DAIRY QUEEN AND GIRLIE
SHOW
JOHNNIE ASKED ME WHAT WE
WERE GOING TO DO FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY AND I TOLD HER WE WERE GOING TO THE
DAIRY QUEEN FOR SUPPER AND THEN TO A GIRLIE SHOW FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
NOW THIS MAY SOUND FUNNY FOR
AN OLD COUPLE CELEBRATING THEIR 52nd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, BUT
THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN TELLING JOHNNIE FOR MORE YEARS THEN I CAN
REMEMBER. IT’S A FAMILY JOKE. WE HAVE NEVER GONE TO THE DAIRY QUEEN
AND A GIRLIE SHOW FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY, BUT IT HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
SHOCK VALUE WHEN YOU TELL SOMEONE ELSE.
I DON’T REMEMBER WHEN IT
STARTED OR WAY IT STARTED BUT A GOOD BET WOULD BE WHEN I HAD SOMETHING
PLANED THAT I WANTED TO SURPRISE HER WITH. WE WOULD GET DRESSED UP AND
I WOULD DRIVE TO THE LOCAL DAIRY QUEEN, BUT INSTEAD OF STOPPING I WOULD
DRIVE ON.
THEN WE WOULD GO TO SOME
FANCY RESTAURANT FOR DINNER. WE WERE NEVER BIG ON GOING TO PARTIES AND
NEVER WENT DANCING, SO OUR CELEBRATING WAS USUALLY JUST OUT TO A NICE
DINNER. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A GIRLIE SHOW IN OUR LIFE.
THAT IS NOT UNTIL OUR 52nd
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT IT. OUR FAVORITE DAIRY
QUEEN HAD GONE OUT OF BUSINESS, SO WE HAD TO GO TO BRAUMS.
WHEN WE GOT THERE IT WAS
LUNCH TIME. WE DON’T EITHER ONE DRIVE AFTER DARK ANY MORE. WE WENT IN
AND ORDERED A HAMBURGER AND DRINK. WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO AN ICE
CREAM CONE AFTER OUR HAMBURGER.
IN NOVEMBER BRAUMS ALWAYS
HAS THEIR HOLLY DAY FLAVORS. JOHNNIE LIKES THEIR PUMPKIN FLAVORED ICE
CREAM AND I LIKE THEIR EGGNOG FLAVORED ICE CREAM.
AS WE SAT THERE EATING OUR
HAMBURGERS, A MOTHER WALKED IN WITH HER DAUGHTER. THE LITTLE GIRL
LOOKED TO BE ABOUT THREE YEARS OLD. THEY SAT IN THE BOOTH DIRECTLY
ACROSS FROM US.
THE LITTLE GIRL GOT UP ON
HER KNEES WITH HER ELBOWS ON THE TABLE WHILE HER MOTHER WENT TO THE
WINDOW TO PLACE THEIR ORDER. SHE LOOKED OVER AT ME AND I WINKED AT
HER. SHE GRINNED AND TRIED TO WINK BACK, BUT BOTH EYES CLOSED AND THE
CORNER OF HER MOUTH TURNED UP.
I COULDN’T HELP LAUGHING.
JOHNNIE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I WAS LAUGHING ABOUT? I TOLD HER TO WATCH
THE LITTLE GIRL ACROSS FROM US AND WINKED AT HER AGAIN. IT HAD THE SAME
RESULTS, SHE CLOSED BOTH EYES AND THE CORNER OF HER MOUTH TURNED UP.
JOHNNIE LAUGHED ALONG WITH ME THIS TIME.
WHEN WE FINISHED OUR
HAMBURGER WE JUST SAT THERE WATCHING THE LITTLE GIRL AND HER MOTHER.
THE LITTLE GIRL WOULD TAKE A BITE OF HER FRENCH FRIES AND THEN WIPE HER
MOUTH WITH HER NAPKIN, THEN TAKE A DRINK OF WHAT EVER WAS IN HER CUP.
THEN SHE WOULD LOOK AT ME AND TRY TO WINK. I ALWAYS WINKED BACK AT HER.
WHEN HER MOTHER FINISHED HER
HAMBURGER SHE LIFTED THE LITTLE GIRL OUT OF THE BOOTH AND WIPED THE
KETCHUP OFF HER HANDS AND FACE. THEN TOOK HER BY THE HAND AND LED HER
OUT. JUST BEFORE THEY WENT OUT THE FRONT DOOR THE LITTLE GIRL TURNED
BACK AND WINKED AT ME ONE LAST TIME.
“WELL, I GUESS WE HAVE HAD
OUR GIRLIE SHOW THIS YEAR. NOW LET’S GO GET OUR ICE CREAM CONE.”
FROM NOW ON I WILL HAVE TO
SAY WE’RE GOING TO BRAUMS AND A GIRLIE SHOW. BUT NONE OF THEM WILL BE
ANY BETTER THEN THAT FIRST GIRLIE SHOW.
JOHNNIE SAID, … BUT NO
THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.
...............................................................