The newspaper circular from the hardware store had featured nice, hard-plastic Adirondack chairs for a good price in their ad. The colors were pretty, too, so yesterday afternoon we went to the store to check them out. The sales clerk showed us beautiful Adirondack chairs, but they were wooden, and expensive. When I told him about the ad, he said, "Oh, that hardware store is in Blackwell. That's where they have them." He showed me the circular, and we went home empty handed.
Howard went to an evening meeting at a men's retreat and got home late, but I couldn't get the pretty, green chair out of my mind. This morning, he went to the retreat for breakfast and a service. I had all my chores done when he got home and was ready to get out of the house. "Let's go over to Blackwell and get one of those chairs for the front patio," I suggested. I didn't tell him I had already called, and they had one left in my color.
We squeezed it (and an ottoman) into our car, then since it was noon, we decided to eat lunch, dismissing a Mexican place, a pizza place and a few other restaurants. Finally we decided on Braum's. It was crowded, being right off I-35, and as we waited for our order a pretty young girl sat down across from us, while a slender, older lady went to the counter. When she came back, I realized it was a friend from high school, the class of 57!
I started to speak to her, but she had gone to another table and introduced herself. I knew she had moved away, so she was probably trying to connect to old acquaintances. I had run into her at a weekly Bible study when we first came back to this area a few years ago. She had married her best friend's older brother, who was a doctor, so I am sure they knew many people in Blackwell. In fact, her future husband had made a house call for me once when I was seriously ill with Asian flu and Mama called the doctor.
When she passed back by our table after a lengthy and animated visit with those in the booth behind us, I said, "Hi, Karen!" she smiled politely and said "Hi," then I told her my name. "From the Bible study...and high school!" I said. Then she brightened and recognized me, and her granddaughter said, "I'm Brooke." We talked a few minutes about their trip to see another granddaughter graduate.
"You have a beautiful granddaughter," I said, of the immaculately groomed, perfectly tanned, stylishly-dressed girl across from her. I didn't tell her she reminded me of our own granddaughter, who will hardly leave the house without straightening her hair and putting on make-up, although she would be beautiful without it.
Howard asked my friend about the people she had been talking to. He was sure he knew one of them, and when they were leaving, he met him and talked over old times and people they had both known. Turns out he was a brother to a guy Howard had gone to school with (sadly, deceased), who knew Howard's dad and the family.
"I remember your father-in-law," Howard said to Karen as we left, to which she said, "Yes, he made house-calls!" The older doctor and his son had a practice together back then.
"I enjoyed that!" my talked-out husband said as we headed home, and I agreed that it had been fun. Our spirits were lifted in spite of threatening weather, and we enjoyed the ride home on a newly-surfaced back road through verdant wheat fields just beginning to take on a gold tinge.
We were glad we decided on Braum's! We would never have had those chance meetings otherwise! When we see old school friends or acquaintances, the years seem to melt away and we are young again! Just like it will be in heaven, when we meet Jesus and our loved ones!
Oh yes, Howard loved the contoured chair. He has already tried it out and it has his seal of approval. And the apple-green color looks heavenly in front of my pastel flowers!
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