OH! LOOK, SHE'S BLUSHING

OH! LOOK, SHE’S BLUSHING!

“…am not!”

I was only eight years old when we met, and he was nine. Our meeting was accidental but inevitable since we belonged to the same social club. It was a club organized for those whose ages ranged from eight to, well, whenever the teens decided to move on. It was known as the Sea Cadets whose adult founders (mostly retired US Navy sailors) thought it might be fun for children to learn about the Navy.

We were taught things that included morse code, how to read a compass, navigational charts, marching in cadence, and naturally, discipline. Although everything we learned was taught in lesson format, our instructors made it fun and interesting.

In addition to learning, the adults decided that children who exceeded in their lessons should be rewarded with ribboned medals of excellence and those who tried their best, were awarded small pins. No child went unnoticed or unrewarded.

Once a month, everyone (including the parents) would meet in the auditorium for the reward ceremony and a display of their marching expertise.

While the club was somewhat co-ed, the girls had their units and the boys had theirs. They only interacted before and after the official meetings and during the post reward ceremonies.

It was during one of these monthly meetings when I met Larry.

I was standing with a group of girls like my own age, while the boys gathered behind us. We heard the boys mumbling but paid no attention to any of them.

Before I knew what was happening, one of the boys walked in front of me, leaned in and kissed my cheek. He was absolutely the cutest boy I thought I’d ever see in my entire lifetime. Remember, I was only eight years old!

The girls around me began to giggle while some of the boys screamed, “Atta boy, Larry!”

If my face had gotten any redder, I’m sure it would have bled.

Larry turned to the boys and said, “Look! She’s blushing!”

Even at my immature age, I didn’t want anyone to see me blush, so I screamed back, “Am not! You just made me so mad! That’s all!”

For the rest of the evening, I avoided Larry and his friends, but secretly would, now and then, glance his way.

The following week, Larry approached me and apologized for embarrassing me before the group. He admitted while it began with a dare, he wasn’t sorry for kissing me. Only sorry that I was embarrassed by his actions and how everyone reacted.

We talked as kids did about nothing special and I began to look forward each week to seeing my new friend.

All too suddenly, he was gone! What we didn’t know was that his parents had purchased a house in the next town and that forced Larry to leave the Cadets behind.

Youth and activities helped me not to miss him as much as I first thought I would. As the weeks moved on, I never thought of looking for him in our little club.

Fast forward to my high school days: I attended an all-girls school, my brother’s was boys only. The co-ed schools were much further than where we lived and transportation to the co-ed schools was sporadic. Hence, the separation of boys and girls, once again.

When I turned sixteen, my high school friends and I were planning our junior prom. I heard Terry say, “I’m bringing Tony Marone.” My ears picked up. I replied, “Tony, who attends the Prep?” She looked at me with suspicion. “Yeah, why?”

I laughed, “Terry, last year, Tony played the sax in my brother's band.”

She looked at me in surprise, “Frank is your brother?”

Another girl then said, “I guess, then you probably know Pete Lamonte.” “Yep” was my reply. “He plays rhythm guitar.”

Sharon said, “Guess you know Freddie, then huh?”

I was still laughing. “Not only is Freddie my brother’s drummer, but he also lives two doors down from us.”

Barbara, then joined in the laughter and said, “Well, you will clearly have no idea who I’m bringing. He doesn’t play any instrument and doesn’t live in your city.”

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Give it a try. What’s his name?”

She said only one word, “Larry!”

My eyes popped open wider than I thought possible and said, “Do you mean Larry Means?”

I thought for sure she momentarily stopped breathing. “How on earth do you know Larry?”

My smile widened as my memory clicked in, and replied, “When you get home, call him. This is exactly what I want you to say, ‘Maggie says hello.’ Don’t say another word and let me know tomorrow what he answers.

The next day at school, Barbara leaned her elbows on her desk and sighed deeply. “Larry wants to know if you remember your first kiss.”

I told her how we met and then lost touch with each other.

While not wanting to cause any problems, I was eager to know if they were dating but hesitated to ask. Barbara filled in the blanks. “Before you ask, Larry and I aren’t dating. His family and mine are just super close friends.”

In a way, it didn’t matter if they were dating. It had been eight years since I’d last seen him, but in another way, I was glad they weren’t. I know, it makes no sense, but remember, back then, I was only sixteen.

After the prom, Larry and I began dating. Our parents initiated a congratulations party when we received our high school senior rings.

And that’s when our bubble burst!

“Ah, Maggie. I have a huge decision to make and the path I take depends on this conversation.”

Oh crap! I thought. What now?

“Maggie, how would you feel if right after graduation, we got engaged?”

I was shocked as I honestly didn’t expect that.

“You mean, engaged as in a promised to get married?”

“Yes, I’ll go to college as planned and we can get married as soon as I graduate.”

As much as I enjoyed having Larry as a boyfriend, I knew in my heart I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment and told him exactly how I felt.

He gave me a huge hug and said, “Thank you. I now know where my path lies. It was either you or the seminary and I doubt I would have been happy being married, even to the girl I love.”

We graduated from high school. I went to work to help support my family, and Larry applied to the seminary and was immediately accepted.

Yes, we kept in touch, and when he’d gotten sick, he wrote to me, and once again, thanked me for putting him on the right road to his lifetime goal.

And, how, here I am sixty-nine years later, and I still remember that first kiss as if it happened yesterday – only now I don’t blush anymore.