Leftover Baggage from Llanview

9

Dorian:

After a restful, quiet Friday night and wonderful Saturday with David and Risa, I arrive at twelve-thirty on Sunday and park at the large covered parking lot at Beltway Plaza in Greenbelt.

I like that the lot has a large roof...it's early October, but still quite sunny and rather mild...not summer-hot anymore, but still rather warm.

Since I'm a half hour early, I walk around the mall a bit, taking in the wide corridors and even gaze a minute at fall decorations in one of the specialty store windows.

Then I head over to Silver Diner and am seated by five minutes to one. Tina is often late, so I'm not at all surprised that she is not here yet.

Looking around, I see that it's more of a diner than a café and it reminds me of Carlotta's diner back in Llanview.

At one-twenty, I order lunch...a fish and beet dish, which turns out to be delicious.

I read a while, then check my e-mails and e-mail a few friends, including Carlotta.

I smile when there's an e-mail from Carlotta...she and Addie have been in touch.

Just as I thought, Addie is becoming active in Catholicism...I'm happy for her.

Carlotta and both of her sons are active in the Catholic church and sometimes do volunteer work with Catholic charities.

Carlotta's oldest son, Antonio lives in Gettysburg where he's just made detective and has two young daughters.

Her younger son Cristian, recently moved to Spain after accepting an art professor position in Barcelona.

I'm also glad to get an e-mail from my second daughter, Adriana, who is now living in Mount Vernon.

I'm glad that she's settled down after we went through several tumultuous fights during her teen years.

E-mails answered, I lock my phone and pocket it and people watch for a while, eating idly.

The old-fashioned clock on the wall over the front counter tells me that it's now one-forty...I smile ruefully at Tina's continuing lateness.

It used to drive Viki and Cord almost insane, although Viki and Cord are often late themselves.

I idly wonder what he's doing these days and if he and Tina are still married, although I really don't care.

After finishing my lunch, I order dessert...decaf coffee and cheesecake. I am trying to limit my intake of caffeine per a fellow doctor's recommendation due to my nerves.

Not wanting to take chances of Tina actually seeing my credit card information, I decide to pay and close my check early.

I let my server know that my companion will be paying separately in another check.

My Llanview days have taught me to be extra careful with my bank account information.

In addition for her trouble, I give the waitress a very generous tip since I see her warily eyeballing the empty seat across from me and probably wondering where my companion is.

Her eyes widen a bit when she sees my seventy-dollar tip and she breathes a soft, "Thank you, ma'am."

As she walks back to the front, I wonder if she is a university student struggling through college like I once was...she does appear to be in her early twenties.

Perhaps she is a student at the nearby Maryland U or at Prince Georges Community.

I'm licking off the last of the strawberry sauce off my fork when finally Tina shows up.