Nonfiction November ~ Week 4: Stranger than Fiction?

Week 4 of Nonfiction November (November 22-26) — Stranger Than Fiction with Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks:  This week we’re focusing on all the great nonfiction books that *almost* don’t seem real.  A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world — basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic.

"Truth is stranger than fiction" means things that actually happen are often more surprising than stories that are invented.  I can't think of a particular book.  I can't think of a particular event.  This week's subject is a non-starter for me.  Wait!  I just googled and found a (kind of long) story about something that was "stranger than fiction."  It will have to do for my Nonfiction November post.

Susan Lyon (of South Carolina) posted this on Quora 6 years ago to answer the question, "What are some great examples of coincidence?"  (The wording and punctuation is all hers.)

I was in my late 30’s, three children, recently divorced, working two jobs, trying to stay afloat.  My second job was that of a waitress and I worked a couple nights a week and Sundays.  Not a lot of employees wanted the Sunday shift.  We were on a major highway for beach traffic.  Sunday traffic consisted of sunburned children who were cranky and tired, bad tipping (mostly because they spent too much on amusements, hotels and restaurants) and parents who were regretting having to return to work the next day.  Sunday’s could be busy, but mostly, they were on the slow side.

One Sunday, a family of four came into the restaurant and sat down - Dad, Mom, two children – one girl approximately 7 and one boy around 5.  It was a slow day and a storm was approaching.  The little boy was quite talkative and I found out just about everything they did the week before.  They were the only table in the restaurant and ate dinner and relaxed while the storm passed.

I should let you know I love rainbows.  I sometimes feel like I am a rainbow chaser.  People like me know the look and feel when rainbows should appear in the area.  As a matter of fact, my kids to this day, call me when they see a rainbow.  That being said, after the storm I noticed that look.  Went out back and saw the most beautiful rainbow.  (sigh)  Checked on the table and asked the parents if I could take their kids to see the rainbow.  I could see the glance between them, probably wondering if I was a kidnapper, but that quickly passed as I described the sheer beauty of what was happening right outside the door.  Told them we would be right out front and they could come too.  They let the children go with me while they paid the bill.

The little boy grabbed my hand and we walked out and sat down on the curb.  By now there were two rainbows and working on a third.  I explained a little science and the children were just amazed.  They had never seen real rainbows only ones in pictures.  The parents came out and we all sat there and watched for a few minutes at the wonder of the rainbow.  Another car drove into the parking lot and I knew this had to end because I was about to get another customer.  We said our goodbyes.

A year later, working one Sunday, I had a family come into the restaurant and sat down - Dad, Mom, two children – one girl and one boy 5.  When I approached the table, the little boy jumps up and says to me, “Can you make it happen again?”  I of course had no idea what he was referring to.  The mom and dad explained they had been in the year before and their little boy told everyone how he met someone who could make rainbows.  His sister kept telling her brother that it didn’t work that way and there would not be any rainbow and he should just shut up.  The young man was very convinced that I could indeed make it happen.  I didn’t know what to do, but I tried to explain as nicely as I could, that I didn’t think we would be able to see a rainbow that day.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  As I left the table, I could hear the little boy saying to his sister, “You just wait and see.”

Well, if you haven’t figured it out yet, there was a storm that blew in really fast.  The sky darkened and it poured for about 5 minutes and then all cleared up and what remained was a beautiful rainbow.  Now you may call this a coincidence, miracle, sign from above or just damn amazing.  All I know is there was one little boy who proved his sister wrong, amazed his parents and sat with me for a very long time on the curb calling me the rainbow maker.  Just to let you know, I got a damn good tip.

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