Chapter 19: Joe

She studied his hands on the steering wheel, remembering all the times she had sat in this same spot so many years ago. Memories from the past confronted her as she looked at him. Elizabeth too had her own ghosts to fight, and as she listened to Joe open up about his sunrises, she felt a twinge in her heart that she had kept at bay for many years. Elizabeth turned back to the window and studied the sky.

"It's just a beautiful evening tonight, isn't it?"

Joe leaned forward in his seat; he rested his forearms on the steering wheel and looked up to the sky through the windshield. The setting sun had started to give way to a beautiful night sky. Several stars shone brightly in the twilight, and the horizon had turned to a light orange.

"It is a beautiful night," he said. He looked over to Elizabeth, seeing how the glow of the lights from the dash illuminated her.

"Even for this old town." He said

As they drove through the country the darkness surrounded them, and the headlights of the truck and the occasional blink of a firefly were the only light around. As they got closer to town, the countryside faded into the darkness and the glow and bustle of town changed the mood. Joe slowed the truck as he approached some railroad tracks at the edge of town and idled down the street. As he turned the corner onto one of the main roads, the sidewalks were covered with locals and the streets seemed to be filled with cars in all directions. Elizabeth looked at him.

"Is there something special going on tonight?" she asked.

Joe looked around.

"Well, I haven't been down here since we were kids, so your guess is as good as mine!"

He pulled the truck up to the intersection, slowing to a stop. He looked to his right; he could see that main street was packed with cars and teenagers walking up and down the street and sidewalks. Joe looked over to her.

"Well, there's something going on," he said.

He drove farther down the road and found an empty spot to park. He pulled the truck near the curb and shut the engine off.

"Well," he said. "Shall we go see what all the excitement is about?"

Elizabeth reached for the door and slid out of the truck. Joe made his way over to her and as he walked up, he stuck out his elbow, offering it to Elizabeth.

"Shall we?" he said.

She grabbed onto his arm and they made their way down the street. It seemed every teenager in town was out. Cars cruised up and down the main road on both sides, making it almost impossible to cross the street.

Elizabeth looked up at each of the shops as they passed them. "This place hasn't changed at all."

She looked around at their old stomping grounds and pointed to one store. "Brinkman's Shoes is still open for business; the old bank building doesn't seem to have changed and"-ªshe pointed to the large Victorian clock on the wall of the bank-ª "the old clock is still wrong. That thing never worked!"

She continued to look down the street, and then a big smile came to her face. "Oh! And there is our favorite old place, Joe." She squeezed his arm. "The Emporium!"

Joe looked at the old brick building on the corner. The bright red awnings swung out wide over the street. The giant glass windows on the front of the building were lit up with a bright rainbow of lights. Her eyes seem to glisten with excitement. "Let's go in, Joe."

Elizabeth pulled at his arm, leading him toward the door. He looked through the windows seeing how full the building was and felt a tinge of anxiousness creep in. Joe took a deep breath as he swallowed his concern. Elizabeth pulled at his arm again, urging him along. As they got up to the door, Joe could see all the teenagers inside sitting at the tables.

"Isn't there someplace else we can go? This place is bursting at the seams, and well we are kind of old for this stuff, aren't we?"

Joe looked around at the other shops as he tried to get Elizabeth to not go in. She glared at him and then finally grabbed the long brass handle that ran the length of the large wooden and glass door.

"Ah, Joe, come on. Don't act like an old man. We will be fine."

Joe mumbled under his breath. "It's not you I'm worried about."

Ever since Joe had been back from the war, he had found he was not very fond of crowds. He wasn't sure why they bothered him as they did, but anytime he got into situations like that he felt like he might run out of the room screaming. Joe took a deep breath and then reluctantly reached out and grabbed the door, holding it for her. He mumbled under his breath again. "Keep it together, Joe."

Elizabeth looked at him as she passed. "Everything ok?"

Joe just nodded and followed behind her. As they walked inside, the sound of everyone talking made it difficult to hear anything. Joe looked around for an empty spot. He was relieved when he didn't see any place to sit. He raised his voice as he talked to her over the noise of the crowd. "It doesn't look like there is anywhere to sit." He motioned toward the door. "Do you want to try someplace else?"

It was at that point that Elizabeth saw two people get up from the counter. She rushed over and almost shoved the two teenagers out of the way as she jumped up on one of the stools. Joe now stood looking around at the crowd, and then turned his attention back to Elizabeth. He laughed as he sauntered over to have a seat next to her. Elizabeth nudged him with her elbow and began to tease him. "You have to be fast in a joint like this to grab a seat."

Joe pretended not to hear her. "What? I can't hear you over the noise!"

She nudged him with her elbow as she realized he was teasing. Joe then looked to the waiter behind the counter. He raised his hand, getting his attention. He figured the fastest way out of there was to get Elizabeth a drink. The waiter walked up to the counter where they sat. He reached in front of them and cleared away two Coke bottles and dropped a rag on the counter, wiping it off.

"What can I get for you?"

Elizabeth put both of her hands on the counter and leaned in, so she was almost looking the waiter in the eyes.

"Two cherry Cokes, please."

The waiter laughed at Elizabeth's enthusiasm, and as Joe looked on, he couldn't help but be amused himself.

She turned back to him. "Are you laughing at me?" she asked.

"Who, me? Not at all, but you do seem to be having too much fun."

She looked around at the restaurant and then back to Joe. Her eyes glistened.

"This is fun, isn't it?"

He squirmed in his seat as he tried to get comfortable on the hard stool. "I had forgotten what fun is these days, but I guess this could be considered fun."

The waiter came back and slid the two Cokes on the counter. "That'll be sixty cents," he said.

Joe reached into his pocket, finding some change and slid it over. He reached for the drink and pulled out the straw and laid it on the counter. Elizabeth took a sip and looked over to him.

"So, what do we do next?" she asked.

Joe began to tease her again. "Well, I think there is a sock hop tonight at the dance hall."

She glared at him. "Now, Joe, don't tease me. We are going to have some fun tonight." She leaned in closer to him. "Whether you like it or not."

Elizabeth looked back to the crowd around her and then back to Joe. He watched her as she moved a strand of hair behind her ear and as her eyes met his, Joe quickly looked away.

Elizabeth set her bottle down. "You know, that used to be us not too long ago. Not a care in the world, back before life got so busy."

Joe took a drink from his Coke. "Seems like forever sometimes, doesn't it?"

"It wasn't that long ago, Joe." She watched as he fidgeted on the stool where he sat. She looked around at the room and then back to him.

"You really don't like crowds too much anymore, do you?"

"I'm ok, and it's not the crowds that bother me so much as all the noise. I'm not sure why, but it just makes me edgy." He shrugged. "I guess it's just silly, isn't it?"

Elizabeth leaned in closer to him. "It's not silly, Joe. Not at all." She put her hand on his. She knew Joe had been through a lot during the war, and even though he hadn't told her about it, she understood. She took another drink from her soda and smiled at him. "Are we ready to go?" she asked.

Joe knew she didn't really want to leave, but he was thankful that she suggested it. He looked around the room as if trying to plan his escape. "I think now's as good a time to go as any."

She slid down off the stool and straightened her dress. "Well, then, lead the way, Joe."