet. I made out with him once at a party in seventh grade!”
“Of course! Sandy’s driving. But Diane will be there.”
“Oh. Well, that’s OK. How about Thursday? My sister Ann goes in for vein stripping Wednesday morning.”
“Oh, no! I loved Annie! Well, there’s a Mass for Kathy Quentin at 9 AM in Villa Park. Complications of diabetes. She wasn’t exactly my best friend, but her dad was at Mare Island with my dad and my mom knew her mom in Ebell Club.”
“Oh. Mr. Quentin was so handsome, remember? Like Gregory Peck! My mom said he was a real wolf at SC! Poor Kathy. I’m having my teeth cleaned in Sunny Hills at 10. The cutest little Korean dentist. His hands are teeny-tiny! Want to come over afterwards?”
“Let’s do that!”
So they did, and Eleanor made a salad. It was delicious, and they had a great time.
##
