Bigfork ladies go bowling

It was a warm summer morning. 

Mom was sitting at her desk near the bar’s front window, posting the books for the last week. Dad was talking with Spike and Long George at the bar.  I was tinkling the ivories on the old upright piano in the back room, picking out The Yellow Rose of Texas (a favorite on our jukebox).

Mom walked through the back room toward the Ladies Room, wiggling her fingers behind her back, her signal for me to follow for 'girl talk.'  I jumped off the piano stool and happily followed her.

“Sugar, don’t tell your father, but when we go to town today, I’m joining a ladies' bowling league.”

I knew what bowling was because we could watch it on the bar TV on Saturday afternoons, during the hour after the test pattern.  "But Mom, ladies don't bowl!"

"I know Sugar, but times are changing.  There are six of us ladies from Bigfork who are forming a team."

"Who, Mamma?"

"Bunny, Kay, Marlene, and me. Yasuko and Lola are our alternates."

"Can I bowl too?"

"No, not during league.  But afterwards I'm gonna stay and practice, and you can help, OK?"

"Oh boy!, Mamma," I cheered, skipping out of the rest room, through the back room, and into the main room, with Mom right behind me.

"Daddy, Daddy, Mamma and I are going to town today, and..."  I felt her hand on my shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze.  Oops, I'm not supposed to tell him.  "...and I"m gonna get some new sandals!" I improvised.  Mom gave me a lopsided grin.

Mom hadn’t known how to drive very long, but already she had expert command of the car and the road. We drove up First Avenue West and pulled to a stop at the curb. Across the street was Kegler's bar and bowling alley. Usually we went into the bar with Daddy when we dropped off dry cleaning next door, but this time we went through the main door into the lobby of the bowling alley.  It smelled like wax and popped corn.

Kay and Marlene were already there.  Kay was new to Bigfork and eager to make new friends; her husband, John Nelson, had recently bought the Texaco station across the street from our bar. Marlene was our neighbor. Mom greeted them, then showed me where I could sit to watch, before going to the shoe counter to get a pair of bowling shoes. The door opened again, and in walked Lola with Bunny and Yasuko.  Lola Huston lived at the end of Bigfork's main street, across from Huston's grocery.  

I ran up to Bunny for a big hug.  "Where's Shari?" I asked.  

"Oh, I left her and Stevie at home with a baby sitter."  She looked at Mom and shrugged, then continued,  "Maybe I'll bring her next time."

There was another woman behind Bunny, tiny and dark-haired, and a little bit shy.  "Hi, Ya-suko," I said, giving her a little hug, "Are Akie and Mary at home too?" 

She put her hand on my shoulder, gently. "Hello, Cati," she said in broken English.  Her husband, Ak, had brought her back from Japan, after his military service, and he tended bar for us on the weekends. "Yeh, wit Ak."

After these introductions, I went back to my seat in the gallery; the women got their shoes and picked out bowling balls, then joined all the other teams by the lanes.  

To be continued.