What if we named him Tom * Beggarmen * Holiday dinner * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol. 12 * Dec. 12, 2011

WHAT IF WE NAMED HIM TOM?
(A holiday story from the coffeeshop)

"I'VE BEEN waiting for you," the young woman said as I walked into the coffeeshop. She got up from the booth and continued: "They told me you'd stop back in before you went home,"

It was a few days before Christmas and I was checking back in at the coffeeshop after a long day. It wasn't an unpleasant day, just a very long one. I'd been in the coffeeshop all day and had taken a break in the early evening to run a few errands.

"You probably don't remember me," the young woman said. "I'm Maya; you interviewed me for a story when I was in high school."

"You're right," I said. "I don't remember you. I'm sorry. But it's been a long time since I worked at the paper."

"Yeah, it was 10 years that you interviewed me," she said. "After I graduated, I went to California for awhile. It was just like in those stories you write: Young person goes to San Francisco to find peace and love.

"Anyway, I met a guy on the beach in Santa Cruz. We moved in together. We fell in love," she said, then hesitated. "At least I did.

"And when I finally came back to Minneapolis, he came back with me. That was about two months ago. It was fall then and I was so happy.

"But a week ago we got into a fight about the holidays. It was something silly, but in the heat of the moment I got up and stormed out. I drove around for a few hours, enough time to cool off.

"I went home, thinking we could work things out. But when I got there, Bill was gone." Tears started streaming down her face. "I haven't seen him since. It's been almost a week; he hasn't called or anything.

"HERE IT is Christmas. I feel so awful. But I was just so tired and angry that night.

"I've been going crazy ever since. I thought of going over to my dad's, but this whole thing is just too much like what happened to him. My mom walked out at Christmas – and never came back. I heard she's in Arizona or something now."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," I said. "It was quite a missing person story for awhile. But I didn't connect that with you. So that was your mom?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Does Bill know about your mom and all that?" I asked.

Oh yeah," Maya said. "I told him all about that and all the other crazy family stuff, too. I figured he should know before he came back to Minnesota with me."

We were both quiet for a few minutes. I looked down and saw our coffee cups were empty. "How about a refill," I suggested.

"Sure," Maria said.

As I walked back to the booth, I noticed a strikingly handsome young man come through the coffeeshop door. He looked like a surfer, but with brown hair. "Oh my god," Maya said. "It's Bill."

He walked slowly over to our table. He stood next to me and spoke quietly to Maria. "I've been looking all over for you," he said. "I've gone to our house every day. But you weren't there. And I've checked at this coffeeshop a couple of times a day."

Maya said she couldn't stand to be at the house and had gone to stay with a friend. She'd gone back once to get some clothes, but that was it. And she said she was so miserable that she'd called in sick at work for the past four days.

Bill listened and then sat down next to me. He took Maya's hand and said: "I thought the same thing was happening to me that had happened to your dad. You were leaving me at Christmas."

"Oh no," Maya cried. She leaned over the table and hugged Bill. "Can you forgive me?" she asked.

"Sure, if you'll forgive me," he responded.

At this point, I felt I was an intruder. I got up to go, grabbed a couple of bags of garbage and mumbled something about cleaning up. I went into the kitchen and stayed until they left about 30 minutes later.

Then I came back out to clean the tables. I found a note addressed to me in the booth. It said "Thanks and Merry Christmas from Maya and Bill." At the bottom was a PS: "We're having a baby. What would you think if we named him Tom?"

MUSIC, OPEN MIC,
CHESS & MORE

Wednesday, Dec. 14, 7 pm. Spoken Word (Readers and Writers Group at 6 pm. Plus Art)

Thursday, Dec. 15, 6 pm. Art Night. 7 pm. Open Mic.
7:45 pm Music and CD release party with Erin Ebnet

Friday, Dec. 16, 4 pm. Chess Club. 5 pm. Friday Night Jazz with Brazilian duo of guitarist Ze Emilio and drummer Marcelo Corvosa.

Saturday, Dec. 17, 7 pm. Saturday Night Music with The Beggarmen

Tuesday, Dec. 20, 6 pm. Jazz Jam

Wednesday, Dec. 21, 7 pm Spoken Word Open Mic. (Readers & Writers Group meets at 6 pm.)

Thursday, Dec. 22, 6 pm Art Night. 7 pm. Open Mic

Sunday, Dec. 25. Noon to 2 pm. Christmas Dinner. All are welcome.

Tuesday, Dec. 27, 6 pm. Live webcast of Tom's Guitar Show

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 7 pm. Spoken Word (Readers & Writers Group at 6 pm)

Thursday, Dec. 29, 6 pm Artvaark (ArtNight). 7 pm. Open Mic

Sunday, Jan. 1, Noon to 2 pm. New Year's Dinner. Noon to 2 pm.

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 7 pm. Spoken Word (Readers & Writers Group at 6 pm)

Thursday, Jan. 5, 6 pm. Artvaark (Art Night). 7 pm. Open Mic

Friday, Jan. 6, 4 pm. Chess Club. 5 pm. Friday Night Jazz Series.

Saturday, Jan. 7, 4:30 pm. Irish Sessions. 7 pm. Saturday Night Music with Mutiny in the Parlor

WE THOUGHT YOU'D
BE INTERESTED IN...
...Spoken Word on Wednesdays and Open Mic on Thursdays will continue each week through the holiday season.
...Some changes are planned in coffee house /bookstore hours during the holidays. Check the schedule posted at Uptown Bill's.
..."A Friend Indeed: The Bill Sackter Story" can now be viewed online. Visit this website: www.billsackter.com
...Several new flavors of vintage soda pop have arrived in the coffee hosue this week. Included: Nesbitt's Orange of California, Blue Cream Soda from Frostie, and NuGrape.

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Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 11th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0804. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.