Evelyn Couch, 35 year old, plump brown-haired woman was on vacation. Evelyn planned her trip beforehand. She wanted to spend a couple of weeks somewhere near Birmingham, Alabama.

Evelyn was sure there wouldn't be a problem with a room in a local hotel. Why would it be?

XXX

"What?" Evelyn was staring at the man behind the reception desk.

"Yes, ma'am, my words are absolute truth. Besides, do you see this sign, 'No free rooms'?"

"Y-yes." She couldn't believe what has happened.

"Unfortunately, it's the only hotel for many miles, but you can stay in Birmingham. You'll find a room in a hotel there in no time, I'm sure."

"I don't want to stay in Birmingham," Evelyn protested. "I want to be surrounded by nature."

"If you come here five days later, you'd find a room. But I can't help you now."

Evelyn sighed, turned back and leaved the hotel not saying a word.

The woman had a heavy suitcase, and she needed to take a rest before going somewhere. She didn't care what direction it would be. That hotel was closed for her. Happily, there was a bench nearby. Evelyn sat and put her suitcase on the bench near her.

She was very sad, and her face showed her feelings.

"I bet you wanted to get a room in this hotel." A pretty black-haired woman came to Evelyn. She was a bit older than the woman near her. She sat down not asking for invitation.

"There's no room," Evelyn replied emotionlessly and sighed. "The administrator suggested me to go to Birmingham. He's sure I'll find a room there in no time. But I decided to spend a couple of weeks here. I'm on vacation now."

The older woman was looking at Evelyn attentively. She didn't look back. The other woman saw enough to know that her feelings could be described as "a crush". "I'm sure here's at least one place where you'll have a room," she said.

"Some cheap and dirty motel, right?" Evelyn wasn't impressed.

"No, the place is very well cleaned."

Curiosity filled Evelyn, and she looked at her interlocutor for the first time. "A beautiful woman," she thought at once. "What do you mean?" She asked eagerly.

"I have a suggestion you can't refuse."

"I'm listening," Evelyn wanted desperately to know what the other woman had in mind.

"I'll show you the way, don't worry. It's fifteen minutes walking distance. Do you need help with your suitcase?"

"No, thank you, it's all right. I'm not tired any more. This bench was a very good help."

"Very well. Let's go."

The way took about twenty minutes before the two women had appeared near a middle sized house.

"What does it mean?" Evelyn required. "It looks like a usual house. It doesn't look like a place where a stranger can have a room."

"Why not?" The woman smiled at Evelyn. "There's a free room, and it's much cheaper than a hotel you wanted to stay in."

"Who is such a generous person?"

"You want to know answer at this question, yes? In this case we must go in, and you should sit down."

"All right."

The woman was sure her companion would fall or something. The suitcase seemed heavy.

Soon, they were sitting in the living room.

"Do you want to know the answer still?"

"Of course."

"Yes, you have to know to whom you'll pay for staying."

"Who?" At this time it was Evelyn who looked attentively at the other woman.

"Me," the answer came.

"You?! But . . ." Evelyn thought a few seconds before she asked more important question, "Why?"

"You needed the room desperately, and I happened to be nearby. I wanted to help you."

"Are you short of money?" Evelyn didn't realise at first what she had asked. She added quickly, "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. If I needed money, I would ask for a reasonable sum for you staying here. But here's no need, so you'll have to pay twice less than I would ask you."

"In this case, I need to thank you. I don't know what I would do now."

"I'm glad to help. My name is Virginia Threadgoode, but people call me 'Ninny'. I'm 40 years old. I live alone in this house. What about you?"

"I'm Evelyn Couch, 35 year old. I'm single and I'm from—" The woman said where she lived. She told about her job also.

"I'm glad you decided to spend part of your vacation here. The nature is simply beautiful." "But not as beautiful as you," Ninny finished inwardly.

"How much I need to pay?"

"Don't think about it, Evelyn. I'll tell you when time comes. I'm not going to receive payment beforehand, unless we have to buy food."

"Do you really mean it?" Evelyn didn't want to make a mistake. Such a hospitality seemed strange.

"Nothing to worry about. I have neighbours, and most of them are friends, but I would like to have another woman here in the house."

