I pull into the first restaurant I come to. The wooden sign in front of the building reads Opal’s Diner. The paint is extremely faded and it sits kind of wonky, less than perpendicular to the ground. But it touts the best peach cobbler in the South, which sounds promising enough for me. From the outside, the building has a hole-in-the-wall vibe, with cracked brick, faded red and white checkered valances, and windows in need of good washing. But that’s not a deterrent. I’ve had some of the best food ever at little dingy places back in New York.
Slipping smoothly into the first available parking spot, I shift into park and cut off the engine. Grabbing my bag from the seat beside me, I slip out and head around to the entrance. With the glass front windows and glass door, it’s easy to see inside as I get closer. It’s larger than I expected, although not huge. There are a decent number of tables in an open seating area, and booths along the walls. The cool air that assaults my body when I step inside is a relief. The ten or so seconds it took to walk to the door was all it took for a sheen of sweat to glaze my forehead and droplets to form on my back. Have I mentioned how hot the South is? And the gnats? Don’t get me started on those. Nearly invisible annoying little bastards.
“Welcome in!” a friendly voice calls from the counter off to the side. I may not like the heat or the bugs, but the easygoing, friendly attitudes are very charming. I’m starting to believe southern hospitality is an actual thing. Squaring my shoulders, I step up closer to the counter. “Hi there, sugar. You must be new here. I don’t recognize ya and I know everyone, ’specially the handsome fellas.” An older woman at the register says this by way of greeting and waves me closer. I smile at her accent as I step up to the register. Sugar sounds like shuga. “You eaten here yet?”
“No ma’am. I’ve not yet had the pleasure. My family and I moved here a few weeks ago and this is the first I’ve stopped in. I’m Dacen Becker, by the way.”
Both of her soft, wrinkled hands wrap around my outstretched hand and she gives it a vigorous shake. The many bangles on her wrists jingle with the movement.
“And I’m Opal Hayes. It’s so nice to meet new people, and you are quite the treasure, I can already tell. I have a sense about these things.”
“And you are an absolute dream. I also have a sense about these things.” My quick wink lights up her face and she pats my hand.
“You sure know how to flatter the ladies. I bet you’ll have yourself a girl here in no time, assuming you haven’t got one already.”
I swallow a laugh and cough lightly, then promptly change the subject. “It smells mouth-wateringly good in here.”
“Thanks, sugar. I make the peach cobbler myself and can vouch for it personally. It’s a plate full of sweet southern comfort right down to the last bite, with or without ice cream. Although I recommend gettin’ a big scoop of vanilla bean on top.” She winks at me now and rests her hands on the faded counter in front of her.
“You’ve convinced me then. I’m definitely having some, à la mode for sure.”
Her pleased expression is punctuated with a beaming smile. “Wonderful. What else can I get ya?”
There are some things on the menu I’ve never tried and some I’ve never even heard of that sound kinda weird. I take the easy route for now and settle on a burger and fries to go with my cobbler and ice cream. I’m excited for my first taste of a real, southern dessert. Mom, bless her heart for trying, if she had to bake something delicious to save the lives of her children, we’d all be dead.
“All right, sweetie. Just set this number placard on the table and someone’ll bring the food over. I hope ya enjoy, and please do come back again.”
“I surely will. Nice meeting you, Ms. Hayes.”
“Opal, honey. Call me Opal. We don’t do none of that formal stuff here, at least not among friends.”
Her warm smile reaches all the way into my heart, leaving me a bit happier, a bit more settled, than before I stepped through the door. With a soft smile and a nod, I pick up the plastic number and walk away. Toward the back of the seating area, there’s an open booth that looks as good as any, so I set the number and my bag on the table, and slide into the high-backed bench seat. From my vantage point I can see most of the restaurant.
I settle back into the seat and take another look around. A teenage girl struggling to juggle two trays of food trash and two children catches my eye. A small boy is hanging on her leg while she tries to walk, and a little girl repeatedly tugs on her arm and points at something out the window. I watch the teen as she nods her head at the little girl, and then bends down slightly and says something to the boy. Whatever she’s said to him appears not to have done any good, because he tightens his grip on her leg as if he’s hanging on for dear life. She looks up at the ceiling and blows out a breath. I immediately slip out of my seat and head their way.
“Hi there, need some help with your trays?”
A grateful look overtakes her face and her eyes shine brightly. They’re the most mesmerizing shade of hazel I’ve ever seen, like my grandma’s collection of olive green depression glassware, which is actually quite beautiful despite the name.
“Thank you so much. You’re a godsend. It’s sometimes quite a hectic journey, you know, walking the five steps it takes to get from the table to the trash can.”
“You were so close,” I joke, and then carefully take the two trays from her.
A hearty laugh starts deep within her and rolls easily from her lips. “Close, and yet so far.” I make quick work of dumping the trash and place the trays in their designated spot on top of the trash can before turning back around. “Thank you again…” Her voice trails off, inviting me to fill in the blank with my name.
I hold my hand out for the second time since entering the restaurant and introduce myself. “Dacen Baker. My parents and I moved here a few weeks ago.”
She reaches around the little girl, who has her face buried in her bright yellow shorts and gives my hand a firm shake. “It’s great to meet you, Dacen. Welcome to Knoxton Falls! I’m Evelyn Tanner, but everyone calls me Evie. These twin rugrats are my brother and sister, Ollie and Maddie. You have a really cool name, by the way. It’s different.”
I never know what to say when someone compliments my name. Thank you? Thank my parents? I shrug, and the grin on my face seems stuck. Evie is a breath of fresh air and I can’t stop smiling. Her energy reminds me of Opal and makes me happy but in more of ayay, someone my agekind of way.
“It’s okay I guess. People don’t know what to do with it when they see it. Lord help them if they have to say it out loud before they’ve heard it. I get a lot of weird pronunciations. Dack-en. Day-ken. Dah-ken. I cannot tell you how many times over the years I’ve had to say ‘Dacen, like Jason’ to a teacher.”
Evie giggles. “You poor thing. Must get annoying. So are you a senior?”
I nod my answer before speaking. “Yeah. You?”
“Yep! Maybe we’ll have some classes together.” The hopeful sound in her voice at the prospect makes me happy, and the settled feeling slowly blooming in my chest spreads further. “I can totally show you around before school starts, give you the scoop on everything and everyone in our little town, if you’d like.”
