Flo nods. “You’re right. And I think that story you just now told me is beautiful. When I was listening, it’s like I was watching you in a movie.”
Flo looks up at the kitchen clock then, and Mildred says, “Oh, I’ve kept you from where you were going. Let me wrap some gingerbread up for you to have later. Can you carry it all right?”
“Course I can. I’ll put it in my purse.”
Mildred wraps up the gingerbread and puts a little ribbon around it. “There!” she says. “Let me walk you out.”
When they reach the sidewalk, Mildred says, “You know, I think sometimes when we age, we forget that we must keep on making new memories, keep on meeting new people and having new experiences. Seems like a lot of older people give up and spend all their time looking in the rearview mirror, when here is life still before them. I don’t ever want to do that. I still want to do everything I can. I hope I get to have aromanceagain.”
Flo smiles. “I hope you do, too, and then I hope you’ll tell me another story, aboutthat.”
“You’ll be the first. But Flo, selfish me, I didn’t even ask howyouare.”
Flo hesitates, then says, “I’m doing okay.”
“You look a little tired.”
“I am, I guess.”
“Well, call me when you’re rested, and we can think about doing something together.”
“I will.”
“I mean it!”
“I do, too.”
Flo waves goodbye and heads for the library, more certain than ever of what she wants todo.
—
At the library, there is a line at the circulation desk, six people deep. Flo sits in a chair at a nearby table to wait.
She thinks it was nice, hearing the story Mildred told. It reminds Flo of times when Terrence went fishing with friends and came home and told her about it. At such times it was as though Flo were sitting beside Terrence in the gently rocking boat, the line cast out. It was as though she could hear the men talk in low voices as they waited for the tug on the pole that would mean supper. She would think about the sun warming the flannel of Terrence’s shirt against his bent back, and she could almost hear thelap, lap, lapof the little waves against the hull. Flo loves books, but storytelling out loud is a wonderful thing, and she hopes people never forget how to doit.
The desk is free now, and Flo goes over to it. The middle-aged librarian sitting there is wearing some oversized black glasses that Flo thinks must weigh heavy on her nose.
“I’m sorry for the wait,” the librarian says. “What can I help you with?”
“I have a computer question.”
The librarian looks across the room and stands. “Let me take you over while we have one free. You can show me what you’re having trouble with.” She walks quickly over to secure the machine and Flo follows more slowly.
When the women are sitting before one of thecomputers, Flo feels like she’s entered the inner sanctum of NASA. Next to them is a young man wearing headphones and tapping furiously away. Images appear, disappear, and change so rapidly it makes her dizzy.
“I don’t really know how to use a computer,” Flo whispers.
“That’s okay, I can help you,” the librarian says. “I’m Mimi, by the way.”
“Florence. Well,Flo.”
Mimi smiles at her and starts punching keys. She’s wearing dangly silver earrings, which Flo looks at rather than the screen.
“Okay,” Mimi says. “We’re in. What’s your question?”
“Well, it has to do with computer dating.”
“Uh-huh.”