"It's so kind of you, Ninny."

"This day will be forever in our memory. Of course, we'll forget many details, but we'll never forget start of our friendship."

Evelyn was shocked. This beautiful Ninny not only helped her very much, but she wanted to be her friend? How she can be so lucky?

Again, Evelyn's face showed her emotions.

"Please, don't be shocked. Our little Whistle Stop isn't a big city where you can make new friends. Unfortunately, even if you live in a city, there are not many good people everywhere, somebody like you."

"Do I really seen like a good person who can be a good friend?"

"Of course, you are. Never doubt this."

Ninny told a lot about herself, her life and work and she asked Evelyn to tell something many times as well. They could talk for hours.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ninny realised about an hour later. "You would prefer to go outside. It's the reason why you came here, is it?"

"I came here to take a rest being surrounded by beautiful nature. This is exactly what I have now. The view outside is beautiful, and I enjoy very much talking to you. It's much more than I could imagine."

"Anyway, we can talk outside. I'm sure you would like me to show our little town."

"I'd love to."

Neither of them, Evelyn especially, knew what it would lead to.

XXX

Unfortunately, Ninny didn't have vacation at that time, but she was going to try to change it from October to June.

She wanted to explain the situation at her workplace the following day. She decided not to say anything to Evelyn. It supposed to be a pleasant surprise if everything happen as she planned.

On the first day Ninny decided not to tell her neighbours about Evelyn. She wanted them two to spend time together, at least one day. "Nobody else will be there," she thought.

"Do you like what you see?" Ninny meant no subtext.

Evelyn looked at her for a few moments. "Of course," she replied. It was about Ninny, not nature surrounding them.

Ninny didn't understand the reply, but she was glad.

"You must be very hungry, Evelyn."

She wanted to eat, but she didn't want to ask. "No, thank you. I ate a few sandwiches on the way to the hotel."

"All right, but I cooked something this morning, and it happened to be your favourite meal."

"You mean? . . ."

"Yes, dear, but if you don't want, it will be gone very soon without your help. Your next answer will be final decision. Yes or no?"

"Yes."

"In this case, time to go back."

Neither Ninny, nor Evelyn had such a pleasant dinner since they eat with their families.

"It was delicious," Evelyn commented after they had finished eating. She was gazing at Ninny.

"I hoped you would like it."

"I love it."

Ninny smiled. "The weather is fine. We must continue our tour around the town."

The two women felt very comfortable together. It felt like they had been best friends for many years.

"Do you want to hear some of the funny stories I knew living here my whole life? I was a witness of some of the events."

"You have skills for telling. Please."

Ninny wanted Evelyn to laugh and smile, and it took a few minutes to achieve her goal.

"These stories are so funny, but they wouldn't be so interesting if somebody tell them instead of you."

"Even when I was talking about real events?"

"Yes, especially the ones you witnessed. I would like to be there with you. All this seems so interesting."

"I would love it too. Just imagine, ten years ago or more, we'd be together and could laughing at these stories and would see what I saw here." Ninny didn't mean "together" as a couple, but she'd like it very, very much.

"Dear, you must be glad I decided to spend a couple of weeks here."

"You don't know how glad I am." Bright smile could show only a part of Ninny's happiness. If she kissed Evelyn on the lips, a few hot kisses would probably explain enough. But in this case, Ninny would want something more, at least a little.

The women didn't realise that they were standing, holding hands and looking at each other attentively. They were near the forest, and there was nobody nearby.

"I love the name of the town," Evelyn thought. "I would like to stop here forever."

"Happiness is temporarily. Evelyn is the best example of it," Ninny thought. "I hope my plan about vacation will be accepted."

It was time to go home. "I'd like you to meet neighbours, but not today."

"I'd like to know people who are part of your life."

"And you're part of my temporary family," Ninny added inwardly.

The women didn't want to stop holding hands, but they had to.

Ninny needed to go to work the following day, so she went to bed earlier than she wanted.

XXX

Their friendship was the beginning, but Ninny's suggestion to show the town changed everything for them. No matter how their walk seemed at the beginning, later the women thought about it as their first date.