Strip Mall Surprise

We began to see the first sign of Strip Malls toward the end of World War Two. In fact I remember something of a barbed wire fence I used to peer through. Wilmington, North Carolina 1945. Just a theater, grocery and truck stop. But behind those walls of new laid brick and mortar was a dare of dares, no one can top. A barb wire fence built to keep someone in. GERMANS ! (I was to sworn to secrecy) Billy Fenster caught me peeping around the corner to get a look at what I was not supposed to see. Look at Mr. Scaredy he said, and with a snide look on his face, “I d-double dare you to go to the fence painted red.” Siddling along the brick like a crab doing the moon walk I stayed in the shadow feeling light in my head. Kommen zie hier, I heard. Seeing enough Don Winslow movies, I knew what he meant. I walked but nothing did I utter. Through the metal he handed me a baseball. In large letters he had scrawled “Gruber” I saluted and he returning smiled and needed no speaking. I returned to Billy with my chest in elation. And the baseball is still in my possession. © Jun 12 2010 Charles Henderson