I peered up at the hazy August sky as Burt Reynolds moustache came into view. The Tacony-Palmyra Drive-In movie theatre was playing “Smokey & The Bandit” for the 5th straight week and the screen was conveniently visible from behind my Dad’s Flower shop on Route 73. It was an easy way to catch a free movie, just without the sound. Patty hurriedly rushed into the walk-in refrigerator looking for more pom poms as the funeral spray was hardly finished and it was nearly 8:15 pm. Susie and I played with Rip the cat petting her brown and black calico fur. “Lane! I’ve got to get these kids some dinner, you want me to send Ricky to the Palmyra Diner?” My Father replied, “Nah, we’ll be outta here in 20 minutes and grab something at House of Pizza.” About 45 minutes later, we piled into the Grand Torino station wagon and I got Mom to put on WFIL. Patty and I instantly harmonized as the key change kicked in “Looks Like we made it! Or I thought so til today, until you were there, everywhere and all I could take was love away we made it!” our voices, perfectly synchronized in tone and pitch. We pulled into House of Pizza and Dad ordered two large plain pizzas and a plain cheesesteak to
split. Perking up from orange laminated booth, my little sister, all five years of her, loudly contested, “I want mine without plain.” Mom leaned in to make sure she heard her right. “What?” “I said, I want my pizza without plain!” Well, Michael & I could hardly contain ourselves and erupted into an ear splitting laugh but Dad shushed us. “Now wait a minute you two, if Susie wants her pizza without plain, I’m going to let her have it. She worked hard today filling up those buckets of water for the carnations, Mom let’s let her have whatever she wants.” That knowing look between Mom and Dad was exchanged and suddenly we were all in on the joke. Susie was like a princess getting Dad’s approval and her pizza the way she wanted it. The cashier just shook his head and muttered something unrecognizable Italian. Ah sweet mystery of life at last I found you!