Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

SEPTEMBER 15, 1924

Two weeks after Ruth Jamison left to go home and get married, Idgie drove into Valdosta and parked on the main street, in front of the newspaper office, next to the barbershop. About an hour later, she got out and walked across the street into the grocery store on the corner. It looked very much like her poppa’s store, only bigger, with a wooden floor and high ceilings.

She wandered around, looking at all the stuff. Soon, a balding man in a white apron said, “Can I help you, miss? What you gonna need today?”

Idgie told him she’d have some saltine crackers and a couple of slices of that cheese he had out on the counter. While he was slicing the cheese, Idgie said, “You don’t happen to know if Frank Bennett is in town today, do you?”

“Who?”

“Frank Bennett.”

“Oh, Frank. Naw, he usually just comes on up here on Wednesday to the bank, or sometimes he gets a haircut across the street. Why? You need to see him?”

“No, I don’t even know him. I was just wondering what he looked like.”

“Who?”

“Frank Bennett.”

He handed Idgie her crackers and cheese. “You want anything to drink with that?”

“No, this is fine.”

He took her money. “What does he look like? Well, let’s see.… Oh, I don’t know, just like anybody, I guess. He’s kind of a big fellow … got black hair, blue eyes … of course, he’s got that one glass eye.”

“A glass eye?”

“Yeah, he lost it in the war. Other than that, I’d say he’s a nice-looking fellow.”

“How old is he?”

“Oh, I guess he’s about thirty-four or thirty-five, somewhere around in there. His daddy left him about eight hundred acres of land about ten miles south of town, so he doesn’t come in much anymore.”

“Is he nice? I mean, is he well liked?”

“Frank? Oh, I’d say so. Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering. My cousin is engaged to him and I was just wondering.”

“You’re Ruth’s cousin? Oh! Now, there’s a fine person. Now, she’s well thought of. I’ve known Ruth Jamison since she was a little girl. Always so polite.… She teaches my granddaughter Sunday School. Are you visiting her?”

Idgie changed the subject. “I think I’d better have me something to drink with these crackers.”

“I thought you would. What you want? Milk?”

“Naw, I don’t like milk.”

“You want a cold drink?”

“Do you have a strawberry drink?”

“Sure do.”

“Give me one of them.”

He went to the drink box to get her drink. “We’re all pleased Ruth is going to marry Frank. She and her mother have had such a hard time of it since her daddy died. Last year, some of us over at the church tried to help out, but she won’t take a cent. Proud.… But then, I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. Are you staying with them?”

“No. I haven’t seen them yet.”

“Well, you know where the house is, don’t you? It’s just two blocks down. I can run you over there if you like. Did she know you were coming?”

“No, that’s all right. I’ll tell you the truth, mister, it would be better if they didn’t know I was here. I’m just passing through on business, I’m a traveling saleswoman for the Rosebud Perfume Company.”

“You are?”

“Yes. And I’ve got a few more stops to make before I get back home, so I better be going.… I just wanted to be sure that this Frank was okay, and I don’t want her to know that the family was worried about her. It might upset her. So, I’m just gonna go home and tell her aunt and uncle, my momma and daddy, that everything is fine, and most likely we’ll all be back for the wedding and it would just upset her to know and to think that we were asking around, so I’m just gonna head on home now, and thanks.”

The storekeeper watched the strange young woman in the railroad overalls back out of the store.

He called out, “Hey! You didn’t finish your cold drink!”