Chapter 3, Part 6 - The People

Minnie and Hymie – Minnie and Hymie are 83 and 87, respectively. It’s a second marriage for both of them. Minnie was a widow of four years and Hymie a widower for 12 when they met at the Starlight Valentine’s Dance at the Harbor View Clubhouse three years ago. They are what I call ‘little people.’ Each stands at about four feet six or four feet eight inches tall, although I’m sure they each must have been five feet at some point in their lives.

Hymie is hard of hearing, therefore he screams every time he talks. Minnie says she doesn’t mind that he can’t hear well. She says that she was attracted to Hymie not only because he still has his own full set of teeth, but also because he danced like Fred Astaire.

Minnie’s hair is dyed an orange-red and she wears lipstick almost the same color. She always wears shoes with at least two-inch heels to make up for her small stature. I think with her shoes on she comes up to the average-sized person’s elbow. Even though they are little people, between her bright hair and his screaming, you can always tell when they are around.

I call them Minnie and Hymie in private. With names like those, who needs nicknames?