A Close Call
By Jim Ford

The rain was coming down in sheets and the wind was blowing the heavy Lincoln all over the highway.

"Pull off the road, Joe," begged Cindy. "The radio says there is a tornado warning."

"Where do you suggest I pull off?" Joe replied. "Water is on both sides of the road."

"Look up ahead. I see lights."

As he got nearer Joe could see a building with a sign that read "Earl's Cafˇ'. He maneuvered the Lincoln into a space next to a vintage coupe.

"Be careful," pleaded Cindy. "Daddy will kill me if you scratch his car."

"Baby, we are running away in his car. I don't think a scratch is going to make much difference."

"How much further to your sister's house in Ruston?"

"Well," answered Joe. "We exited the Interstate a few miles back. We are between Gibsland and Arcadia on highway 80. There are maybe twenty miles to go. Let's go in and get something to drink."

As they dashed to the door a lightening flash lit up the area.

Earl's Cafˇ was a run down weather-beaten relic from a time before the interstate highway had rerouted most of the traffic. As Joe pushed the door open, paint peeled off in his hand.

They stepped inside and were surprised that the interior looked almost new. There were bright red booths and chrome tables and chairs.

"This is neat," said Cindy. "It looks like something out of an old movie."

"Y'all come on in," said a heavyset woman in a waitress uniform. "Can I get you kids something to eat", she asked as she led them to a booth.

"Just some coffee, please," answered Cindy.

The woman was back in a moment with two steaming cups of black coffee.

"What is this?" Joe whispered as he held up the delicate china cup. "Do I have to hold my pinkie out?"

"Oh be quiet," Cindy answered. "Its part of the ambience."

Joe sipped his coffee and looked around the room. Everybody was grouped around a table in the rear.

"Look how everyone is dressed?" he told Cindy. "It looks like they are made up for a play."

"Yea," she answered. "Everybody is in old fashion clothes."

The waitress saw them looking and came over to their table.

"Would y'all like to meet Bonnie and Clyde?"

"Who?" asked Joe.

"The most famous outlaws since Jesse James are right here in Earl's," she answered proudly.

"You remember the movie," whispered Cindy.

"Yes,' said Joe. "I seem to remember that they were killed somewhere near here."

"What do you mean killed?" said the waitress. "There aint been a lawman born that can kill Clyde Barrow."

"This is too weird," said Cindy as they walked to the table where a man and a woman were holding court before a group of local citizens.

Clyde was a short slender man in his early twenties. He was clad in a gray suit with a fedora hat pushed back on his head. He was leaning back in his chair enjoying the adulation.

Bonnie was sitting at his side, chain smoking Lucky Strike cigarettes and saying little. She was an attractive young woman in a long dress. Her hair was tightly permed in the fashion of the day.

"The law dogs have no idea where we are," Clyde was saying. "We will stay a while and then I've got a little bank job planned for Oklahoma."

"Clyde, Honey, don't tell everybody our plans," admonished Bonnie. "There's no use taking chances."

"These folks aint gonna squeal on us," Clyde replied, "and besides this will take care of the Law." He took a revolver from his pocket and twirled in around his finger.

"Watch out," shouted Joe. "Playing with a gun is taking this charade too far."

Clyde took notice of Joe for the first time. "Who is this punk?" he said as he walked over to him still waving the revolver.

"Do you want a piece of me wise guy," he said as he stuck the gun under Joe's chin.

Joe grabbed Clyde's wrist and twisted his arm around behind him. As he applied more pressure the gun dropped to the floor and went off with a loud report.

"Damn," said Joe. "That was a loaded gun. I thought you guys were play acting."

Clyde Barrow stood back rubbing his wrist and studying Joe with mean little eyes. He nodded to Bonnie and she reached into her purse, pulled out a snub nosed revolver and tossed it over to Clyde.

All the locals backed away from the table anticipating the blood that was about to be spilled.

"You have done gone and done it now boy," said one man. "Nobody shames Clyde Barrow and lives."

Before the psychotic outlaw could act on his instinct the front door burst open and a man ran in shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Take shelter," he shouted. "There's a twister headed straight for this place."

Everybody scattered leaving Joe and Cindy alone in the middle of the cafˇ. He dragged her over to one of the booths and pulled it down over the table. They crouched under it as the full fury of the tornado hit Earl's Cafˇ.

All that saved them was the table which was anchored to the floor. They hung on for dear life until the twister moved on.

When they crawled out they were alone and the cafˇ was blown over half the parish. A flashing red light approached and a State Trooper determined they were unhurt and sent them on their way with these words, "You kids are lucky to be alive but it's a shame that this old landmark was demolished. Earl's is famous as the place Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow visited their last night on earth."

Joe and Cindy looked at each other but said nothing. Joe turned the car around and headed back home. They had decided that they had experienced one close call too many.