Ernie

I saw the grin on his face when he walked through the door. At first I thought he was just a happy old fellow.

A short conversation later I realized that he was slightly lost and considerably reality challenged. I pointed him towards his correct destination on the opposite side of the parking lot.

He took two steps away then turned back.

“You’re sure a nice lady,” he approached. “My name is Ernie. What’s yours?”

“Pamela.” I told him as I shook his extended hand and attempted to smile; I hoped it did not reveal one of those “Oh dear, this is inevitable” grimaces.

His eyes brightened – and he slipped into the chair beside my desk.

“Oh, that’s a beautiful name,” he gushed.

Then he put his hand over his heart.

“Pamela is my soul-mate’s name,“ he said with a serious face and a deep sigh. “She’s in the Looney Bin. She shouldn’t be there, though. Someone was just jealous of her and that is why they put her there.”

He added a few more sorry facts, and then looked at me expectantly.

“I’m very sorry that happened,” was the best I could muster

His demeanor switched abruptly to the original wide grin and he leaned in closer.

“Have you seen Indiana Jones?” he asked in a conspiratorial undertone.

I was somewhat startled by the subject change but responded appropriately by shaking my head ‘No.” I also mentioned that my husband wanted to take me to see it and then I began to shuffle things on my desk.

He bent his head, arched his eyebrows, and darted his eyes back and forth in a secret agent impersonation.

Very loudly he whispered, “Well, I know that loose lips sink ships… but I just have to tell you … I’m in it!”

“The movie?” I kicked myself for even giving him another opening.

Excitement required him to draw a deep breath before he nodded his head in self-congratulations. Then he excitedly tapped his pointy fingers on his chest.

“I’m him… Indiana Jones.”

“Wow!” I recovered from a brief speechless moment and added, “Imagine that.”

There was more posturing before he eventually shook the hands of two of my younger co-workers, tipped his hat, and walked out the door.

When he was safely away, we all laughed – especially about Pamela in the Looney Bin.

--

A week later I was away from my desk when I saw him again walk through the door. .

“Hi Ernie,” I called from the opposite end of the room, “you’re on the wrong side of the parking lot again!”

A bewildered expression crossed his face and he was clearly puzzled.

“Have we met?” he queried.

“Yes…. You were here last week,” I clarified.

He seemed more at ease then, and promptly asked for my name. I couldn’t help being somewhat playful with him.

“Aha!” I giggled, “My name is the same as your lost soul-mate.”

Befuddled once more, he scrunched his eyebrows in concentration.

Then he broke my heart with his next revealing words.

“Julia?”