Flying Time by Donna Esposito

Author:Donna Esposito [Esposito, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: World War II, Strong female heroine, Time slip diner, 1940s, WWII USO tour, South Pacific, Time travel
Publisher: Cordata Press
Published: 2023-10-08T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

After a day spent rolling bandages for the Red Cross, Clare and the other girls got ready for their first trip to the Stage Door Canteen. They returned to 44th Street, this time to the basement of the 44th Street Theatre. There they found a large room with a dance floor, serving area, and many small tables. They were each given a red, white, and blue striped apron to wear over their uniforms. A woman explained to them that the Stage Door Canteen had been founded by the American Theatre Wing as a recreation center for servicemen and was staffed by Broadway’s most famous stars. Only five hundred men could enter at one time, and most nights there were four shifts, so they could serve only two thousand men a night. Only? thought Clare. This makes Laurelmont’s little USO dance look like nothing!

The women were divided into groups and would rotate chores for each shift. Clare first found herself serving milk, juice, and cider. There was no alcohol, but that did not stop the men from flocking to the club. The chance to dance with a pretty girl and glimpse some stars was attraction enough. For the next shift, Clare served cake and doughnuts. Then she helped clear tables and finally spent the last shift behind the scenes helping to wash all the glasses, dishes, and silverware for the next night. All the while, a variety of entertainers kept the servicemen occupied. A band played swing songs, and soldiers jitterbugged with the pretty hostesses while tap dancers, singers, and comedians filled in the gaps. Before they were released from duty, the girls were told that when they came back the following evening they would be serving as hostesses and dance partners and could wear a dress instead of their uniforms.

The girls trudged wearily back to the YWCA.

“I’m dog-tired,” complained Bonnie. “And we didn’t even have to dance tonight, just stand around handing out milk!”

“I bet the boys in Italy and New Guinea are a lot more tired than we are,” chided Betty.

“I know, I know,” said Bonnie sourly. “But that doesn’t make my feet stop hurting.”

“You’re awful quiet, Clare,” said Betty.

“It’s just that I still can’t believe I’m here,” she answered.

“Me, too. I never thought I’d see New York. But you’ve been here before,” said Betty.

“Yes, but it was different then. A lot different.”

“A lot different when you saw Oklahoma! here a few months ago?” Betty asked.

“No, I don’t know what I’m talking about. I guess I’m tired, too,” Clare said with a shrug, and they continued their walk in silence.

The next morning, Florence turned over the page of the calendar tacked to the back of their door and revealed that it was October 1st. There was a definite chill in the air, and the leaves of the trees in Central Park were beginning to turn crimson.

As Clare was still tired from the previous evening’s activities, she was relieved to learn that the day would be devoted to aircraft spotting lessons rather than something more strenuous.

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