Mitzi

The familiar sounds of a train making its way in the distance, on the mainland, somewhere beyond Boblo Island caught Mary’s ear. It was mingled with the much closer sporadic and early morning song of a Robin greeting the day. Beside her in bed were the comforting sounds of her husband’s heavy breathing. Mary knew it was early because it was still dark so she lay there thinking about Mitzi and her visit.
It had come amidst that prayerful time with Robin. Mary smiled at the thought. It was wonderful to have a man who prayed with you, one that cared, and respected for you. He was so unlike her first husband. Mitzi had been a part of that chapter of her life and they had an interesting history together.
Mary had been dating Peter for 5 years by the time Mitzi came into the picture. Back then Mitzi was blond and beautiful, a slender albeit well formed girl of Estonian descent born and raised in Toronto. Mitzi was 17. Mary saw her for the first time sitting in one of the bench seats of the restaurant owned by Peter’s family. Peter worked there in the evenings and on weekends. Mary often hung out there. This one particular day Peter’s best friend Lynne was helping him out too. These two had a great time together yelling and swearing over stupid things that didn’t really matter to anyone but them. Mary enjoyed being a part of this fun. Peter had been her first real boyfriend and Lynne had joined them in often going to movies or to see wrestling downtown at Maple Leaf Gardens before it became an empty hockey tomb. Often times Peter’s brother, Alex, would join them for fun and frolic.
Lynne was a tall, slender man, a little older than Mary and Peter, approximately 27 years of age. Mary was 22 or so at the time and Peter was 24. Looking back now, on that evening, it all happened so fast as quickly as Mitzi’s recent visit which had come and gone. As Mary sat in the restaurant she had watched the turn of events unfold before her eyes. She couldn’t quite remember if she was sitting alone and Mitzi joined her with her sister because Mitzi’s younger sister was working at the restaurant too. So it was possible the sibling’s relationship was the catalyst that brought Mitzi onto the scene that night. At any rate Mary remembered the laughing and joking.
Lynne, who was single and unattached, caught the pretty eye of Mitzi almost immediately. He sat down casually across from Mary and Mitzi. The talk was easy and light with banter passing between Lynne and Peter who was working in the kitchen behind them. He was yelling back and forth through the open door. Mary watched as Mitzi and Lynne drew into that dimension where time and space have no meaning. It all happened so quickly Mary wasn’t quite sure if she missed either when shehad gone to the bathroom or went to run an errand for in a few short moments something amazing happened that changed their lives forever.
Whether Lynne was joking or not out of his mouth came the fateful words: Would you marry me? Mitzi’s surprising answer sealed the deal. In her innocence she had said a short but sweet “Sure!” It was such a surprise to everyone – to the love struck couple even more. They didn’t get married the next day but Lynne did buy Mitzi an engagement ring and they moved in together within a week or so!
It seemed to Mary that Mitzi might have been a little enamoured at the time and this was mingled with an urgency to get out of a house that she shared with 6 other siblings and her parents. It was overcrowded to say the least and Mitzi being one of the oldest had much responsibility cast upon her shoulders. Perhaps moving in with Lynne was a fate she preferred over the one that faced her at home.
However, Mitzi was a new addition to Mary, Peter, and Lynne’s life and they became a happy foursome who hung out on weekends and created the history for Mary and Peter’s early years of marriage together.
Mitzi and Lynne's marriage had long since dissolved by the time of this writing. Mitzi had remarried and that relationship had also failed. She was now living alone with the 19 year old daughter from this second coupling. She was living in Vancouver but come down to Toronto for her brother’s 50th birthday. Her visit down to see Mary was quite a drive and Mary felt Mitzi honoured her by coming all this way to visit.
Mary, whose thoughts had dissipated down memory lane, was suddenly jolted back to the present when the alarm clock went into action. It was time to get up. Oh well, she would get back to reminiscing later. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. Reflections over Mitzi would wait. With that Mary arose from her bed and began her day even though she knew she had needed to look at the event of the time spent with Mitzi. So many old memories came up. Pieces of her past were all there waiting to be glued together. All she needed was a little more time to look at it. She would, she knew she would.
Right now she had to deal with all the distractions from the noise coming from next door. The neighbours seemed to be up early. Mary would have to see what was in the wind.