The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion (36 page)

“In the newspaper articles. I read all about you, and I’m just in awe of what you did during the war. You were so brave.”

“Well, honey, it was a job that needed to be done, and we did it, that’s all. What about you? Have you had a good life?”

“Oh, yes, and as I mentioned, I have a wonderful husband and four wonderful children, and well, you have four wonderful grandchildren.”

“And the people who adopted you, were they good to you?”

“Oh, yes, just wonderful. I have no complaints.”

“Are they still alive?”

“Just my mother—well, the lady who adopted me. My father passed away in 1984.”

“I’m sorry to hear it. Does your mother know you’re here?”

“No. She doesn’t know that I know I was adopted.”

“Ah.”

“I didn’t see any reason to upset her. She’s not … well, anyhow … no, I didn’t tell her. I hope you don’t mind that I came. I can understand that meeting me must be very difficult for you, but I really
needed to see you in person and, well, come to terms with … well, as you can imagine, it was quite a surprise to find out after all these years.”

“Ah, yeah, and I’ll bet you have a lot of questions you need me to answer. So ask away.”

“Well, yes I do. I have a list somewhere here.” Sookie fished in her purse. “Oh, here it is. I guess I need to know about family health issues. If there was anything genetic we should be worried about, any heart or diabetes or mental issues. Things like that.”

“No, everybody mostly died of old age. Everybody was pretty hardy.” She laughed. “Some a little too hardy. Momma and Gertrude got pretty fat in their old age.”

“Oh, well, that could explain my oldest daughter, Dee Dee. She’s always had a tendency to put on weight. So, umm … no dementia or Alzheimer’s?”

“No, everybody—Momma, Poppa—were as sharp as tacks right up until the day they died. And just so you know, all of us Polacks are pretty healthy.”

“Well, that’s certainly good to know.” Of course, the elephant in the living room was who her father was. Fritzi didn’t seem to be forthcoming with that information, and Sookie thought it might be rude just to ask her outright so soon. “I guess I have so many things I’ve wondered about.”

“Yes?”

“I guess I wondered, during all these years, did you ever think about me?”

Fritzi nodded. “Oh, sure, kid. All the time. I always wondered how you turned out. What you looked like, what you were up to. Things like that.”

“I see … and did you ever think about trying to find me?”

“No, I never did. I figured it was best not to. To tell you the truth, after the war, I went through a pretty rough patch. Drank too much, stuff like that.”

“Oh.”

“Did you bring pictures of your kids?”

“Oh, yes.”

After Fritzi looked at all the pictures, she said, “Great-looking kids. And your husband looks like a regular nice guy.”

“Oh, he is. And he said to be sure and tell you that he would love to meet you one day, but he thought that maybe I should come by myself the first time. And, of course, if you ever need any dental work, he’d be glad to do it. To tell you the truth, I really wanted him to come with me. I was kind of scared to come by myself, but I’m so glad I did. I’d love to see some photographs of your … well,
my
family.”

“Oh, sure, kid. I got all of them hung up.” As they walked down the hall, Sookie saw a picture of the four sisters standing in front of the all-girl filling station taken in 1942. Sookie was surprised at how much her girls looked like the Jurdabralinski sisters.

Sookie said, “I just can’t imagine how hard it must have been to run a gas station.”

Fritzi nodded. “It was, but it was also a hell of a lot of fun. And this is your Uncle Wink when he was in the Air Corps over in England.”

“Oh, wow, he looks a little like my son, Carter.”

“Yeah?”

“He has the same smile.”

Then Fritzi pointed to another photograph. “And here’s a picture of your grandmother standing in front of the house. You can’t tell here, but Momma was the one with the really red hair.”

“Really?”

“You bet. Even redder than yours.”

“Is this the house where you grew up?”

“Yep. Poppa built it for us in the twenties. But after Wink died, Angie sold it to a real nice family in town.”

“Is the filling station still open?”

“No, it closed down a long time ago. I think they just use it for storage or something now, but it’s still there.”

