That Summer

Welcome to Gary!

I arrived at the train station in Gary later that day. The passengers sitting next to me had gotten up and stretched out their limbs before grabbing some of their carry on's. I let most of the people get their belongings and get off of the train before I did my part. Once I was limber and had all of my carry on's, I exited the train to grab the rest of my luggage. I looked around for my Aunt and Uncle, but there were far too many people to spot them. I wandered through the crowd until I reached a sitting area where I could set my things down and wait for my Aunt and Uncle to arrive.

It wasn't until a few moments later when I heard my name being called. I wasn't sure if I was hallucinating from the heat or if there was another person here with the name Anna, but I stood up from the bench and turned around to see my Aunt May coming towards me with that beautiful Marilyn Monroe smile on her face.

"My little Anna girl, how are you sweetheart?" She wrapped her thin arms around me and pulled me into her embrace.

"I'm doing better, now that school is out. Where's Uncle Jack?" We parted from one another as she helped me with my bags.

"He's at the house, working on another one of his cars. You know how men are about their prized possessions." Aunt May snorted. I chuckled in response as we made way to the car to put away the luggage.

"Are you hungry at all? There is a little diner downtown where we can go to." My Aunt suggested kindly.

"That would be great."

I rushed over to the passenger side of my Aunts vintage mustang, another one of the classics my Uncle managed to repair and fix up. The beautiful sound of the engine revving up was music to my ears. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I switched on the radio to hear one of my favorite hits. Aunt May and I sang along to the lyrics of the well known song 'Hotel California' as we whizzed down the streets of Gary. I'll admit, Gary wouldn't be a place where I'd recommend people living. The only thing that it's good for is its steel mines, but I guess every city has its advantages and disadvantages.

It wasn't too long before my Aunt pulled into a parking space outside of the local diner. I unbuckled my seatbelt and began to make forth towards the entrance. The aroma of the charcoal grill filled my nostrils and danced into my system. Aunt May guided me towards the counter as we sat on the cushiony stools,

"Ah, Mrs. Wilson. Such a pleasure to see you back so soon! I see you traded your husband in for a beautiful young lady." The gentleman fondly spoke.

"Well thank you Jerry. This is my niece, Annabelle Simms. She's come up from Chicago to spend the Summer with me." My Aunt specified.

"Pleasure to meet you Annabelle. Now what can I get you two ladies?" He pulled out a notepad and began to scribble down abbreviations as we told him our order.

I took a moment to scan the decor of the diner. Images of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., along with many others lined the walls. Vinyl records placed in frames covered the empty spaces. Amongst the time of scanning, my Aunt and I made conversation about school, and boys, and activities, mainly just catching up over the last few years.

Once our food arrived, we immersed devoured it before settling the bill, making way towards the house where my Aunt and Uncle lived. We rode past many homes that looked as if they belonged in magazines until we reached a fairly large brick home with white shudders, none other than my Aunt's home.

"Home sweet home!" Aunt May proclaimed enthusiastically as she adjusted her sunglasses and began to take luggage out. I could hear the clinking and banging coming from the garage towards the side, which only made me more aware that Uncle Jack was here. It was almost as if he had read my mind, because a few seconds later his head popped over the car's hood,