Personal History

I WAS GNASHING MY TEETH WHEN LALLY SAID, ""OH, MA, let's go see the helicopters land.'' With the temperature at a steaming one hundred degrees inside the plane, I agreed. By the time we had run over to the fence, the president was out of the helicopter with Lady Bird and had started walking down the long line of the crowd gathered at the airport, shaking hands across the fence. Luvie, Lally, and I were at the end of the line, between two parked cars and the fence. I didn't think the president would come down that far, but he did. He wasn't really looking as he walked right past me, shaking hands automatically. I was wearing a bandanna around my sweaty head, a sleeveless cotton dark-blue dress, no stockings, and moccasins, so I wasn't surprised that he didn't recognize me. Involuntarily I exclaimed, ""Hi, Lyndon,'' never having called him anything but ""Mr. President'' since November 22. He stopped, looked surprised, and said, ""Hello, Kay, what are you doing here?''

""Waiting for you to leave,'' I replied.

""Do you want a ride?'' he asked.

I was so flabbergasted that I assumed absent-mindedly that he was going to Washington and asked if Lally and Luvie could come too. He said, ""Sure, but you realize we're going to Texas?''

""Texas!'' I exclaimed. ""I can't go to Texas.'' Steve was expecting me in Washington, and I had houseguests already waiting at Glen Welby; obviously I had to get home. Luvie kicked me hard in the shins and said firmly, ""Go.''

""Come on,'' the president continued. ""Have you got a bag?''