Spring Decision by Helen Haught Fanick

Author:Helen Haught Fanick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: short stories, appalachia, West Virginia, historical fiction, World War II references, fiction
Publisher: Helen Haught Fanick
Published: 2015-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

THE STOPPING PLACE

By

Helen Haught Fanick

I could see the lights of Maudie’s place shining through the haze at the top of Jackson Mountain. I had been tearing along, hoping to make it to the café before dark, because that meant I would be in Norfolk by midnight. I skidded into the last hairpin curve on the south side of the mountain, sending my purse sliding across the passenger seat.

I pulled into the gravel parking lot and coasted to a stop along the outer edge. The restaurant wasn’t much to look at, but I usually stopped there, because it was the halfway point between Charleston and Norfolk. The outside of the square building was covered with imitation brick siding. A neon sign across the front said “Maudie’s Café” in pink.

I opened the door, expecting to see Maudie behind the counter. Instead, a man was sitting there, his chair tipped back against the wall. His almost-handsome face had been weathered by a lot of exposure to the sun. He had a neatly clipped mustache, and his eyes were bright blue.

“Come on in,” he said. “What can we do for you this evening?”

I sat down at the counter and started looking at the menu. A middle-aged couple ate and talked quietly at a corner table. I ordered, and the stranger disappeared into the kitchen.

“Where’s Maudie?” I asked when he returned.

He set a cup of coffee in front of me and brought a pitcher of half-and-half from between the catsup and steak sauce at the end of the counter. “She’s out back. You know Maudie?”

“I’ve stopped here several times. We’ve gotten to be friends.”

“That’s a nice little car you’re driving. What is it?”

“An Alfa Romeo.”

“How does it handle?”

“Very well. It’s a lot of fun in these mountains.”

“I used to know a girl in California had a Ferrari. We used to drive up Highway 1 in it. Nearly went over one of those cliffs along the ocean once. That was quite a thrill. You know how much a Ferrari costs?”

“A lot, I’m sure.”

“The payments would kill you, too. This gal couldn’t make the payments on hers, and the bank took it away from her. Nearly broke her heart when she lost it, especially since she lost me at the same time.”

The other customers got up and paid, and the stranger handled the cash register as if he knew what he was doing. As they were leaving, he went to the kitchen to get my food. “My name’s Phillip Bristol,” he told me as he set my plate in front of me. “Just call me Phil.”

“I’m Vivian Wagner.”

“This sure is pretty country around here. I moved in here with Maudie a couple of weeks ago. I was just passing through, and I really took a liking to this part of the country.”

“I’m from Charleston. I like it up here, too.”

He took a pack of cigarettes from the rolled-up sleeve of his tee shirt and lit one. “What you do there?”

“I’m a reporter.”

“You look mighty young to be a reporter.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.