But they have great experience and knowledge and I know they will succeed. I gave them the discipline and the courage. “ I will continue here until I die and the customers show-up. The townspeople like it because there is no other place in town except the Deli and donut shop. The older people don’t want to drive to the next big town for a good meal. Lily had been a native Delawarean, growing up in South Wilmington, aka “Italian section.” This is when she learned to cook. Culinary school had nothing on Lily’s grandmother, who taught her most of what she knows.

The ladies made plans to meet on the weekend and Lily promised to show Maddie the town and the surrounding area. They would take a ride to Rehoboth and check out the resort town if “free”. Maddie thought “ I wonder if I can lose 100 Pounds by Saturday?” If not the buff and gorgeous lifeguards might blow their whistle and shout at the beach goers over their megaphone, “Whale on the Beach, everyone out of the water! Don’t go near the Whale! Everybody, STAY AWAY from the Whale!” Oh wait its just a big fat woman, go back in the water, but stay away from the fat lady!” Maddie had to laugh. She laughed so hard she cried, but then she realized that she really was crying. 

Sure, Maddie thought, that tiny Camilia would not be able to eat sausage and peppers and home made ravioli at 1 In the afternoon. But, truthfully Maddie could probably have eaten two helpings, and even order dessert, but not in public. She must be the overweight waif with no appetite. Yeah, the one fat person that gets full on the roll and salad given with your meal: barely forcing down the entrée. Ha! If they only knew.

The eggplant was delicious and very satisfying. “My compliments to your chef.” Maddie told Lily in her small, but charming, office. “Please come in and tell me more about yourself.” Lily chided. The two women talked and laughed for about an hour, they had so much in common, Maddie thought. Both business Women both single, and both ½ Italian. Their better ½ they laughed. But, Lily had been married with 3 children when her husband had an aneurism and died. He left her the property that was his fathers. Lily used the insurance money to create the restaurant. It was a dream of hers since she graduated from Culinary school Twenty years prior. When her children grew up, she taught them how to run the kitchen and the front of the house, and made it a family business. “They may or may not stay here.” Lily laughed. 

She had certain exuberance and exuded a true warmth around her.

Camilia Flowers, a young lady of about 28 came to take her order. The menu consisted of all American fare, plus a few Italian dishes. Maddie thought she was probably right about Lily being part Italian and her daughter had beautiful olive skin. She was quite striking in other ways as well. Camilia was very sweet and Maddie felt as though neither one of these two new acquaintances ever noticed her weight! Wonderful she thought to have someone judge you on your personality and not your appearance; For a change.

Maddie noticed that the place was merely empty except for a few tables with well dressed older couple’s chatting and eating. “how’s the veal scaloppini and the eggplant parmesan? Is it made here?” Maddie asked. “Oh Yea” Camilia smiled, “My mom and my brothers are the cooks, and most of the time we have traditional Italian dish as a special. Today we have home made cheese ravioli with sausage and peppers.” “Wow! That sounds great! I am famished, but I think I’ll go with the eggplant. Its only 1pm and that’s a bit much for me to eat raviolis that early.” Maddie replied. Camilia smiled as if she totally understood. 

She was seated by, of all the names, Lily Flowers. Perhaps, she was the owner or one of them. She was probably around Maddies age mid to late 50’s. A little pudgy, but she was short. Very pretty, Maddie thought and maybe at least part Italian. Dark hair and dark eyes, although her hair was peppered with grey, you could see that it was jet black at one time. She smiled big and easy to Maddie and she liked her immediately. As lily remarked – “right this way maam” Maddie quickly responded “Please call me Maddie, I’m Madonna Difeo, and I am really your neighbor. I just moved into Dr Seltzer’s old home.” Maddie politely extended her hand, but Lily had her hands full with menu and silverware. She looks up at Maddie and the women both shared a laugh. “come into my office before you leave, and we can chat. “ Lily pointed to a room beyond the tables with the name plate on the door “read” Lily Flowers” owner/manager. “I certainly will take you up on that. I haven’t spoken to any town’s people since my arrival on Monday evening. I may just talk your head right off! Maddie said. “Good, I haven’t talked to anything but towns people, so welcome some change in the conversation. Enjoy your meal, I’ll send the waitress which is also my daughter over to take your order.” 

Maddie thanked the waitress, and was immediately drawn to Lily. 

“Perfect, she thought. She would do whatever it took to avoid those contemptuous stares. Thank-you for cheese crackers and diet coke!

It was a beautiful day, not too humid. Of course, she was always hot.  The notion that fat people are hot all the time is really not true, but they don’t wear the right out fits on a hot day. Her wardrobe consisted of six pairs of stretch pants all black. Her tops were short sleeve tunic style and big sweaters. Black makes you look skinny; well that’s what she’s been told. But no one ever said, “You look 10 pounds lighter!” or “That shirt makes you looks fatter.” But she wore the black anyway, mainly because it was expected of her. She noticed lately that the younger generation of fat women were getting very bold with their clothes choices. “Good for them” she thought. But at her age, the clothes would look inappropriate, at best.

As it turned out, Queen St. where she resided was also Main Street. All of the little shops looked similar to her future “shop”. All of them were older homes, with 1^st floor storefronts.

The small restaurant was no exception. It looked classy inside, with flowers and folded cloth napkins on the table. Of course, the furnishing looked early American, but it was well suited. The name La Petit Floras or in English “the Little flowers,” was a little unusual. 

People have a disgusted look on their face when they see fat people eating.  It’s almost as if they are saying, “aren’t you fat enough? Howare you even hungry? Or, you should look in the mirror before you eat all that!”  She never got used to the looks, the stares, the insulting glares.  Some people even have the nerve to comment.  “You know, you should diet, you would feel better.  You are too smart and too pretty to be that big.”  What did they think that they were telling me something I didn’t know!?!  Or, what an epiphany!  My god, I am Fat!  Fat people can’t win, if they eat they are pigs, if they sit, they are lazy.  Always better to eat something before you eat in public, so you can eat less, Maddie felt.  Hell you may even leave some morsels on your plate.  That always freaks out the waitress.  “Ma’am, are you finished? May I take your plate? As if afraid to ask, or afraid I might bite off their hand.  “Oh, yes, I’m full, that was very good, but I just can’t finish it.  Please take my plate” I said.  “Dessert?” the waitress inquirers.  “Oh No, I dislike anything sweet, but thank you. Just the check.”  The look on their faces is priceless, now the waitress is thinking, “I wonder how she got so fat, must be a thyroid problem.”

It would be good exercise and she might make a few friends.  (Her thoughts were all that she could hear.)  Well, if she strained she could have heard some crickets.  Now she realized why she felt lonely.  In her apt in Philly, Maddie would fall asleep to the sounds of the Big City.  Sirens off into the distance, happy patrons walking home from the nearby avenue. Streetlights lit up the sky, people with dogs barking while they walked them.  No wonder she was never lonely, she felt as though she was a part of that.   Now she was alone, so very alone.  The sound of her labored breathing was hardly comforting, but it at least confused the sounds of silence. Yes, tomorrow she would get out and see the town.  She needed to find things that she liked about Magnolia Delaware.  She fell asleep thinking about it. 

            Maddie woke up starving, it was 11:00 A.M. after she raided the cabinets for her last diet coke.  I’m sure this town has a small café or something” she thought aloud, breaking the silence in the room. She was glad for the crackers, they took the edge off her hunger.  That way when she went out in a public eatery, she wouldn’t have to order a huge meal.