karenulijohn

We arrived at JFK in the late afternoon and learned, upon reaching the baggage claim, that our luggage had been loaded onto a later flight.  I am not clear on why that happened, but it could be that we were late making our connection through Chicago.  In any case, we were assured that once the later flight arrived, our luggage would be delivered to the hotel as quickly as possible.  

When we got to the Plaza Hotel, we were able to acquire a second room directly across the hall from the first one on the fifth floor.  After freshening up as best we could, we decided to have dinner in the Palm Court Restaurant in the hotel.  I think it says something about the culture of air travel in those days, that even though we did not have a change of clothes, we were dressed appropriately for this ultra elegant restaurant.  We were both wearing suits, and of course I had on heels, gloves and a hat.  

During our candlelit dinner, among other things, we discussed the room situation.  The room that I had been given was smaller than his, had no television, and had an outside fire escape right by the window.  Harvey knew that I was nervous about being alone, so he took great pains to tell me how he had heard on the news that there was a gang of burglars, using hotel fire escapes to gain entry and steal from the patrons.  According to him, no one had been murdered so far, but I should make sure that the window was locked.  Is it any wonder then that, once back in our respective rooms, I was wide awake listening for every noise, and I had no television to distract me?  Ever the gallant gentleman, he offered to trade rooms with me.  I think he just wanted to get some sleep.  As I was finally settling down, there was a knock on the door.  I was afraid to answer it until I heard Harvey telling me that the luggage had arrived.  It had to have been around midnight at this point.  

Because Margaret Thatcher used to travel with a teddy bear, I am not ashamed to admit that I also have a teddy bear, who travels with me everywhere.  Since I was not in my assigned room, Harvey’s luggage had been placed in the room I was occupying.  That meant that my teddy bear was in the luggage in his room.  After another phone call requesting said bear, I was advised to open my door, when, all of the sudden, the bear came flying across the hall. 

The next day, I didn’t stray far from the hotel, and Harvey arrived back from his meeting just in time to head to the airport for our return flight to London.  I was dreading the “grilling” I knew I would get from my parents about this extra stop in NYC.  But, even that could not dampen my spirits or alter in any way my feelings for Harvey.  Being with him, traveling with him, laughing together and enjoying each other was a kind of freedom I had never experienced.  I didn’t appreciate how difficult it would be, going back to stay with my parents. My heart ached, and I wondered how I would survive the five months until our wedding in August.