One Saturday morning, when I was in college [[Fall of 1967), I drove down to campus because I heard that Robert F Kennedy was going to be in town, making a brief stop. During the many hours that I waited, I met and shared the time with another student named, Alice. My name is Allan and I wondered if anyone ever called her Al [[like they did me)? She said, yes... we talked and talked.
When I was ready to give up, thinking RFK was not coming, I had an idea: to call the local newspaper and ask them... I did just that and they told me he was in town - just running late. As I walked out of the store, heading across the street to tell Alice what I had learned, we were both moved by the push of the huge crowd - we had no choice but to go with the flow. We were pushed right up to the car containing RFK. He was standing in a convertible speaking to us.
Alice was shorter than I and couldn't see or touch RFK. I lifted her up in front of me so that she had a great view and could shake hands with him...... In just a few minutes, he was finished talking and the car began to move away... he was gone. We spent the rest of the day together, went for coffee / hot chocolate... I walked her to the parking structure - it felt like we were very close... We said goodbye and as I was driving home, I realized that I had not asked for her phone number! I knew her first name, what street she lived on [[Outer Drive) and that she was a student at WSU in Detroit.
A few months later, RFK was killed and I would have given ANYTHING to be able to talk with her, again. I have never forgotten her and although we would be in our 60's, now, it would mean so much to see her again. In fact, I am writing all this in hopes she or someone she knows will read it. ANYONE that is a close friend of Alice's, no doubt has heard this story...
Bookmarks