Here Comes the Sun

10 | a ray of sunshine

        THE RIDE THROUGH TOWN TO the diner was terrifyingly awkward at first. But then again, most of our encounters were like that.

        As I stare out through the windows, time seems to slow down. Eleanore increases the volume and rolls down the window to stick out her hand, keeping the other one on the steering wheel without swerving the car. The two front braided strands of her hair blow softly in the air being blasted in her face—even though she's going the speed limit of 40.

        Like a volcano, she bursts into a fit of laughter, the same old wind chime laugh that doesn't seem to stop echoing in the back of my mind. Not sure why, I too find myself laughing alongside her and the familiar cheery melodies of The Beatles.

        "You listen to them too?" I ask her over the loud music, catching my breath from all the laughing.

        Eleanore huffs, "Hell yeah! Since I was a kid."

        I honestly never imagined her of all people listening to the Beatles but then again, they are one of the most popular bands worldwide, other than Queen and it is the Rock n Roll station. Eleanore seems to be a girl full of surprises. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

        "We're here!" Eleanore gleefully announces as we pull into the half-filled parking lot. There are only two or three spots left. I scale the small building from top to bottom. The fancy neon pink letter "D" flickers on and off, giving the current state of this place. Under the sign reads: JUSTLY FAMOUS SINCE 1935. My stomach grumbles and I suddenly feel hesitant about the whole thing.

        I wish that I could turn back but it's too late for that now and that would be a complete waste of both of our time. My mind has been made. I can't back out of this even if one part of me wants to.

        Eleanore turns down the radio and rolls up the window as she parks into the empty parking space close to the entrance. Her car key jingled against another one as she turns off the ignition and we step out of the car together. I tail behind Eleanore, struggling to put on my cardigan when we make it to the entry. She opens the door for me and I'm instantly hit in the face with the smell of bacon. My stomach grumbles and I lick my lips. The sound of eggs frying and plates clattering on the countertop overpowers the music playing from the speaker.

        "Hello, welcome to Dee Dee's, ladies! Please sit anywhere you like!" A blonde woman greets us from behind the counter. Her southern accent is heavy.

        The seats at the bar counter are already taken by four big older men who look like off-duty cops. That's simply a no-go for me. Half of the tables here are also filled up except for two. One is in the corner by the window and the other is close to the entrance and the bar.

         I don't know if our brains are connected but thankfully we chose the window table and the clean area. I uncomfortably scoot into the booth with Eleanore sitting right across from me, and we grab the menus from the back of the napkin dispenser. 

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        It feels like an eternity, a short one perhaps, for our meal to arrive. Our guffaws filled our side of the diner, earning a few glares from the other customers. It took us a while to calm down and catch our breaths with all the laughter that we had in one day.

        The blonde waitress from before comes over to our table with our food and my stomach rumbles again as she sets down the plates in front of us, along with our milkshakes. I never understood how waffles and shakes make a good combination. We thank the waitress before preparing our food. I take my time with spreading the butter, cross-cutting the waffles, and then pour the syrup on top. I don't mind the edges being crispy.