I remember driving through Hollywood and I noticed a red and black street car on the corner of Formosa and Santa Monica Blvd. I heard somewhere that it had really cool black and white photographs of all the old Hollywood movie stars. I parked my rental car from rent-a-wreck (found the place in Reseda, $150 a month including insurance, what a steal!)and walked up to the front door. It was incredibly dark on the inside, such a contrast to the California sunshine at 4pm.
I walked slowly through the restaurant, it was narrow, red and did have lots of photographs on the wall. Elvis Presley, Ava Gardner (she used to have her driver bring her to get takeout, while she waited at the bar, she knocked back 2 double shots of vodka then left with her to-go Chinese food.) As I approached the hostess stand there was a lovely lady with dark red lips standing there with her hand on her hip. She had a big smile on her face and asked if she could help me. "I just came in to look around". With that, she whipped out a flash light and led to a photograph of her with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. I looked in awe. She was beautiful. Classy. Elegant. "What's your name?" I asked her. "Cassie" she replied. Little did I know in that moment my life would change. I had been in Los Angeles a month and the woman standing before me would become my best friend for the next nine years. She was 75 and I was 26. We were two peas in a pod. She was sweet, kind and always kept her word. I think we spoke nearly everday for the next nine years. Everytime I called her she would always pick up the phone. It was such a treat, nobody does that anymore. I adored her. For the first time in my life I felt like a had a true best friend. Towards the end of her life she slowed down a bit, but it was really never a dull moment. We went everywhere together. She introduced me to everybody, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Bono just to name a few. Everybody loved Cassie. She was a Hollywood legend, a waitress for 57 years! I learned so much from her and I miss her everyday. She set a huge example. She was very careful with me, called me a sensitive girl. She said it was because I grew up without a father. She understood my pain and helped me try to fix it. I think she knew when her time was up, she knew when she was dying. She would often say to me "you know, I'm not going to be around forever" and she would give me things; jewelry, records, and photographs.
I remember the last time we spoke. It was a Wednesday. I had brought my new boyfriend over to meet her, it was the night before she was having an operation. We laughed and ate fish and chips. She always made that for me. New guy was quiet and when we went to leave I hugged Cassie and told her I would see her in a few days. As I walked down the stairs, she grabbed my guy's arm, I heard her whisper to him as she held his hand "take care of her please.". He said he would. He didn't. That was the last time I saw Cassie alive. I felt as though I had cracked in two with her gone. That was 5 years ago. My life unraveled as I knew it. I stood alone after kicking quiet guy to the curb and began to slowly remember what Cassie saw in me that I couldn't. I'm good now. She is part of my story. I reach for the antique pearl pin that she gave me. I hold it and remember her laugh. It stays with me :)
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