It seemed that our conversation was beginning to wind down and near an end at this point. I asked Sue one final question, sent to me by a member of the Hill's Angels discussion group: what, in her opinion, made Benny's humor so popular all over the world? "Sympathy and simplicity," was her reply. She elaborated that Benny often played a character with whom the audience could sympathize, and that much of his humor was nonverbal, therefore could be enjoyed by people regardless of language.

By this time, it had just passed three o'clock. We'd been talking for more than two hours, and it seemed that Sue was becoming anxious to go back and see her daughter. Although there was still much I wanted to ask her, I realized that she'd already been more than generous with her time (especially under the circumstances) and I simply couldn't monopolize her any longer. I thanked her again for taking time to see me, despite her family emergency; Sue replied that once she agrees to do something, she doesn't back out if it's at all possible for her to go through with it. She's a woman of her word, and I respect her greatly for that.

Ian paid the bill, and we walked out of the restaurant. In front of the restaurant, Sue asked me to give her a hug. "A big hug," she said. Naturally, I was more than happy to comply, and for the all-too-brief moment that Sue and I were actually in each other's arms, I couldn't help wondering if I was still in London, or in heaven. Not only that, Sue actually kissed me on the cheek, and allowed me to reciprocate! "I can't believe it," I said, "I've actually been kissed by an Angel!" Sue smiled, and said, "Where's my halo?" I was too overcome to come up with a witty response: all I could do was thank her again, send my regards to her family, and wish her daughter a speedy recovery. She smiled again and began to walk away; with a wave and a cheery "Bye-bye, Erik!" she was gone. I thanked Ian, and we shook hands; I turned opposite to the direction Sue had gone, and walked around the corner, back to my hotel. It's debatable whether or not the soles of my shoes actually touched the pavement.

I can't emphasize strongly enough how grateful I am to Sue, for making such efforts to make me feel welcome and happy, and to Ian for setting the whole thing up and making it possible. I've been informed that Jimmy Buffett once wrote a song entitled "I Wish This Lunch Could Last Forever." Now that I've actually had the pleasure of having lunch with the friendly, kind, charming, and still stunningly beautiful Sue, I know exactly what he meant! After having waited for this day for a mere twenty-two years, I can now say: it was definitely worth the wait.

My tale ends here: I've taken Benny's advice to Sue, and "written it down!" Now that I've done so, these words will help me remember this incredible encounter with the most angelic of the Angels, for the rest of my life. I hope I've given some insight into the life, career, and personality of this wonderful woman, and that my account will please everyone who reads it - her, most of all.

Respectfully submitted,
Erik Larsen

(Note: photos from our meeting can be found on the Photo Scans page.)