1987 or 1988

When I was seven or eight, my family and I were eating at a Wendy’s restaurant in central Florida. While we were sitting at the table, a couple entered the restaurant dressed in 19th C. “southern” attire. She was wearing a hoop skirt and bonnet, and he was in a riding suit of some kind with a little top hat. Now, this is theme park area, so we first wondered if they were actors of some kind, but then we noticed that they were dirty and sweaty and their clothes were patched and worn, as though they’d been traveling for a long time.

They looked kind of stunned and bypassed the dining room and counter, walking directly to the water fountain. For at least a solid minute, they stood at the water fountain, inspecting it thoroughly but never taking a drink. Then, without a word, they left. We looked out the window and couldn’t see where they’d gone.

Submitted by Jeremy P