After they had visited for a while and Fritzi had made them a cup of coffee, Fritzi picked up the pictures of Sookie’s family and looked at them again. “Real nice house. Right on the water.”

“Oh, yes. Our backyard is the Mobile Bay.”

“You’re not far from Pensacola or the Gulf of Mexico.”

“No.”

“I know that area. Very pretty. I used to fly around there.”

Fritzi placed the photos down and nodded. “Yeah,” said Fritzi. “I can see that after having such a nice quiet settled life all these years, finding out about this must have knocked you for a loop.”

“Well, yes, it did. You can imagine my shock after all these years. I mean at age sixty, to meet your real mother for the very first time is pretty extraordinary.”

Fritzi reached over and took a cigarette out of a pack, lit it, and looked at her for a long time, then said, “Damn, I hate to do this to you, pal, but I’m afraid I have another shock for you.”

“Oh? What?”

“I’m not your mother.”

Sookie was not quite sure she heard right. “Pardon me?”

“I’m not your mother.”

“But … your name is on my birth certificate.”

“Yeah, I know. But just the same I’m not your mother.” Sookie felt herself suddenly getting light-headed. Fritzi looked at her. “Hey, are you all right? Sarah Jane?”

Sookie realized she must have blacked out for a second, but said, “Yes, I guess so, but I don’t understand. If you’re not my mother, then who was?”

“Well, it’s a long story, kid. You probably should have a drink; you don’t look so good.” Sookie did slug down a scotch and took her smelling salts out of her purse, just in case, and waited with her heart still pounding for Fritzi to continue.

S
WEETWATER
, T
EXAS

J
ANUARY
1944

F
RITZI WAS IN
S
WEETWATER FOR A FEW DAYS TO CATCH UP WITH
P
INKS
and Gussie Mintz and have a little visit with her sisters. The first night she was there, Sophie came in from her date with her cheeks flushed and her eyes glowing, smiling and laughing to herself. Fritzi was sitting in a chair, painting her toenails. She looked at Sophie and said, “Somebody must have had a good time. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were as boiled as an owl.”

Sophie sat on the other cot and smiled at her. “No, I haven’t had a drop to drink. Oh, Fritzi, I never knew I could be so happy. I’m in love with the whole world. He’s so wonderful!”

“Who?”

“Jimmy. Jimmy Brunston. He’s the RAF pilot here on special assignment I introduced you to.”

“Oh yeah. I remember.”

“Well anyway, he’s picking me up late Friday night, and we’re going to Houston for the weekend.”

“Whoa. Oh, no, you’re not.”

“Oh, Fritzi, it’s all on the up and up. I promise you. He’s already booked a room for me at the Shamrock Hotel, and he’s staying with
some English friends across town. It’s our last weekend together. He’s going back overseas next Tuesday. Oh, Fritzi, I’ve just
got
to go. He’s gone to so much trouble to arrange everything, and he’s so wonderful.”

“Well, all right, if you’re so crazy about him, go on, but look, kid, don’t do anything you shouldn’t. These guys will say anything. Just remember, they’re all here today and gone tomorrow. Have fun, but be careful.”

“You don’t understand, Fritzi. Jimmy’s not like that. He’s a perfect gentleman. He really loves me, Fritzi. He’s asked me to marry him, and he said the minute the war’s over, he’s coming back to get me.”

“Does he know your family ran a filling station? He seemed like the snooty English type to me.”

“Of course, he knows. I’ve told him everything, and he thinks it’s just charming. That’s what he said. He’s not snooty at all. He’s told me all about his parents, and they’re just regular people, and he said as soon as they met me, they would love me.”

“Fine, but tell Lieutenant Brunston if he does anything he shouldn’t, he’ll have to answer to me.”

T
HE NIGHT
J
IMMY AND
Sophie flew over to Houston was warm and clear. The clouds below them were like huge silver balls of cotton. When they were halfway there, Jimmy switched channels on the radio and picked up a big band station. As they listened to the Glenn Miller Orchestra play “Moonlight Serenade,” Sophie felt like they were the only two people in the world, all alone up in the clouds, so much in love.

