Mabel glanced across the room at the tall, young man. He had the clearest blue eyes that Mabel had ever seen. He was tall and lean with a soldier's posture. Mabel smiled at the young man. These dances were such an exciting flurry of colors, cologne, and song. A child-woman bore of the Great Depression, yet Mabel had never known want or need. Mabel was a lithe, striking woman in heart, soul, and body.
Mabel was lost in her thoughts of what her great love story could be at this moment. She felt a nudge on her waist with Mildred's elbow. "Mabel, he is new here. I am going to ask him to dance," Mildred whispered. Mabel scoffed at her frumpy friend. If anyone was entitled to dance with this handsome, mysterious stranger, it was her. One look from me and he will be asking me. Mabel thought smugly.
Mabel smiled smugly to herself as she toyed with the wave curving over her eye. She gently parted her lips showing her perfect little pearl teeth. Mabel glanced with her piercing gaze and held it to his welcoming eye. Mildred sauntered over to the dark-haired stranger. "Would you want to dance?" She said confidently.
"No, I want to dance with her." The handsome man motioned to Mabel. Mildred gasped in an almost disgusted laugh/cough as though the man had physically shoved her into a garbage heap. Mabel stood there as though she was a goddess statue never lessening her gaze at him. Mildred walked past her muttering, "You always have to be the hussy that wins."
"Hello there, my name is Fredrick. Has anyone told you look like a raven-haired Veronica Lake? The young man crooned.
Mabel laughed. " Simply always. My name is Mabel."
"Would you like to dance?
Fredrick took Mabel by the hand and brought her in his arms, he hadn't waited for an answer. Mabel felt as though their bodies always had fit together. There was no word spoken. Mabel and Fredrick danced through the night their souls spoke volumes to each other without a word. Mabel's previous beaus interrupted with countless may I cut-ins. Fredrick and Mabel were lost in another realm between worlds.
Mabel had found her Nick from the Great Gatsby. Would she prove to be as reckless as Daisy, would she settle into comfort or something in between? The Great Gatsby had been her introduction to romance. There had been a Tom in her town of money and family status. She could easily marry into the family. She was born into land wealth and revolutionary history status. Thea was quick to point out to Mabel that money and status didn't equal class. Bum stock is simply bum stock. There was a young man of Hathaway money who summered on Lake Sebago. There had been that boating accident that resulted in that girl's death that quickly went away with a well-placed check for the sheriff. New money took some time to shake out the differences between class, status, and grace. Sometimes, the newly monied of the 1920's found themselves begging at the door of the dairy farms for milk to feed their children born during the Great Depression.
Mabel wanted a great love story for all ages, the story that would leave her children, and great-grandchildren breathless seeking to equal and surpass for endless generations. "Rumors are flying" was the last song of the evening. "Let's make this our song," Fredrick whispered. The dance hall closed. Fredrick and Mabel strolled the street of Mechanic Falls. Mabel and Fredrick walked up to the diner where Mabel worked on the weekends.
"I have a confession. I have seen you before tonight. I have seen you in the window slinging the hash. I asked around and they said you come to the dance hall every Friday and Saturday night. "Fredrick was unapologetic.
Fredrick and Mabel found a booth to sit in. Mabel usually spent the weekend with her friend Mildred because it made it easier to go to work. Mildred was nowhere to be seen. They had countless rows over beaus and Mildred's imagined beaus. Practically, any male was perceived as Mildred with a simple passing glance. They would certainly have a row about this evening followed by weeks of silence. Mabel ordered black coffee and blueberry pie. Mabel began coffee when she started at the diner. Mabel had never experienced the deep, roasted smell. Her family never drank anything other than tea. Mabel and Fredrick continued to talk. He had served in World War 2. He had been injured, but it was a family emergency that sent him home for good. He had been married and divorced with a son.
