She wandered around, looking at all the stuff. Soon, a balding man in a white apron said, “Can I help you, miss? What you gonna need today?”
Idgie told him she’d have some saltine crackers and a couple of slices of that cheese he had out on the counter. While he was slicing the cheese, Idgie said, “You don’t happen to know if Frank Bennett is in town today, do you?”
“Who?”
“Frank Bennett.”
“Oh, Frank. Naw, he usually just comes on up here on Wednesday to the bank, or sometimes he gets a haircut across the street. Why? You need to see him?”
“No, I don’t even know him. I was just wondering what he looked like.”
“Who?”
“Frank Bennett.”
He handed Idgie her crackers and cheese. “You want anything to drink with that?”
“No, this is fine.”
He took her money. “What does he look like? Well, let’s see.… Oh, I don’t know, just like anybody, I guess. He’s kind of a big fellow … got black hair, blue eyes … of course, he’s got that one glass eye.”
“A glass eye?”
“Yeah, he lost it in the war. Other than that, I’d say he’s a nice-looking fellow.”
“How old is he?”
“Oh, I guess he’s about thirty-four or thirty-five, somewhere around in there. His daddy left him about eight hundred acres of land about ten miles south of town, so he doesn’t come in much anymore.”
“Is he nice? I mean, is he well liked?”
“Frank? Oh, I’d say so. Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering. My cousin is engaged to him and I was just wondering.”
“You’re Ruth’s cousin? Oh! Now, there’s a fine person. Now, she’s well thought of. I’ve known Ruth Jamison since she was a little girl. Always so polite.… She teaches my granddaughter Sunday School. Are you visiting her?”
Idgie changed the subject. “I think I’d better have me something to drink with these crackers.”
“I thought you would. What you want? Milk?”
“Naw, I don’t like milk.”
“You want a cold drink?”
“Do you have a strawberry drink?”
“Sure do.”
“Give me one of them.”
He went to the drink box to get her drink. “We’re all pleased Ruth is going to marry Frank. She and her mother have had such a hard time of it since her daddy died. Last year, some of us over at the church tried to help out, but she won’t take a cent. Proud.… But then, I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. Are you staying with them?”
“No. I haven’t seen them yet.”
“Well, you know where the house is, don’t you? It’s just two blocks down. I can run you over there if you like. Did she know you were coming?”
“No, that’s all right. I’ll tell you the truth, mister, it would be better if they didn’t know I was here. I’m just passing through on business, I’m a traveling saleswoman for the Rosebud Perfume Company.”
“You are?”
“Yes. And I’ve got a few more stops to make before I get back home, so I better be going.… I just wanted to be sure that this Frank was okay, and I don’t want her to know that the family was worried about her. It might upset her. So, I’m just gonna go home and tell her aunt and uncle, my momma and daddy, that everything is fine, and most likely we’ll all be back for the wedding and it would just upset her to know and to think that we were asking around, so I’m just gonna head on home now, and thanks.”
The storekeeper watched the strange young woman in the railroad overalls back out of the store.
He called out, “Hey! You didn’t finish your cold drink!”
NOVEMBER 2, 1924
Bennett-Jamison Nuptials Told
Sunday, Miss Ruth Anne Jamison became the bride of Mr. Frank Corley Bennett, the Reverend James Dodds officiating. The bride wore a white lace dress and carried a bouquet of tiny sweetheart roses. The groom’s brother, Gerald Bennett, stood as best man.
The bride is the daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Jamison and the late Reverend Charles Jamison. The former Miss Jamison was graduated from Valdosta High School with honors, and attended the Baptist Seminary for young women in Augusta, and is a well-known and respected church worker in this area. The groom, Mr. Frank Corley Bennett, was graduated from Valdosta High School, and later served four years in the military, where he received a wound and was awarded a Purple Heart.
After enjoying a two-week honeymoon in Tallulah Falls, Georgia, the couple will reside at the family home of the groom, ten miles south of town. Mrs. Bennett will continue to teach her Sunday School class when she returns.
NOVEMBER 1, 1924
It was the morning of Ruth’s wedding; Idgie had borrowed Julian’s car and had been parked across the street from the Morning Dove Baptist Church since seven o’clock. Four hours later, she saw Ruth and her mother go into the side door of the church. Ruth looked as beautiful in her wedding gown as Idgie thought she would.
Later, she saw Frank Bennett and his brother arrive. She sat there watching the guests go in, one by one, until the church was full. When the usher, in his white gloves, closed the doors, her heart sank, but she could still hear the organ from inside the church when the “Wedding March” started, and she felt sick.
Idgie had been drinking a bottle of rotgut rye since six o’clock that morning, and just before the bride said “I do,” everyone in the church was wondering who was outside in the car blowing their horn like that.
After a minute, Idgie heard the organ start up again, and all of a sudden, the church doors burst open and Ruth and Frank came running down the steps, laughing, with people cheering and throwing rice. They jumped into the back of the waiting car and drove off.
Idgie blew her horn once more. Ruth looked around just as they turned the corner, a second too late to see who it was.
Idgie threw up on the side of Julian’s car, all the way home to Alabama.
MARCH 30, 1986
Ed Couch had picked up Big Momma from the nursing home on Easter morning, and she had spent the day with them. Evelyn had wanted to invite Mrs. Threadgoode, but Ed said that it might upset Big Momma, and God knows we didn’t want Big Momma upset; as it was, she might not go back. So Evelyn had cooked this huge meal for just the three of them, and after dinner, Ed and Big Momma went in the den and watched television.
Evelyn had planned to ride back to the nursing home with them so she could at least say hello to Mrs. Threadgoode, but her son had called her long distance, just as they were headed out the door. Big Momma, who had whined all through dinner about how she hated Rose Terrace, was dressed and ready to go, so Evelyn told Ed to go on without her.
Consequently, it had been two weeks since she had seen her friend, and when she did, she got a surprise …
“I went to the beauty shop and got my hair fixed for Easter. How do you like it?”
Evelyn didn’t know what to say; someone had dyed Mrs. Threadgoode’s hair bright purple.
“Well, you got your hair fixed.”
“Yes. I always want to look my best for Easter.”
Evelyn sat down and smiled like nothing was wrong. “Who did it for you, darling?”
Mrs. Threadgoode said, “Well, believe it or not, it was a student from the beauty college over in Birmingham. Sometimes they come out here and do our hair for free, just to get a little practice. Mine was a tiny little thing and she worked so hard, I tipped her fifty cents. Now, where else in the world can you get your hair shampooed, colored, and set for fifty cents?”