At the Steinway grand piano, a tuxedoclad pianist was playing "Moonlight Serenade." As Nikolas and Anna rose to go to dinner, the piano player raised the tone and smiled at them. Nikolas took Anna and danced with her to the sound of applause from the crowd.
Well satisfied with their steak and baked potato dinner, accompanied by the famous Waldorf salad, they returned to the bar. This time the music was from a newly released movie, The Wizard of Oz, "Somewhere, Over the Rainbow."
"Someone said we fall in love so we can be children again," said a smiling Nikolas.
"Well, we are in love! Then?" responded Anna.
"What do you say if we ...?"
"Yes, yes," replied an enthusiastic Anna. As they got up to leave, the piano player understood and played, "We're Off to See the
Wizard."
They walked down the grand staircase, looking regal. Nikolas's blue blazer with gold buttons, his beige trousers, the light pink shirt, and rose colored tie, all coordinated perfectly with Anna's attire.
"We're off to see the wizard," they both repeated as Anna started to skip and hop. The two of them laughed out loud, drawing envious stares.
***
Anna and Melpomeni were to fly to San Francisco the next day, and Nikolas would be on his mission.
"Wasn't Judy Garland great?"
"She was terrific, Anna!"
The thought of separation and the pain it brings had not sunk in yet.
***
Every day, Anna received a telegram from Nikolas, professing his love for her. She felt very nourished by his attitude toward her. But every minute away from Nikolas seemed like an eon. Anna became involved with a lot of school projects, preparing for the fall semester. She was busy at Stanford as a pre-med student and she hoped to be accepted into the Stanford School of Medicine when she graduated.
She was hoping to see Nikolas before he returned to Greece, as he had promised to try his best. That he did, and before long he was on an Air Force plane headed to the San Francisco Bay Area. He stayed at the Treasure Island Officers' Quarters. He was taken to various naval facilities, including Mare Island Shipyard and the still under construction Richmond
Shipyard. Nikolas was very impressed by what he saw, there and in the Eastern states as well. "This country will never be defeated," he thought.
Anna came to pick him up one day in her red Rolls Royce convertible. Actually, it was her father's car, but he had no objection to her driving it. She was happy as she was driving on the magnificent, recently completed San Francisco Bay Bridge. She felt the cool sea breeze caressing her face and hair.