A tale of Romance and Fear all in one. I hope you enjoy!
Richard Tanner
Opening Night
Nothing much happened in Hampton during winter other than binge drinking and Sunday night football. It was too cold to go out but not cold enough to be a winter wonderland. Instead, the town took on a barren look; no leaves, no grass… just mud, memories and men still wearing shorts while pretending they aren’t shivering.
Vaguely Christmas shaped lights hung from every other street lamp on Main Street and a tree, too small to be big and too big to be small, stood in the center of Berea Road Methodist Church’s front parking lot. They always decorated a little red mail box that said “Letters to Santa,” and placed it by the tree.
Some of the houses had a half assed string of light outlining their porch, hung by over worked parents and their awe struck children. The Nobles place was one of the few homes that was officially decked out. A yard filled with every inflatable that Home Depot had to offer and enough twinkling lights to ensure that every neighbor’s pet (the few still in Hampton) wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between night and day.
Gene and Terri drove slowly by the Nobles place, taking in the free light show as they headed toward the new theater on the edge of town to catch a special screening of Home Alone; Terri’s favorite movie of all time. Gene preferred movies with the word “massacre” somewhere in the title but he would never begrudge his beautiful wife for having a sentimental side. Even if that sentimental side laughed at an eight year old who faced horrible traumatic events that his parents never once faced justice on. It was part of the reason he loved her. Gene looked over to his wife, wide eyed and staring at the lights. He took her hand before putting the car in gear and continuing down the street.
They first met in college. For Gene it was love at first sight…. It took a little while for Terri to warm up to him. Gene was an odd guy but he had a bit of the ole charm in him. Every day he would wait for her after class and walk her to her next class. It was his goal to have her in stitches before the professor closed the door. Once he penetrated her defenses, she was his. They were head over heels and perfect for each other. Gene could easily fall into a pit of despair if left to his own devices and Terri would float past the clouds, never to be seen again if left to hers. Together they kept each other’s feet on the ground and could beat anything that came their way.
Their first test on that front was their families. Terri’s mother was none too pleased to see her little girl bring home the whitest of white boys and Gene’s trump loving family were quick to say all was cool because they gave Obama a chance… once. The beginning was difficult. But as time went on and the two started to build a life together, the families begrudgingly came around. Obviously, Gene and Terri weren’t a temporary thing and if they wanted to be a part of their lives, they’d have to accept them together. They even supported the outdoor wedding that hosted both corn hole and dominoes at the reception. A real bridge for the divide.
Tonight was special though; a celebration! Terri was pregnant with their first child. After a year of trying and failing, they finally had good news. The doctor confirmed it earlier that morning. Together, they decided to take the weekend for themselves and revel in their excitement. A secret that belonged only to them. Their families could wait until Monday.
They felt like teenagers again. Sneaking out and going on a movie date, stealing a kiss at every stop sign and light. Christmas was always magical for the couple, a time of nostalgia and new budding traditions but this year, the electricity of the season was buzzing.
They pulled into the parking lot of The Great Escape Theater, the first theater to grace Hampton since the silent era. The neon lights that outlined the marquis and the twinkling bulbs around the poster looked they tailor made for the holidays but would remain year round. The parking lot was packed but no one was outside. Gene looked toward the dashboard, it was already 9:15. They were late! They must have gotten distracted by taking the scenic route to look at lights. “Hon, why don’t you go ahead and hop out here and grab us a seat? I’ll park and get the popcorn. Don’t want ya to miss too much.”
Terri smiled and leaned over to kiss him. “Alright, get me some milk duds too and hurry, ya filthy animal. She turned to get out of the car but Gene pulled her back, placing his hand on her tummy and she placed a hand on top of his.
“Maybe we should name him Kevin.”
“What makes you think we are going to have a boy?”
Gene thought about that for a moment, “Kevin can be gender neutral.”
Terri laughed hard and deep and kissed her husband again. “I love you, you silly man.”
“And I love both of you! Now get going! We late!”
Terri giggled and got out of the car, letting in a big gust of cold air before she closed the door. Gene waited for her to disappear behind the tinted glass of the lobby door before driving off to find a parking spot.
The theater had a classic playhouse vibe about it. High arches and bright red stucco stood out against the blackness of the night. The cold wind was blasting and Gene noticed the first little flurries of snowflakes. He smiled while thinking about how excited Terri would b when they came out of the movie to see a fine white dusting covering the cars and streetlamps. It would be melted by nine the next morning but for now it was a perfect accent on a perfect night.
Gene tightened his collar with his hand, refusing to zip his jacket any higher, and headed toward the entrance. He must have been later than he thought because the he didn’t see any other stragglers following him or any smokers huddled around each other for warmth or one last puff. Hopefully, Terri was able to get a seat that wasn’t in the front row.
He opened the front door and stepped into the yellow light of the lobby. Soft music played over the speakers, some sort of non-descript jazzy Christmas tune. It wasn’t as cold inside as it was outside, but it definitely wasn’t warm. He’d probably end up losing his jacket to Terri the second he sat down next to her. Maybe they would have hot chocolate or coffee at the concession stand.
The lobby was completely deserted and as far as Gene could tell no one was behind the counter of the box office or concession stand either. They probably stepped to the back for a post rush pow wow. Kudos all around and a high five, merry Christmas, kiddos. Gene waited patiently for a few minutes before calling out, “Hello?” He was answered with a resounding silence. He tried calling out a few more times before deciding to look around. He tried the ticket podium first. There was a handful of ticket stubs lying on top but no one to give him really bad directions to the right theater. He looked passed the ticket stand and down the hallway… empty. No one in sight. He could have just walked back without paying but something made him feel like he couldn’t pass that invisible line without a ticket or else he’d be labeled a thief and kicked out for life! He chuckled and headed back toward the concession stand.