Mabel noticed that Fredrick delivered a lot of information in a short bit that you would hear on the nightly news on the radio. Mabel sat up straight, she was painfully aware that this was a man who had done a fair amount of living in comparison to her 16 years. Fredrick's life sounded as messy as the Guiding Light series that she and her mother Thea listened to during housework. Fredrick was at least 30. Something whispered to her that there was silence within Fredrick, still, there was an ease about him. How much Mabel had loved his touch?
The door opened and in walked Mabel's brother Delbert. Delbert was 11 months to the day older than her. Delbert squeezed into the booth with Mabel. He looked at Fredrick with mild disdain. Delbert mouthed at Mabel What a dandy. Mabel looked at Fredrick in garish diner light. His clothing was well-tailored to his body. A little too well made, Mabel thought. Mabel's mother was a skilled seamstress. She would alter Mabel's sister's clothing to hide her figure flaws. Was Fredrick hiding a character flaw or a physical flaw?
Fredrick stood up and introduced himself to Delbert. " I have been building the old Thurston homestead. "Delbert nodded. Delbert scrutinized Fredrick's appearance, His nails were well-groomed and his hands were milky and buttery soft. His clothing was new, crisp, ad tailored.
"How long have you been working in construction? Delbert knew it was clear Fredrick was new to working with his hands. Delbert questioned as he was sizing up Fredrick.
"Not long, I have had some setbacks after getting out of the Navy. "Fredrick explained.
Delbert nudged his sister. "I ran into Mildred during the dance. She sure is sore at you. She told me to tell you that you need to find your own way home. So, let's get going. "
"I am waiting for my pie and coffee. We just sat down." Mabel said.
"Why don't you join us? I'll treat you. Fredrick offered.
"Nah, I can pay my own way. I will give you 30 minutes. I will come to get you and bring you home." Delbert said. Delbert left to wait in the truck.
The waitress set down the pie slices and coffee scowling at Mabel. "Always with a new beau." She muttered.
Mabel was unfazed at the quiet insult. Mabel smiled a smile of contempt at Dolly. The tall, plain waitress attired in her crisp cotton dress adorned with a doily name tag, Dolly. There was nothing doll-like about the woman. Dolly was 35 if she was a day. A bitter, old maid who was made every one of Mabel's shifts miserable. Dolly always commented on Mabel's dresses, hairstyles, makeup, and speech.
Fredrick thanked Dolly. " Wow, she doesn't like you much. You seem not to have many female friends. "
Mable laughed, "I would rather eat my pie and not talk about that spinster woman who is twice my age. I am not sure she is not in Boston marriage with the postmistress."
Fredrick paled. "How old are you?" Mabel looked up from her pie which was not nearly as good as her mother's.
"I am 16 years old, nearly 17. I was born in 1903 at home up on the hill near the Thurston place. I am the second of 6 children. My parents own a dairy farm, and my father is a woodcutter for the paper mills. I am the first person who will graduate high school, I am off to Colby College. "Mable rattled out too many details as she often did when she felt ridiculed.
"Woosh, you can sure spit out your life story in one spout out. You are a lot younger than I thought. "Fredrick gasped.
"I am 16 years old. You asked me to dance. I have no shortage of beaus. " Mabel retorted.
Delbert came in. "let's go, sis. Mabel picked up her dance purse and put 50 cents on the table.
"Have a nice evening. It was nice to meet you. A word of advice if you are planning to work with your hands, you need to toughen up your hands. Honest work requires honest hands." Mabel offered.
Fredrick sat at the booth with a puzzled look. Mabel walked swaying, flouncing her skirts. Mabel didn't even offer Fredrick her customary look over her shoulder. Mabel could feel Fredrick watching her leave.
Delbert and Mabel drove home in silence. As the truck glided down the hill, Delbert downshifted. "Dad is not going to like this man sniffing around you."
"Don't say a word to him, Delbert. "Mabel demanded.
"Mabel, I swear, end this is. This is a small town and word gets around. You know the gossip mills ran wild when that Hathaway dandy killed that girl on lake Sebago in that drunken boat accident." Delbert said.
Copyright of India Marque 2022
