by Jonathan Ferrini<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the management and staff of the Lookout Lounge high atop the Grand Dame hotel of the beautiful \u2018City by the Bay\u2019, we welcome you to our New Year Celebration welcoming in 1942.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re joined by the Xavier Cugat Orchestra whose musicians of magic are finely tuning their instruments in anticipation of the new year.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we celebrate, let us not forget our courageous soldiers and sailors fighting for freedom throughout the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll return shortly to join you in the countdown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to speak with you, Molly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know a cozy nook just off the lobby where we can talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish you\u2019d allow me to accompany you to the ship in the morning, Butch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to kiss you and say goodbye.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may be my last opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStop with the doom and gloom hooey, sweetie.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fellas from the ship are fetching me after the party.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe joint is open all night and serves a great breakfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll be more comfortable up here and I\u2019ll use a flashlight to signal you as my ship passes under the Golden Gate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat can a flash of light say to a broken-hearted woman who may never see her beloved, again?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will say \u2018I love you always\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a Signalman First Class of the U.S. Navy and will send my kisses by flashing lights.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook for the on, off, on, off signal flash from my heart to yours.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, with my big mouth, beating heart, and every bone in body, I\u2019ll ask you in person.<\/p>\n
\u201cWill you marry me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, darling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve loved you ever since the Junior Prom in high school and dreamed of this moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou quit college to enlist for this damn war and I pray we\u2019ll be reunited, again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUncle Sam will wrap up this mess in the Pacific in a jiffy, and for my engineering degree, the Campanile and Sather Gate won\u2019t be going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHold me, tight, Butch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m frightened for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour sweet heart is racing against my chest, honey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned a trick about goal setting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you write something down instead of thinking about it, the thought is now concrete and will become a reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s look around for a secret place to put a note.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have a piece of paper and something to write with?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing, Butch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Mister, do you have a pencil and a scratch of paper?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHere\u2019s a fountain pen.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep it Sailor and happy hunting!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, mister.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou brushed against the beautiful painting on the wall and it\u2019s ajar, Butch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it, Molly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll write our note on the wall just behind the painting.<\/p>\n
\u201cHold the painting to the side while I write.<\/p>\n
\u2018Butch proposed to Molly on December 31, 1941.<\/p>\n
\u2018We\u2019ll return to this place after the war to celebrate our marriage.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThe note will remain our secret behind this painting until we return, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLadies and gentleman, let\u2019s begin the countdown to the New Year!<\/p>\n
\u201cMaestro, strike up the orchestra!<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s all begin the countdown,<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Happy New Year!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you, Butch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you, Molly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\u201cTime flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Nathanael Hawthorne<\/em><\/p>\n \n \u201cWe\u2019re behind schedule on the remodel, Jones.<\/p>\n \u201cI need those paintings removed, wall stripped, primed, and painted before days end.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome of these paintings look like relics, boss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe term is \u2018vintage\u2019 and this entire hotel and everything inside have been historically designated as landmark\u2019s which means handle with care!<\/p>\n \u201cNotify me and an employee of the hotel if you notice anything unusual, Jones.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m late for a meeting with the crew downstairs.<\/p>\n \u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThose works of art are masterpieces and haven\u2019t been moved since this hotel was built over a hundred years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cBe careful how you handle them, Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s a kid wearing a red vest know about anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Armando not \u2018kid\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou work here, Armando?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a busboy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll start with this big painting first.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like one of those sailing ships from the Gold Rush days.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll grab it with both hands and simply lift it off the hook.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn, it won\u2019t budge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet me help you but let\u2019s be careful \u2018cause we\u2019ll both lose our jobs if we damage the painting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGrab one side from the bottom and when I count to three, lift up and help me gently set it to the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cOne, two, three.<\/p>\n \u201cLift!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe did it, Armando.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe got a problem, Jones.<\/p>\n \u201cCheck out the writing on the wall behind the painting.<\/p>\n \n \u2018Butch proposed to Molly on December 31, 1941.<\/p>\n \u2018Will return to this place after the war to celebrate our marriage.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019ll just paint over it and nobody will ever know.<\/p>\n \u201cBesides, who cares?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI care because everything inside this old hotel is history and we consider it heirlooms.<\/p>\n \u201cI must notify the hotel manager.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m taking a photo of the inscription and YOU so don\u2019t touch it if you want to keep your job!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou ain\u2019t getting no argument from me, kid.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me,<\/p>\n \u201cArmando!\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to the KSF Evening News.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA mysterious love note from the bygone era of New Year\u2019s celebrations atop the Lookout Lounge was found by a painting crew. You can see the lovely note on your screen. City officials have ordered that all work within the area cease pending an investigation by hotel management and city staff historians.<\/em><\/p>\n Anybody with knowledge about the note, Molly, or Butch, are urged to contact our station or city hall.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n \u201cGet my Defense Department liaison on the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Senator.