Imagine That: A Fiction Short Story

This is the story of a 25th college reunion. The college is Middleford College, a small liberal arts college in Long Island, New York, with a total enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates.

I’m Doug Mart and I am head of the 1949 class reunion. It is to be held this Memorial Day weekend of 1974 here at the Marriott Hotel in downtown New York City. I was able to secure some very low room rates so that it will not be a major financial burden on those attending.

On Saturday night of that Memorial Day weekend, my wife Judy and I — she also being an alum of Middleford although a year later than I — got to the ballroom early to take care of some details. My friend and former classmate at Middleford, Mike Adams, and his wife Sally also came early to assist in handing out programs and name badges.

Mike and I tried to guess the names of those entering but in 25 years people change and
sometimes it was not a member of the class but a spouse who we tried to guess might have been part of our class.

We spotted a tall blond woman who we recognized as our economics classmate Anglie Leonard. Then a short, squat woman came in, and both Mike and I guessed correctly that it was Flora Mann, who was the varsity basketball cheerleader.

Suddenly everyone already in attendance looked to the entrance where five photographers were shooting film of a woman as she entered. She was beautiful, tall, and had a smooth tan complexion. Neither Mike nor I had any idea of who she might be, when my wife and Sally both said in unison, “That’s Francheska.”

Francheska was dressed in a stunning formal gown and walked toward our registration table. “Who is Francheska?” Mike and I asked our wives, and were told that she was the leading woman in all of the finest French films.

“Why is she here?” I asked. “I don’t think she was part of our class.”

Francheska came up to us, made a low bow, and then turned to the people already there and made another low bow. It was then that Mike and I looked at each other, and I said, “It’s Fanny, the waitress.”

My clue was her very large rear, which Mike and I remembered from our college classes and her part-time job serving us pizza at the pizza parlor near school. Clearly she had gone far since then!

Albert Zimbler is a 92-year-old author of six humor short story books on Amazon of which MORE DATING AND MATING SECRETS OF SENIORS AND OTHER HUMOR SHORT STORIES is the latest. He also teaches senior improv.