Bandstand Novelization

Donny Novinski

The sun's fully disappeared by the time I make it through my front door. Tossing my keys onto the little wood stand my eyes linger on Michael's photo as they do every night when I come home from work. I smile at the little black and white portrait before hanging my coat and heading to the kitchen.

Mom is already in her night robe with her curlers in. She sits alone at the table shuffling through her favorite deck of cards. "Evening mama." I say, kissing her on the cheek in passing. 

"How was work?" She asks, her eyes not leaving her deck.

I start the oven and think back on my day. "It was work." I say not taking my eyes off my task. I grab a dinner from the freezer and head back to pop it in. With dinner cooking I lean back against the nearest counter waiting for her to say something else.

I watch her eyes glance up for a moment. "Aren't you supposed to bake some cookies for the youth group?" I roll my eyes and move to the pantry. Yes I am. And what else is there for me to do on a Tuesday night?

I've just finished cutting the dough into little circles when the oven dings and the doorbell rings at the same time. 

Tossing the cookie cutter down quickly, I run to the oven and with oven mitts I place the chicken pie on the iron rack stove top. Tucking the mitts into my apron I hustle to the front door. Peeking out the peephole I don't see a soul. Suddenly annoyed I throw the door open and step out onto the stoop. Looking up and down the street I see the figure of a grown man walking north. There's no other soul to be seen.

"Hey!" I call out. The man stops. "Aren't you a little old for ding dong ditch?" He turns. He's dressed in a long sleeved white shirt, his tie undone, his dinner jacket thrown over a shoulder, a man on his way home from a long day of work. He walks back to me, resting on the railing below my stairs.

"You're Julia." He states simply. Suddenly nervous I put one foot back on the other side of the door, so I can escape back inside if I need to.

"Do I know you?" I continue to slink back to the safety of my foyer.

Suddenly aware of how it might look he steps away, "No, no... I.. I recognize you from a picture."

"Well, I certainly hope there's no picture of me looking like this." I stop. It suddenly dawns on me. He knew the address and he knows me. My heart starts beating and I step back outside fully. "Did you want something?" I study him with longing eyes, wanting him to tell me he knew my husband, that he was a friend to Michael in his time overseas.

He gives me a sad smile, realizing that he's been uncovered. "I'm Donny Novitski. I was a buddy of Michael's in the 37th."

I feel my mouth drop open, but no words come out.

"Who is it?" I hear mom call from inside the house. 

I turn my head to answer, "It's a friend of Michael's, mom." I can't hide my intrigue in my own voice.

Donny smiles a little more and puts a foot up on the first step. "I would've called first, I didn't have the number." He leans forward, his hand propped against his chin.

Stepping to the edge of the stairs I crack the door behind me. "I didn't mean to be rude. I'm sorry I'm a mess, I was baking cookies for a church group." I push some flyaway hair behind my ear and look up to find Donny studying me

"I don't wanna bother you..." He says.

"No," I say a little too quickly. "it's...it's no bother." I smile sweetly, trying to contain myself. "He mentioned you a lot in his letters. How did you find me?" 

"Michael gave me the address." Oh to hear his name said out loud. 

"And...you're supposed to check in on me." I say a little fire in my voice. Men had come by before to share their condolences, but why this man, why now?

"I'm just awfully sorry." He says, the sadness returning. The sadness that so many men walk around with these days.

I straighten up. "Well I'm getting along. I have my mama."

Donny doesn't seem to know what to do with the information because he changes the subject, "Say, I, uh...I have some pictures of Michael. From when we were over there."

"You do?" I thought I had all that I would ever have of him.

"I didn't think to bring them, I worked tonight... Maybe you'd want to see them sometime."

"Sure." I say waiting.

"I could come back." Suddenly alive again I jump too quickly once again.

"Uh, you could come for dinner!" 

Donny steps away, the last thing I want to do is scare him away. "I don't want to impose-"

 I interrupt him wanting him to agree. "How about Thursday? Say 5:30?"

My insistence seems to have won him over. "Sure. If you're sure." He flashes a genuine smile.

"I'll see you then." I say. 

"Have a good night Mrs. Trojan..." The use of my last name hangs on in the air. He realizes what he's said, a look of terror overcoming him. His head drops low and he turns quickly on his heel.

I find myself watching him even as he's taken by the shadows of the street. Everyone still calls me Mrs. Trojan. I've done nothing to stop them from doing so. 

I lock the door as I make my way back into what is suddenly a colder house. I sit at the kitchen table without a word to the food that mom has already portioned out. 

"A friend of Michael's?" She asks.

I feel the tears brimming my eyes. "Donny Novinski." I answer. "He has pictures." 

"You suppose he..."

"Knows what happened?" I ask sniffing back tears.

"Oh honey." Mom drops her fork on her plate and wraps me in her arms in a long embrace. 

It's been a long time since I've wept over Michael, so why is it that Donny Novinski can show up at my front door and undo all the healing I've done?