Dinner With Ben

Dinner in my mind with Benjamin Franklin!

Dinner With Ben

By Mike Stevens

 

     I clomped my way across the street in nothing but the dim light of the gas streetlight.  It was a little hard to see where I was going, and I had to keep reminding myself to appreciate electricity more often.  The fact I would soon be meeting the man who discovered it in the first place was not lost on me.  Wouldn’t Benjamin Franklin be amazed if he could see all the uses mankind has come up with for using his discovery?  I still couldn’t quite believe I was here, Philadelphia in the year 1775.  All the time I had put in, trying to get my time machine to work, not believing it would, and then have it do exactly what I had wanted it to do, was awe-inspiring.  Mr. Franklin was at the top of my list of fascinating people from throughout history that I most wanted to meet, but I had thought it was impossible I ever would.  But, my college physics project had brought me here.  I’d probably be getting an A from Mr. Baker, but that was the last thing on my mind.  I glanced again at the address I had for Mr. Franklin, located it just ahead to the right, and staggering a little on the cobblestone road; dang the lack of electric lights; I proceeded to cross, and knocked upon the great man’s door, after trying in vain to control my breathing, and pounding heart.  Several nerve-racking moments went by before the door was opened, and the familiar face of Ben Franklin appeared, illuminated by the light of a flickering candle.

 

     “Yes?” Franklin said.

 

      “Ah, ah, ah...”

 

     “Spit it out man; it’s freezing out here; maybe you would like to come in where it’s warmer?”

 

     I suddenly had lost the ability to speak, so I just nodded a yes.  I also realized I was freezing on this December’s evening.  Franklin turned and walked back into the house, motioning me to follow.  I still found it unbelievable that this was the past, and I was following Benjamin Franklin into his house.  I followed him into a parlor of sorts, and was grateful for the fire which was blazing in a fireplace. 

 

     “I was just about to have a glass of sherry; can I get you one also?”

 

     “That would be most kind of you, sir, thank you.”

 

    He took a decanter off of a nearby table, and poured two glasses, handed me one, pointed to a couch, and said, “Sit, young man, and warm your bones.”

 

     I was grateful, having been so awestruck at the happy realization of my time travel goal, that I hadn’t even noticed how brutally cold it was.  I was dressed warmly, as it would be the very same day here as back in my own time, but I hadn’t even worn a jacket, gloves, or anything as protection against the Philadelphia winter.  I hadn’t expected it to actually work.  It was cold in this city in my time, but somehow it felt colder now.  I glanced around at my surroundings.  I was in a marble parlor, lit by flickering candles, and I must admit, I found it hard not to say,

 

     “Could someone turn on the lights?”

 

     Shadows danced upon the walls, cast by the burning wood in the fireplace. 

 

     Franklin let me ward off the chill before he asked, “So, young man; to whom am I speaking, and what brings you to my door on such a bitterly cold evening?”

 

     I cleverly decided that mentioning I was from the future, and had always wanted to meet him would sound just a bit crazy, so I simply said, “I was out walking, saw your light, and decided to seek refuge in your home, and to chat with someone as interesting and knowledgeable as you, sir.”

 

     “Well, you’re hardly dressed for the elements, if I may say so.”

 

    I didn’t want to tell him the truth, so instead I said, “I, ah, I ah...,”  I couldn’t think of anything that sounded plausible.  “I wasn’t expecting to be gone so long, but just lost track of time.”

 

      “Ah, a fellow thinker.  The same happens to me; I’ll be walking, thinking about, oh, I don’t know, our troubles with England, and before you know it, the entire day has passed.”

 

     “It’s so bazaar!” I blurted without thinking, meaning talking with Benjamin Franklin about topics which to him were current, but were ancient history to me, and already knowing the outcome.  Franklin mistook my meaning,

 

     “And growing more bazaar by the day.  Seemingly every day, a new law is passed designed to make us even more dependent on all things English.”

 

     “Don’t tread on me!”

 

     “Exactly; Christopher Gadsden said it a while ago, and I think it should be adapted as the slogan of the colonies, sort of a way of telling England not to mess with us.  Oh, where are my manners?  Debra my wife is away for the evening; and I do hate eating alone; I’m afraid I was just going to snack on some cold leftover ham, and have some wine; as you know that’s what we men do when our wives are away.”

 

     “Sure, that sounds delicious,” I replied.

 

     “Excellent!  Why don’t you have a seat at the dining room table, and I’ll bring it out.”

 

 

 

     We were enjoying after-dinner glass of wine, and watching the fire.  Not much conversation passed between us, as we slowly drank, and enjoyed the heat of the fire.  So many things flashed through my mind to ask him.  I asked first,

 

     “So, you were taking earlier about England.  What do you think the colonies should do about English rule?”

 

     The great man replied, “I fear that nothing but war will separate us from England.  War is terrible to think about, but unless the British suddenly see how serious we are about our concerns, and I see nothing to indicate that will be the case, I’m afraid that revolution is the only answer.” 

 

     “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

 

     Franklin glanced sharply at me and asked, “Do you know Patrick Henry?”

 

     “Ah, not exactly; I must have heard the comment somewhere,” I responded.  There was so many topics I wanted to ask him about, that I didn’t want to come across as a buffoon, but he didn’t seem to notice. 

 

     “What do you think of the British?” he asked.

 

     Oh, they are no longer our enemy; in fact, they’re our closest ally, flashed through my mind, but I said instead, “Well, I agree we need to break free of their hold on us.”

 

      He started to reply, “Yes, we definitely need to do...” and suddenly his warm parlor faded away, and I was once again sitting in my freezing workshop, in my own home.  No!  My time machine had ceased working, and I’d returned to my own time.  I thought of all of the things I’d planned on asking Mr. Franklin.  I just had to get back there. 

 

 

     Sadly, no matter what I tried, I couldn’t duplicate my success; I was unable to travel back in time to visit with Mr. Franklin, or anyone else, for that matter.  When I instructed the time machine to take me back to Franklin’s time, the only thing I saw was the same bleak bare walls of my workshop. 

 

 

     To make matters worse, when I’d tell people about my great adventure, they’d just stare at me like, “Have another drink, there pal!”  No one would believe me, but I know what happened, and I’ll never look at a one hundred dollar bill quite the same way again!

 

The End