Virgy, Mary Jule, and I had no choice in the matter. We were always the Supremes or the Vandellas. Just one of the background Cuties. Never the star. If we had been little when the Dixie Chicks first burst on the scene, Alice would definitely have “called” Natalie Maines.
WHBQ was the radio station back then. There was a little window on the outside of the building where people could watch the deejays inside. We’d walk several blocks in the summer just to be able to take a gander at George Klein, the morning deejay, best known as Elvis’s closest friend from high school. Back home we’d hole up in front of the TV every Saturday afternoon before American Bandstand to watch him host the local dance show, Talent Party, starring the WHBQ Cuties. I don’t think there was a girl in Memphis, Tennessee that didn’t dream of one day becoming a Cutie.
I’m so engrossed in reliving my past, that when the phone rings I don’t pay much attention. After several rings, though, it dawns on me that it’s most likely my job to answer so I pick it up and say, “Classic Hits FM 99 radio, may I help you?” I say it with confidence. Charm. Oomph. Like I’m a twenty-five-year radio veteran. I’m feeling so good about myself; a little chill runs down my spine.
“I see the pandas!” a man says, excitedly.
“Excuse me?”
“Two of them in the field. Yeah, baby. I can see ’em from my car. I’m pulled off on the shoulder of I-240, right near Christian Brothers High School. I’ve spotted them, ” he says proudly.
“O-kaay.”
“Oh, there one goes! He’s heading into the woods. Nope. He’s coming back out. Tell Johnny Dial he should come on down. It’s crazy. Oh yeah. More cars are pulling off the interstate and parking right behind me. They see ’em, too. I’mo hang up now and call the zoo. See ya later.”
“Thanks for calling,” I say, with absolutely no clue of what’s just happened.
“Sure. Glad I could help.”
I hang up the phone, stunned. What in the world is this guy talking about? Pandas on the interstate?
The faint melody of a song emanates from the clock radio on my desk. I reach over and turn up the volume. Surely it’s okay to listen at work. This is, after all, a radio station. The phone rings again. Once more I answer it the same way. “FM 99 radio, may I help you, please?”
“They are so cuuute, ” a girl says, squealing.
“I’m sorry. What’s so cute?”
“The pandas. I’m down here at Christian Brothers High School and I can see them right next to the woods.”
“Really? How many are there?”
“Two. Two adorable little panda bears. Do you know when the zoo people are coming to rescue them? I’d hate to think they might get hit by a car.”
“I’m not sure, actually. I’m just getting in to work.”
“It’s quite a sight out here. I bet there are one hundred cars lining the interstate and a hundred more here in the school parking lot. There’s nowhere else to park. Oh. Here comes the fire department. Maybe they can help catch them.”
“Do you know what happened? How the pandas got loose?” I say, feeling panicked, too.
“Yeah. Johnny Dial’s been talking about it on the radio all morning. You know how the Memphis Zoo just got the pandas? They were taking them around to different places in the city to show them off. Johnny Dial called it ‘The Panda Bear Field Trip.’ They accidentally got loose and people started spotting them near Christian Brothers High School.”
“Oh my,” I say, feeling just as concerned as she. “I so hope they’ll be okay. I didn’t even know the zoo was getting panda bears. I’ve just moved back to town and I’m still not up on all the Memphis news. I dearly love pandas.”
“Oh me, too, girl. Their names are Ya Ya and Lee Lee.”
“Leelee? That’s my name!”
“You should come down here and see her for yourself.”
“I wish I could but I better stay put. It’s my first day. Oops, the other phone is ringing,
WHBQ was the radio station back then. There was a little window on the outside of the building where people could watch the deejays inside. We’d walk several blocks in the summer just to be able to take a gander at George Klein, the morning deejay, best known as Elvis’s closest friend from high school. Back home we’d hole up in front of the TV every Saturday afternoon before American Bandstand to watch him host the local dance show, Talent Party, starring the WHBQ Cuties. I don’t think there was a girl in Memphis, Tennessee that didn’t dream of one day becoming a Cutie.
I’m so engrossed in reliving my past, that when the phone rings I don’t pay much attention. After several rings, though, it dawns on me that it’s most likely my job to answer so I pick it up and say, “Classic Hits FM 99 radio, may I help you?” I say it with confidence. Charm. Oomph. Like I’m a twenty-five-year radio veteran. I’m feeling so good about myself; a little chill runs down my spine.
“I see the pandas!” a man says, excitedly.
“Excuse me?”
“Two of them in the field. Yeah, baby. I can see ’em from my car. I’m pulled off on the shoulder of I-240, right near Christian Brothers High School. I’ve spotted them, ” he says proudly.
“O-kaay.”
“Oh, there one goes! He’s heading into the woods. Nope. He’s coming back out. Tell Johnny Dial he should come on down. It’s crazy. Oh yeah. More cars are pulling off the interstate and parking right behind me. They see ’em, too. I’mo hang up now and call the zoo. See ya later.”
“Thanks for calling,” I say, with absolutely no clue of what’s just happened.
“Sure. Glad I could help.”
I hang up the phone, stunned. What in the world is this guy talking about? Pandas on the interstate?
The faint melody of a song emanates from the clock radio on my desk. I reach over and turn up the volume. Surely it’s okay to listen at work. This is, after all, a radio station. The phone rings again. Once more I answer it the same way. “FM 99 radio, may I help you, please?”
“They are so cuuute, ” a girl says, squealing.
“I’m sorry. What’s so cute?”
“The pandas. I’m down here at Christian Brothers High School and I can see them right next to the woods.”
“Really? How many are there?”
“Two. Two adorable little panda bears. Do you know when the zoo people are coming to rescue them? I’d hate to think they might get hit by a car.”
“I’m not sure, actually. I’m just getting in to work.”
“It’s quite a sight out here. I bet there are one hundred cars lining the interstate and a hundred more here in the school parking lot. There’s nowhere else to park. Oh. Here comes the fire department. Maybe they can help catch them.”
“Do you know what happened? How the pandas got loose?” I say, feeling panicked, too.
“Yeah. Johnny Dial’s been talking about it on the radio all morning. You know how the Memphis Zoo just got the pandas? They were taking them around to different places in the city to show them off. Johnny Dial called it ‘The Panda Bear Field Trip.’ They accidentally got loose and people started spotting them near Christian Brothers High School.”
“Oh my,” I say, feeling just as concerned as she. “I so hope they’ll be okay. I didn’t even know the zoo was getting panda bears. I’ve just moved back to town and I’m still not up on all the Memphis news. I dearly love pandas.”
“Oh me, too, girl. Their names are Ya Ya and Lee Lee.”
“Leelee? That’s my name!”
“You should come down here and see her for yourself.”
“I wish I could but I better stay put. It’s my first day. Oops, the other phone is ringing,
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