Once I Met Norm, That Was It (Grandma Jane Story #1)

Several years ago, I asked my Grandma Jane if I could write down stories from her life.  Little bits I'd heard growing up fascinated me; like, she and her younger sister shared a bed until she got married.  I knew there was gold to be found through listening well.  So one summer, I spent afternoons at her house, sitting on her bed surrounded by old photos, writing as fast as I could to record not just the stories, but her quotes and feelings too. 

When I went home and typed it up, I realized I'm not very good at making history sound as interesting as it really was.  I turned to my imagination.  I read and reread my notes, and tried to become my grandma as a young woman.  After all, at the time, I was only a little older than she was in the stories.  What resulted is my grandma's true stories, quilted together with my created dialogues and details as introductions and conclusions.  It's different to imagine my grandma making out in a car, but the way she talked about this first scene certainly wasn't prim and proper.  I tried to do that justice, without making my grandma seem too racy.

Grandma Jane passed away this spring.  I use my imagination now to picture her in heaven, reunited with Norm, the love of her life.  I miss her terribly and hope her stories will bless those who knew her and those who can relate to having a very special grandma in their life.  

A knock on the car window brought Norm and Jane up for air.  Remaining close and staring at each other, it took another firm knock for them to realize that someone was outside the fogged glass.  Jane quickly smoothed her hair and dress as Norm rolled down the window.  Leo Gaudette, Jane’s father and a local police officer, leaned down to rest his crossed arms on the car window while staring intently at Norm.

“Your father’s been calling all evening, Norm, trying to find you.  You just got your draft notice.” 

The three waited for someone to say something.  Surely there were words that could fill the silence and make everything feel normal.  Their mouths remained suspended open and no words came.  The news took awhile to sink in, but it wasn’t a complete surprise.  Scenes just like this were playing out in friends’ lives and with young couples all over the country.
Leo frowned slightly, patted the car two times, and ambled back into the house.  The couple sat in silence, facing forward, cold air from the open window quickly defrosting the glass and creating goosebumps on bare arms.

My grandpa Norm died fifteen years before I was born.  When my grandma Jane tells me about him, it feels like we’re a pair of girls discussing her latest crush.  The crush began in 1943.  Norman Reid was a twenty-year-old aspiring pilot who had come to Yakima, Washington from Seattle to be a part of the Civilian Pilot Training program.  When he and his friends had downtime, they cruised the growing agricultural town on their bicycles.

On one such day, Jane was waiting for the bus to take her downtown where she planned to meet a friend.  A big group of pilots-in-training rode up on their bicycles and engaged her in conversation.  Norm took the lead and Jane thought he was forward.  He stood tall, made direct eye contact, and wasted no time finding out who she was and where she worked.  Jane wasn’t sure what to think about his directness, but she liked the way Norm’s face broke into crinkled lines around his eyes and mouth when he laughed.  When Jane noticed Norm’s buddies leaving, he reluctantly pedaled off to catch up. 

The very next day, Norm showed up at Kress’ dime store and strode over to the candy counter where Jane was lost in her inventory list.  He promptly asked her out and in my grandma’s words, “That was it.”

That was it for any other boys who held onto hopes of Jane marrying them after the war.  Jack Loman, a Marine, was one of the disappointed suitors. Jack was cute but very shy.  They dated her senior year of high school and kept in touch after that.  At one point, Jane assumed they’d get married someday.  When Jack came back in town on leave, he asked why Jane didn’t wait for him.  Jane’s reply was, “Well, I met Norm and he swept me off my feet!”

           

Long moments passed with Norm and Jane sitting silently, staring at a streetlamp through the car windshield and listening to muffled sounds of neighbors’ radios.  Norm took Jane’s hand in both of his, brought it up to his mouth and gently kissed her cold fingers.

“May I walk you to your door?” he asked, her hand still close to his lips.            

Jane turned towards him with a weak smile.  “Yes.”            

“May I see you tomorrow night?”            

She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed as tightly as she could.  “Yes.”            

They got out of the car and walked arm in arm to the Gaudette’s stoop.