First Failed Flush of Love Actually
These slightly overcast hot humid July mornings sometimes serve up, in addition to a light sprinkling of temporary rain, a particular memory from a land far away, a time long ago. Actually a time long ago not so much on the land faraway, except it does seem in my mind to have been a million miles away. A land distanced by time I guess.
We were going on vacation to a cottage probably somewhere in the Haliburton or Muskoka region of Ontario where lakes meet forest meet city dudes for a limited week or two each year. It had to have been the late fifties, a time before, air conditioning, seat belts, road service and car radios that could receive signals outside a city limits.
Cars broke down all the time, or at least threatened to, but were easily fixed with a patch, hot air, or a good smack along it’s frame. I remember one trip where the engine kept overheating and the only solution was to drive with the heat blowing on max on the hottest day of the year.
There were seven of us that year, two parents and five kids and I cannot remember what kind of car it was but it easily accommodated four or five wee bodies. I’m thinking we were between twelve and six years old. I was the oldest and considered myself a diva of sorts without knowing that word existed, and for sure possessed that false prepubescent sophistication where really, nothing associated with family was good enough for this princess and Mom and Dad became Mother and Father and really, what kind of car we drove and where we went was below my level of interest..sigh.
I don’t remember much about the cottage except it must have had walls, enough bedrooms and probably and indoor loo as that is one memory that would have caught my royal attention.
One day on the beach, no, not white sand, probably a stony beach with large rocks lining the shore, I found myself talking to a boy. There was none of the discomfort or awkwardness that preteens often start to feel, just nice pleasant conversation. It turned out that he lived very close to my house and knew my brother. Then the conversation took a turn that screamed, ‘hormones at work here!’ but of course I would not recognize that message for a few years.
“How old are you?” he asked.
Not sure what to say here as all of a sudden it occurred to me that I did not want him to know I was just a silly kid (it seems the diva devil flees in the face of true love). After a pause I countered brilliantly with, “How old are you?” feeling much like Baby must have felt when she uttered the words, “I carried a watermelon.”
“Fifteen,” he replied, head down, hands in his pockets and kicking dirt with his right foot.
Whew, I knew it was safe to lie since he obviously was not fifteen.
“Well I’m fourteen,” and he nodded. He said that his family was going home the next day, (and mine still had a week to go), and asked if he could call me for a date sometime.
Our week passed and I soon forgot about the encounter but a few days after returning home I got a phone call. Now phone calls back then were rare. No one actually phoned unless there was a specific purpose to said call. And there were party lines so every conversation could be heard by most of the neighborhood.
Anyway, the call came on a Saturday morning and he asked if I could go to the matinee that afternoon with him?
I asked my Mom, and explained who this fellow was, and my brother corroborated his decent character, and Mom said yes.
I was a bit in awe at the potential of a first date but was pretty cool and calm about it, while my mother made me put on an actual dress and comb my hair (I was pretty much a tomboy like Trixie Belden then so gave no thought to ‘dressing up.’
Then I waited. And waited. And waited. I was not particularly upset, just a little confused maybe but I had not invested any hopes and dreams in this guy so it was no biggie, although looking back; it probably was for my mother.
Later that day a hurried whispered call came from my suitor who apologized for not showing up because his Mom had gotten mad at him and grounded him. He sounded totally humiliated and embarrassed.
“No problem,” said I, quite sincerely and meaning it. And then I promptly forgot about it, except every now and then on a hot humid overcast, July morning, my mind does that little time travel thing, where I find myself standing on a stony beach.
*The ‘Actually’ series are stories of childhood and family and memories.
I loved this! It’s amazing what things can bring back a certain memory!
It’s amazing Dianna I have no idea where that memory came from but it was good to revisit it!
What a beautiful memory… Now if only the rest of us could take being stood up so calmly and reasonably… 🙂
Yes Eliz I was too young to think anything of it and I felt his embarrassment!
this is so fun! i totally wanted more. nice writing.
Thanks Sana….it was fun to write,…and remember.
sweet. Wonder if he remembers that the first girl he asked out on a date, he couldn’t show up because his Mom grounded him? how humiliating is that?
it’s nice to have memories that just make us smile a bit.
It is Joss and yes I do wonder if he even remembers!
Cant remember my first love but weren’t those very sweet times. thanks for the memories.
Yes they were sweet innocent times..I wonder if that kind of innocence even exists anymore. Children today are so tarnished by movies and Tv and twitter etc
This really is just so sweet. You really did the story justice and it invoked so many wonderful (and not so wonderful) feelings. A pleasure to read. 🙂
Thanks so much. For some reason your comment ended in my spam but have corrected that now!
Those wonderful moments that last a lifetime. This conjures up great memories – in Western Canada. Many thanks, BB!
It is fun to remember!!!
So incredibly sweet. I wonder where boy is now?
I wonder too..could he have been The one?? I so loved your encounter with the black bear..am behind on commenting but will catch up..sounds like your trip was great!!
🙂 We did have a good time. That bear wore me out for 2 days. I’d like to hear more of your childhood/leaving childhood memories.
After that headline I was rolling on the floor when I saw you wrestling with the monster! 🙂