Another Time, Another Place

When the phone rang at six am, Michelle’s first reaction was to turn it off and go back to sleep. Having recently retired, she was getting used to not waking up before the time was double-digits, but the insistent ring tone had a different idea.

Seeing her sister Cathy’s name on the caller-ID, Michelle was immediately alert, thinking it must be some emergency for her to be calling before the sun came up.

“Cathy, what’s wrong?” She asked, trepidation in her voice.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Cathy replied. “I’m really sorry to call you this early, but I have a big favor to ask.”

Michelle was both relieved and pissed, but she knew Cathy wouldn’t have called unless it was important.

“I’m listening.” Michelle let out a loud yawn.

“Jason’s class is scheduled to go on a field trip to the Reagan Museum today and I just received a text that they don’t have enough chaperones so the trip is going to be cancelled.”

“Aren’t you going?”

“I can’t. Jennifer’s dance recital is today and since you have so much free time...”

That you always seem to find ways for me to fill.

“…the kids have been looking forward to seeing Air Force One for weeks. You know how hard it is to get tickets. They only need one more adult, so can you please say yes?”

Michelle sighed. She loved her sister, but spending the day with rambunctious twelve-year-olds, even if one of them was her own nephew, wasn’t something she would ever put in her retirement bucket. Then again, she knew Cathy wouldn’t have asked if she really didn’t need her.

“Ok, text me the information and I’ll be there. You really owe me on this, sis.”

“Put it on my tab. Thank you. Jason will be thrilled.”

Michelle reluctantly dragged herself into the bathroom. When she bought the condo, she’d designed the lighting to accentuate the positive attributes she saw in the image staring back at her in the unapologetic mirror.

The not-so little lines, (she refused to call them wrinkles) she could ignore for now. The bits of white in her blond hair, (she preferred to call them sparkles) were definite signs she was moving closer to the other side of the “hill” than her brain wanted to admit. While hanging out with a bunch of seventh graders wasn’t her idea of a good time, it would definitely break up the monotony of her daily routine, she thought as she drove to her nephew’s school.

When she arrived, she notice there were several buses parked in front of Redwood Middle School, so Michelle had to park on the side street. She found Jason’s class, introduced herself to his teacher and boarded the bus for the fifteen minute drive up a winding road that led to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum.  

Michelle hadn’t visited the museum since it opened in 1991 and, in spite of her objections, she was feeling a bit of excitement as the bus pulled into the parking lot. The breathtaking view from the mountaintop high above Simi Valley encompassed surrounding mountains, valleys and the Pacific Ocean.

Her excitement was instantly quashed when she noticed several army vehicles, tanks, jeeps, and army tents on display by the front entrance which was draped with banners displaying the name of that week’s exhibition.

“Cathy didn’t tell me the kids were going to be reliving the Vietnam War,” Michelle said aloud.  “If I’d know, I don’t think I would have agreed to come.”

“I know exactly how you feel.” Replied a very professionally dressed man walking a few steps behind her. “My uncle is the principal of Redwood, so I got talked into helping out.”

Michelle chuckled. “Seems we’re in the boat when it comes to giving in to family requests.  There’s my nephew,” She pointed to Jason. “Nice commiserating with you.”

Michelle joined Jason and his class as they proceeded to the front door of the museum where they met the head docent who gave them maps and instructions on the rules before leading the group into the building.

“Our docents will escort the students,” the tour guide announced. “If any of you adults wish to tour the museum by yourselves, please feel free. We’ll meet back here in two hours.”

Jason’s class headed for the Air Force One Pavilion leaving Michelle to wander through the Museum unencumbered. She proceeded on her private tour though the galleries that were on permanent display of America’s 40^th President’s years. She stood for several moments admiring the impressive Oval office before moving on to the next exhibit.

She remembered the thrill she felt as the Berlin Wall finally came down, and the terror of the assignation attempt in 1981. She was so engrossed in her walk down memory lane, she didn’t notice a man standing next to her.

“I fully believe, Ronald Reagan was the best acting president we’ve ever had.” The voice said.

Turning around, Michelle was surprised to see it was the same person who she’d talk to earlier.

“This is all very impressive Mr. principal’s nephew.” Michelle responded. “But I would never say Reagan was the best president.”

“My name is William,” he said with a warm smile. “I didn’t say he was the best president. I said he was the best acting president! He was, after all, an actor.”

“Hi William. I’m Michelle,” She turned to respond face-to-face. The face looking back at her was quite handsome, she thought.

William’s bright blue eyes accentuated the humor in his voice. He stood a few inches taller than her. She noticed his face was a bit unshaven, quite understandable for that time of the morning, and his tussled light brown hair had only a few strands of grey.

