Author Note: Wow…I love all the new readers….thanks for the alerts…you have made my day! Now we find out why Eric was inspired to become a photographer….
Chapter 04 – Tell Me Why
The diner had plenty of open seats and Eric led Jackie to a table by the front window. "You never know what you'll see." He replied with a grin. He set his camera bag on the floor and pushed Jackie's seat in for her.
"Oh! How nice of you. Thanks." She exclaimed. She missed meeting guys with good manners. Eric sat down across from her and within seconds a gum smacking waitress came over to take their order.
"I'd like coffee and a bear claw if you have one." Jackie said.
The waitress winked at Eric, "What'll you have hon?" Eric thought the bouffant haired waitress would look good filmed in black and white. She had a 50's era look about her. "I'd like coffee with cream and sugar."
She smacked her gum, "Coming up." She turned to the cook behind the counter, "Two muds and a claw!" Then the waitress moved to another table to bus the dirty dishes.
"So how's the yellow brick road these days?"
Eric smiled at Jackie's two year old joke. "It's good; I'm heading back to Washington and New York. There's some book company that wants me to take pictures of lighthouses. I thought that would be interesting."
The waitress brought over the coffees and the bear claw on a plate. Eric spooned sugar into his and added the creamer. Jackie added some sugar substitute. "So Eric, what made you decide to be a photographer journalist thingy…I'm saying this wrong."
He smiled. "That's okay. I'm a photojournalist. Do you remember that time after high school I decided to take the year of to decide what I wanted to do with my life?"
She laughed, "Yes, I remember that huge butterfly net and… oh, you went on that road trip! You took a camera and the Vista Cruiser and disappeared! Your mom and Donna were so worried about you."
Eric could feel his ears redden. "Well, I thought I wanted to be a traveling documentary filmmaker. But I didn't know what I was doing. I was filming myself and frankly, I can be a pretty boring guy."
"Liar." Jackie laughed softly.
Eric chuckled. "I thought it would be a sensible career. Look at George Lucas…rich! Anyways, after I got that flat tire, I met up with Leo of all people and he said something that I've never forgotten. He said he was just wandering around trying to find his place is life."
"Wow…that's deep for a burned out hippie."
"I know! But that's how I felt. I never felt like I fit in. Kelso was a cadet, Hyde had Grooves, Donna had Madison and tuition all sewed up. I had nothing. Although my idea of a movie about monkeys was still a good idea – I couldn't do space battles because really, how was I going to get out into space?"
"Good question."
"But Jackie…the one thing that little excursion did for me was make me realize that I had to get out of this tiny town. I think my one day road trip helped me grow up…at least a little bit."
Jackie sipped her hot coffee. She looked at Eric over the rim of her cup. The man sitting across from her had traveled more miles than anyone she ever knew and saw things that would make people cry but he was still decent and unflawed. She had seen all of his printed work and some of the photos were disturbing pictures of death or horror, and they spoke to her. Eric had been there seeing, smelling, hearing tragedy and feeling those emotions as he snapped the photo.
"Tell me about your first picture."
Well, I was about six and mom gave me this plastic camera that was really a squirt gun and I shot Kelso in the eye and made him cry…"
Jackie laughed and the pair of them talked and reminisced over three cups of coffee. It wasn't until the diner filled up with the lunch crowd that they realized they had been there too long.
"Hey, I need to take you back or your mom will think you left without saying goodbye. Trust me, she'll kill me."
Eric was sorry to see Jackie go; he really enjoyed having a decent conversation with someone that wasn't all one sided. The memories they discussed were happy times and he was glad that he could take those thoughts with him on the road.
1985 was Eric's most unproductive year. He wasn't worried about money; he had enough to last for two lifetimes. He just didn't know what he wanted to film. He ended up getting a small studio apartment just outside of Washington and decided to photograph landmarks. It was while he was setting up his darkroom, he found a roll of used film lying in the bottom of his leather camera bag.
Curious, Eric prepared his chemical bath and readied the neutralizer and began the process of developing film. After he put the negatives in the stop bath and added the fixer, he washed the paper and images of Jackie Burkhart from his Point Place visit last year start appearing on the page. He rinsed the pages and hung them to dry on his portable clothesline.
Her blue/green eyes were just gorgeous and if he magnified that part of the picture, he could probably sell the shot to an optometry magazine. Or keep it himself as a reminder of home. The pictures of her holding her arms in the air could rival any model that appeared on the front page of Vogue. He smiled, Jackie would probably like that!
It was a great roll of film and Eric had a good feeling about it. Now he just had to find the right buyer.
Eric was in New York and watched from the streets as the ball in Times Square dropped changing from 1985 to 1986. He shivered with the legions of party people welcoming in the New Year and he never felt more alone. There he was standing in the middle of the crowd with confetti falling and horns blowing and of all things, he was missing one of his mom's stupid, ridiculously horrible New Years Eve parties.