S
OPHIE DIDN
’
T UNDERSTAND WHEN
, after a couple of months, Jimmy’s letters from overseas became less and less frequent, and then they stopped altogether. It wasn’t like him not to write. He had written her every day. Something must be wrong. She knew he was going on bombing raids over Germany almost every night and that there had been losses. She held her breath every time the casualty report with the names of the pilots came in, but it wasn’t until after three of her
letters were returned unopened that she started to panic. She was desperate and sick with worry. He had to come back.

The next morning, she went to the Red Cross office in Sweetwater and spoke to Mrs. Gilchrist, a nice older woman, and showed her the returned letters. She gave Mrs. Gilchrist his regiment number, where he was born, the names of his parents, the name of the town they lived in, and the date he had last called her.

Mrs. Gilchrist wrote it all down and said, “I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise anything. As you can well imagine, overseas communications are very difficult right now. But try not to worry. I can’t tell you how many girls have come here expecting to find out the worst, and it was all a mix-up. So don’t give up hope. Tomorrow, you may get five letters.”

T
WO DAYS LATER
,
BACK
in the bay, Sophie heard someone yell across the room. “Sophie Jurdabralinski! Phone call!”

Sophie ran over to the phone, hoping it might be Jimmy, but the girl made a face and said, “It’s a female.”

“Oh.… Hello.”

“Sophie?”

“Yes?”

“This is Mrs. Gilchrist from the Red Cross. Can you come by my office? I have some good news for you.”

“Have you located Jimmy?”

“No, but we contacted our office in London, and we have his parents’ phone number, and I have arranged a transatlantic call for you. I’m sure they know where he is and will be happy to hear from you, so come to my office when you can.”

Sophie immediately went to Mrs. Gilchrist’s office. The Red Cross operator on the switchboard placed the call for her and then motioned for her to pick up.

After a few rings, a woman answered, “Hello?”

“Is this Mrs. Brunston?”

“Yes?”

“Oh, hello. This is Sophie Marie, and I’m calling from America.”

“Oh, hello.”

“I don’t know if he has mentioned me or not, but I’m a friend of your son’s, and I haven’t heard from him for quite a while. I was wondering if you knew where I could contact him.”

“Oh, yes, I see, but I’m afraid you’ve reached the wrong number. James’s mother’s line was bombed out.”

“Oh, no.”

“Yes, but not to worry. No injuries. She’s quite safe with friends in Hampshire. But this is his wife speaking, and he’s due home on a short furlough any day now. Hush, darling, Mummy’s on the phone. I’m sorry. Is there a message or a number where you can be reached? Hello? Are you still on the line?”

“Yes, I’m here. Uh … no message.”

“I’ll be happy to tell him you called. Was it Sallie?”

“No, Sophie, but it really wasn’t important. Thank you anyway.”

After she hung up the phone, she just sat at the desk, and when Mrs. Gilchrist walked back in the office, she assumed by the look on the girl’s face that her young man had been killed. She went over, sat down beside her, and took her hand. This was the heartbreaking part of the job she hated. “I’m so terribly, terribly sorry, dear. I was hoping … well. Oh, how I hate this old war, so many young people lost. Is there anything I can do—anyone I can call for you?”

“No, but thank you.” Sophie went back to the barracks and said nothing to anybody for three weeks. But when Fritzi came through Sweetwater again, Sophie knew she was going to have to tell her.

F
RITZI WAS QUIET FOR
a moment, then sighed. “How long?”

“Three months.”

“Damn. I know some people, but it’s too late to do anything now. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I guess I thought if I told him, maybe he could get a leave, and we could get married. I don’t know. I guess I was just too ashamed. I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, you’re not the first or the last gal that this has happened to. I figured that guy was up to no good.” Fritzi lit a cigarette and blew the smoke up in the air and then said, “You know this kind of thing is
not good for the WASPs. We have a reputation to uphold. How soon will you start showing?”