Just Like The Movies

Since I was raised in small towns and on farms I had little 'worldly' experience. My children often teased me about being so naive. 

For instance there were never any fights thar I was aware of in school. I did hear about two girls having a hair-pulling fight over a boy. I was a junior in high school. That is the only one.

So we moved to the big city after we married. We stayed with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law at first.

They had an apartment above a gay bar. I had heard whispers about gay people but never really believed them. I was fascinated. I watched from the window when they were outside. It was unreal to me.

Then we had our own apartment. The woman downstairs was so nice. She was a war bride from Germany. The man upstairs was not normal. He was an admirer of Nazis. He had recordings of Hitler's speeches that he played at the highest level of sound. 

He assumed the woman downstairs felt the same but she did not. One day he caught her and tried to kiss her. When she refused his advances and told him she would call the police he ran outside. He stood in the middle of the street until the police confronted him. We heard he was evaluated for mental problems. We never saw him again.

Our next apartment was across the street from a small hotel. I did know about street-walkers from television. The hotel was used by these women off and on all day. The women from our building would sit on the front steps to watch them. Often we would each choose one to see who took the most men into the hotel that day.

One of the prostitutes had the prettiest yellow dress with matching yellow handbag and shoes. I actually envied that outfit. I love yellow but it is a terrible color for me.

I taught art classes. One of my favorite classes was in a sewing school. I sold the necessary supplies to the women there. They were evening classes so it was dark when I was finished. Everyone knew that I had large amounts of money then.

The women from the classes took good care of me because I was too foolish to be afraid. They walked me to my car and waited until I was safely on my way.

My husband was a truck driver. The truck he drove was owned by a man who owned a bar. I was pregnant and did not drink but we went to the bar on Friday night to pick up his pay.

One Friday my brother-in-law and sister-in-law went with us. My brother-in-law went to use the bathroom. The rest of us were sitting at our table talking. Suddenly a man came running up and over our table. I was shocked. Then another man went over the table right after the first. My husband recognized the second man as his brother and joined in the chase.

My sister-in-law joined others up against the wall. I sat at my table watching. It was like watching a movie. Seeing that I did not have the sense to move to safety my sister-in-law came over and dragged me with her. I am still grateful.

I am less naive than I used to be. I am back where I can be oblivious. The difference is wonderful.