Eric got involved in a growing movement for preventing hunger and homelessness. He had photographed some of those sad dirty faces that just wanted a hot meal. His depictions of the deplorable and appalling cardboard houses were captured by popular magazine. In May of 1986, Eric joined a human chain that stretched from New York City to California. Over five million people were raising money to fight homelessness and the hunger that accompanied it. Hands Across America was a huge success and Eric's candid pictures elevated him to a more celebrity status than ever before.
Eric was later invited with other high profile photographers to the re-opening of the Statue of Liberty that July. He took plenty of side pictures he thought his mom would like and experimented with other filters and lenses. Newsweek bought his negatives and paid a pretty price.
Jackie was celebrating with Fez. She had just sold her 100th home. Since branching out to Kenosha and lower Wisconsin, her percentages went up and she was finally a force to be reckoned with. 1986 was a banner year and Jackie Burkhart finally had her own billboard. Her smiling face looked down on everyone driving into Point Place and she loved it.
"Oh, goddess, we should add that you get your hair cut at my salon." Fez said excitedly. "Then I would get more business and I can hawk your houses out of my salon."
"Ew, gross. You can't hawk houses Fez. That sounds like something nasty you spit on the ground. You sell houses." Jackie held up the champagne. "Another toast!"
Fez held up his glass for a refill. "To Jackie Burkhart…the prettiest and most successful real estate agent in the lower Wisconsin area." Jackie clinked her glass to his. "To me."
Within the hour, Fez had passed out on the floor. Jackie was giddy with excitement and hugged herself. She closed her eyes and listened to the laugh track on the television and laughed herself. The ringing of the phone was like a buzz in her ear. "Fez… get that would you?"
Fez groaned and Jackie fell to the floor and crawled catching the telephone on the last ring. "This is …. Wait…who am I? Hello?"
"Jackie? It's Eric. Are you okay?"
"Oh, Dorothy…yeah, I'm just a dribble lunk. I mean a little…drunk." She hiccupped into the receiver. "Where are you?"
"I'm in New York actually. I wanted to fly out."
"Man…your arms are gonna get so tired. People can't fly Eric."
He chucked into the telephone. "Jackie, you're not a little drunk, you're a lot dunk. What's the occasion?"
"OH!" she began loudly, "Me and Fez are celebrating because…Fez, wake up! Because I got my own billboard – Fez passed out."
"Hey good for you Glenda – you take a nap and I'll call you in the morning."
"Eric…ERIC! .Is my voice too loud?" it sounded loud in her ears.
"No Jackie…it's just right. Good night."
Fez woke up with the sun shining through the front window right into his eyes like a laser. He grabbed his head with both hands and groaned. Why was he on the floor? He sat up and found Jackie hanging off the sofa with the telephone still in her hand.
"Jackie." He said but in his head it sounded like he was shouting. He nudged her and she murmured, "Good night Dorothy." Fez took the receiver and put it back I the cradle. He nudged her shoulder, "Jackie wake up. We need coffee."
Jackie rolled and opened bleary eyes. "Wha…what happened?"
Fez was rubbing circles on his temples. "Potent champagne – we drank too much. Where's your aspirin."
She lifted a heavy arm and pointed to the kitchen, "Left drawer by the stove. Get me two."
A couple cups of coffee later and a few Tylenol too, the hangovers were minimal. Jackie even attempted to make some toast. Fez rubbed his eyes, "Aiiy….we cannot drink that again. Ever!" he declared.
Jackie was holding her head in her hands. "You are so right."
Fez poured another cup of coffee. "Why were you holding the phone?"
She looked up and blinked, "What? Why was I holding…oh, Eric called! Why did he call? Oh, he's in New York and is going to fly out."
Fez grinned, "I haven't seen Eric in six years. I wonder if he's still as skinny as me."
Jackie smiled. "No, actually he looks really good. He got muscles and he's tan…I think he works out... not that you're skinny Fez."
Fez pulled over the sugar bowl. "Oh would you know this?" Jackie tucked her hair behind her ears, "I've seen him a couple of times over the years."
"Aiiy, why didn't you call us! Kelso would like to see him too. Don't be so selfish." Fez nearly pouted. Jackie patted his arm. "He was in town to see his parents. I just happened to be there."
"Well, just remember his other friends when he calls you again" Fez reprimanded. Jackie smiled, "I promise." The telephone started ringing and the pair looked at each other. Fez grinned, "I'm answering that!"
Jackie glared at him, "My phone. Don't touch it!" Fez launched himself out of the chair and sailed across the coffee table. "This is Fez. Talk to me."
"Fez? Hey buddy…it's good to hear your voice."
"Eric! My favorite American friend…how good to hear your voice." Fez stuck his tongue out at Jackie. "When do we get to see you? Ow! Jackie, let go of my hair!"
Eric heard some commotion and then Jackie's voice came over the phone. "Hey Eric…we were celebrating too much last night and Fez drank all the champagne. But, how are you?"
"Great. I'm coming in for a few days next week. I'd really like to see Kelso and family and of course Fez. Do you mind picking me up from the airport again?"
"No, just let me know your flight number and day, I'll get the gang together."
She could hear the smile in his voice. "I would really like that – thanks Glenda. You are a good witch!"