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cButch and Molly, I hope it worked out for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \n \u201cSan Francisco Tribune<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAccording to Department of Defense records, the only Naval vessel departing San Franciso on January 1, 1942 was the heavy cruiser, \u2018USS San Francisco\u2019 which became one of the most decorated ships of World War II. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAccording to DOD personnel records, the ship manifest included three sailors with the first name \u2018Butch\u2019. All three sailors were killed in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. They included a Lieutenant, a Gunner\u2019s Mate, and a Signalman.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe USS San Francisco took 45 direct hits and sustained heavy damage but made it back to port in San Francisco.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA memorial to the fallen is located within the \u2018Lands\u2019 End Park\u2019 within the \u2018Golden Gate National Recreation Area\u2019.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n \u201cI understand you wish to speak with me regarding the mysterious love note found upstairs, Armando?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you may know, my mother is nearing retirement from maid service here and my grandmother was a maid here, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey were very fine and dedicated staff members, Armando.<\/p>\n \u201cI look forward to arranging your mother\u2019s retirement party in the near future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy mom spoke to my grandma who lives in a memory care facility.<\/p>\n \u201cShe told my mother about an old man who was a resident and had a very keen memory of the past but not the present.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the residents watched the news report about the note, the man remembered giving a fountainpen to a sailor wearing a black \u2018Cracker Jack\u2019 sailors uniform.<\/p>\n \u201cThe sailor had red hair with freckles. He was inside a romantic nook perfect for lovers with a beautiful, petit, blond woman wearing a pink chiffon party dress with a corsage.<\/p>\n \n \u201cHe went on to say they looked like kids at a high school prom and barely old enough to drink. When asked why he remembered the event vividly, the old man said he mistakenly gave the sailor an expensive fountain pen gifted to him but didn\u2019t care knowing the sailor deserved a \u2018Going Away\u2019 gift.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan this man be reached, Armando?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe passed away just recently, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe old man\u2019s description of Butch matches this photograph I received from the Navy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Butch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEver hear of \u2018Six Degrees of Separation\u2019, Armando?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but we have a better way of understanding coincidence inside my family, Sir.<\/p>\n \u201cSan Francisco appears to be a big city with dozens of neighborhoods to visitors but the locals know it\u2019s a small town with a big heart and the Grand Dame is the town square where everybody meets sooner or later.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour family\u2019s understanding of coincidence is poetic, Armando.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of our retired employees are family and I keep contact information on them as we send them holiday and birthday tidings.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll reach out to \u2018Williams\u2019 who would have been our Matre\u2019d in and around that time.<\/p>\n \u201cGood investigative work and I was told you helped the painter carefully remove the Winslow Homer painting from the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re in line for a promotion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Dear Sir,<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019m in receipt of your inquiry about my great-grandfathers memories of working at the hotel. First, I wish to thank you for remembering his service. He loved the old hotel like it was a family member.<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019m sorry to inform you my great-grandfather passed away but every New Year\u2019s gathering with our family, he\u2019d speak of the lonely lady who would arrange for a table on New Year\u2019s Eve looking out towards the Golden Gate as if waiting for a loved one to return onboard a ship. She would order two flutes of champagne and a rose.<\/em><\/p>\n My great-grandfather personally arranged for her table and champagne every New Year\u2019s Eve from about 1943 until his retirement in the late nineties when she had stopped coming. He presumed she passed away. I\u2019m sorry to report he never spoke of her name.<\/em><\/p>\n I hope this information helps to heal and stoke fond memories.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI understand you wish to see me, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m promoting you to \u2018Assistant Event Planner\u2019 and I want you to arrange a memorial surrounding the mysterious love note we discussed months ago.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hotel has received clearance from the authorities to renovate the nook where the note was found. I want you to have the handwritten note professionally photographed, framed, and a brass placard regarding the history surrounding the love note to be placed on the wall, front and center, within the nook.<\/p>\n \u201cThe nook will become a \u2018Love\u2019s Lane\u2019 and we\u2019ll include more romantic memorabilia on the walls.<\/p>\n \u201cThose fine young people were our guests, and like all of our visitors, they are family. It\u2019s only fitting they properly be remembered and their lives shared with all guests of the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for the opportunity, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMake certain you include within the plaque\u2019s inscription your family\u2019s beautiful understanding of San Francisco and this hotel being its \u2018town square\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough our memorial is placed inside a tiny nook, it will shout \u2018welcome\u2019 to all those wishing to share romantic moments including everybody appreciating love lost, love found, and allow them to gather within our \u2018town square\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to the KSF Evening News.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAbout a year ago, our station reported a mysterious love note from the bygone era of New Year<\/em>‘<\/em>s celebrations atop the Lookout Lounge was found by a painting crew.<\/em><\/p>\n We have an update to this romantic story about young love. With the help from our United States Senator, the Department of Defense, and loyal employees of the beloved hotel, we can report a memorial to the couple has been placed inside the nook where the note was found. <\/em><\/p>\n The memorial includes information about the identity of the sailor, Butch, but unfortunately his beloved, Molly, was never identified.<\/em><\/p>\n Management of the hotel reports the memorial has become a popular meeting place for everybody celebrating love. <\/em><\/p>\n If the old saying, \u2018love conquers all\u2019 is true, we suspect the identity of Molly will be forthcoming in the future like the many ships returning home passing underneath the Golden Gate.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Jonathan Ferrini \u201cOn behalf of the management and staff of the Lookout Lounge high atop the Grand Dame hotel of the beautiful \u2018City by the Bay\u2019, we welcome you to our New Year Celebration welcoming in 1942. \u201cWe\u2019re joined by the Xavier Cugat Orchestra whose musicians of magic are finely tuning their instruments in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1769,77],"tags":[1770,1123,1758],"class_list":["post-15690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-egophobia-84","category-english","tag-egophobia-84","tag-english","tag-jonathan-ferrini"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6DakB-454","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15690"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15691,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15690\/revisions\/15691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}