I am sitting at the bus stop in front of the main gate of Lanai Gardens, on Oakland Park Boulevard, at six-thirty A.M., waiting for Jack. It rained last night. Lucky thing I brought along a towel to dry the bench. But it’s a lovely morning. It’s been a long time since I got myself up this early. Nice to hear how quiet things are before the mobs of people start their day.
Someone has planted a new grouping of camellias in a wired fence in front of the big Lanai Gardens sign and I am enjoying admiring them. So far two buses have attempted to stop for me but I waved them on.
It’s about a six-minute brisk stroll from my apartment to here, maybe ten from his. I look at my watch. I know Jack will be on time. Sure enough, here he comes at a sprint down the long road from Phase Six.
He hesitates at the strange sight of me. I give him a great big smile. He drops down next to me on the bench, puffing slightly. “Morning,” I say.
“For a moment I thought it was Halloween. What’s with the Mata Hari outfit?”
“You like the black hat with the veil? And the huge dark glasses? I picked them up at a garage sale years ago for a costume party.”
“So, I take it you’re in disguise?”
“You bet I am. I snuck out the back way behind the buildings. Nobody looks out those windows because all they’ll ever see are the garbage trucks. You might consider the same route going back. If you want any privacy, that is.”
“Is this the life you predict for us from now on? Sneaking around Dumpsters? Getting up at dawn? Meeting at bus benches?” He grins. “It’s a little kinky, but if that’s what turns you on.”
He lifts the hat off my head and places it beside me. “The better to see you with, my dear,” he leers. Then kisses me, and I kiss him right back. I feel like a teenager again, sneaking out to meet my boyfriend.
Another bus starts to slow. This time Jack waves it past. I didn’t know we had such good public transportation around here.
Jack turns my shoulders so I am facing him directly. “I have an easy solution. Let’s get married. After the girls get over the shock, everything will become wonderfully boring. They’ll get used to us being together.”
“Nice plan, but it won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of—the getting-used-to part. See how fast the girls got you to pay the cab bill and carry up their suitcases? Soon you’ll graduate to ‘Jackie, won’t you please run down to Publix and get me a jar of Hellman’s mayonnaise?’ Or ‘Jackie, I can’t plug in my iron,’ or ‘Jackie, could you change a lightbulb for me? I just can’t reach the socket.’ Never mind they’ve been doing all these things for themselves for years before Mr. Easy Touch came to town.”
Jack laughs and pulls me close and kisses me again. “You forget what I did last night. I just needed to snap my fingers and they jumped at my command.”
I shake my head. “Foolish man. You just imagine you’ve got control.”
“No, I know I have.”
“You won’t believe me? I’ll prove it. We promised we’d have a celebration dinner when we got home. Okay. Tonight at the deli. It’s what I like to call show and tell. After that, you’ll understand what you’re in for.”
For a few moments we snuggle together, exchanging kisses and waving buses on. Early- morning traffic on the six-lane street is getting heavier. Maybe we’ll die from the exhaust coming out of all those vehicles. Right now, I don’t care. This is bliss.
“Yoo-hoo, Gladdy, Jackie!”
We turn around and, yes, here they come. My darling, predictable girls. They climb out of a car, thanking a neighbor for the lift to the main gate. They manage to pull a huge picnic basket after them. They are all smiles.
“You left so early, you didn’t have time for breakfast,” says Bella, placing the basket next to us on the bench. “So we put together a feast from all four of our almost-empty fridges.”
Sophie says, “Just a little snack, a little cheese, some apples,” as she pulls them out. “A rugallah or two. Some hard-boiled eggs...”
Ida adds, “Naturally a few bagels and cream cheese. Already schmeared.” She removes these, along with plastic silverware and napkins.
Evvie grins wickedly at me, enjoying the look of horror on Jack’s face. “We even brought a thermos of coffee and cute little plastic cups. Just like a family picnic in the park.”
“Don’t bother getting up, Jackie,” comments Ida. “We’re fine just standing here.”
I add my own evil grin as I ask him, “Shall I pour; dear; or will you?”
He grimaces. “How did you find us?”
“Piece of cake,” says Ida. “Tessie was vacuuming the Venetian blinds in her Florida room and she saw Gladdy sneak out. You know what an early riser Tessie is.”
Evvie had this to add: “Denny was driving back from the flower market with new plants for his garden when he saw Gladdy sitting at the bus stop.”
Bella giggles. “Lola was beating her rugs on the landing railing when she saw Jack run by.”
My sister smiles ever so sweetly at me. “So we put one and one and one together and we realized two people we know and love were up early and we thought how nice it would be to bring them breakfast.”
“How kind,” I say, tossing an equal dose of saccharine back at her.
Another bus pulls up and we hear the whoosh of the pneumatic door opening. I see the expression on my sweetheart’s face as he eyes the lowered steps to freedom.
I say, “Don’t even think about it... Jackie.”