Michelle surmised by his comment about President Regan, William was a member of their much maligned Baby Boomer generation. She felt her body drawn to him in a way she hadn’t experienced in more years than she cared to admit. She hoped he would stick around if she engaged him in conversation.

“I’ll agree about his prior profession, but he was also President of the Screen Actors Guild and he was elected California governor. Twice.” She asserted.

“Like I said. The best acting president. He sure fooled a lot of people. Twice.” William grumbled. “Let’s see what else is on display. Come with me.”

William knew he’d taken a bit of a risk inviting her to tour the museum with him, but he felt an overwhelming desire to not let this woman out of his sight. It had been too many decades since he’d felt this nervous meeting someone new. Yet sharing distant memories made the encounter feel strangely familiar.

The two started walking toward the main exhibit. Michelle stopped by a display of popular toys of the era. Malibu Barbie and all her accessories was front and center.

“Damn, I’m feeling old.” Michelle sighed. “Never thought I’d see my toys in a museum! Maybe I should be in that display case too, along with my Partridge Family lunchbox and Chatty Cathy doll.” She laughed.

“I know what you mean. There’s my 007 spy kit. I think they’ll still selling it on E-bay.”

The two walked past other memorabilia of the time that for them, didn’t seem that long ago. Stopping in front of the newspaper headlines of the draft protestors, William’s mood became somber.

“I just missed being called up,” he started. “The draft ended right before I turned eighteen. I was on the anti-war protest lines nearly every day once my brother left for Nam. Like so many others, he never came home.”

“I’m so sorry.”  Michelle replied.

Even though she’d only just met him, the sorrow she felt coming from William nearly had her in tears. Michelle took his hand in hers and squeezed lightly. “Let’s go outside and pay our respects.”

Not letting go of their clasped hands, Michelle and William stood in silence starring at the names inscribed at the Vietnam Memorial The Wall That Heals.

“I almost hate to ask,” Michelle whispered. “Any name you recognize?”

“All of them.” William let out a long sigh.  

William put his arm around Michelle’s shoulder. The warmth of her body mixed with the faint scent of her perfume made him a bit dizzy.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Michelle changed the topic of the conversation.

“You know, William, the spring of 1971 wasn’t all that bad. I was studying law at Berkeley that May and was part of that massive Vietnam protest. I hate to admit this, and absolutely no one else knows except one other person, I met a really fantastic guy that day.”

They started walking back to the Museum.

“Really?” William’s attention was now fully focused on his museum partner. “Go on.”

“We were front and center on the protest line. It was so crowded we could hardly move. There was this fellow protestor standing next to me when, in the middle of all the chaos, we touched arms and an overwhelming desire came over the both of us.”

“Somehow we managed to escape the crowd and found a secluded grassy patch behind some bushes. Since everyone’s attention was on the protest, no one noticed two semi-naked bodies engaged in what I would have say was the most explosive sex I’ve ever had.”

“Really? Who was he?”

“That’s just the thing, I never did get his name. I never saw him again and to this day, I have no idea who he was. It was an experience I’ve never been able to forget, or duplicate since.”

“That’s quite a story,” William replied. “Guess our youthful days of sex, drugs and rock and roll have now become consensual intercourse, Prozac and hip-hop.”

“Oh well,” Michelle sighed. “The times they are a-changing as the great Bob Dylan wrote. Speaking of time, we’d better head back and rejoin the group. It’s been almost two hours.”

“I agree with both of your comments, but before we return to the present, I’d like to take one last visit to the past. Follow me.”

Michelle was elated that William didn’t want their time together to end. Even if she assumed his asking her to re-visit the display was just an excuse to spend more time with her, she was more than happy to accommodate him.

Once they returned to the exhibit, William stopped in front of the glass wall of newspaper headlines and photos of the historical San Francisco event Michelle had mentioned. He reached for her hand, brought her fingers to his lips and gave them a gentle kiss. He then pointed to the enlarged photo of the protestors  and the two people who were standing next to each other in the crowd.

“Oh My God!” Michelle gasped “That’s me!”

“Yes, it is. And guess who the guy is standing next to you in that photo.”

Michelle started trembling. She couldn’t speak. She could hardly breath. She stared at the photo of the lover she had never forgotten, then turned to stare at the same man now standing next to her. A man she would never be able to forget.

Or need to.

William took Michelle’s face in his hands and gave her a long, passionate kiss.

“We have a great deal of catching up to do.” He whispered.

Just then they heard the students returning from their tour. The two reunited lovers exchanged an intense glance, wordlessly communicating they would not let another 50 years come between them.

“Aunt Michelle,” Jason ran up to his aunt. “We’re going to the gift shop. Do you want to get a souvenir?”

Michelle looked up at William, and grinned.

“That’s ok, Jason.” Michelle put her arm through William’s. “I found the best souvenir anyone has ever gotten from a visit to a museum.”