Pat started hanging around with a
group of girls that I knew on warm days; this group would eat their
lunches at one of the benches in front of the school. I would eat my
lunch in my car then walk over to talk to the group of girls at the
bench in hopes I could get into a conversation with Pat. When the
school bell rang, I would maneuver myself next to Pat so I could walk
with her back to the classroom.
During the whole time I was trying to think of something cool
to say when I asked her out on a date. After a couple of weeks of
walking with Pat back to the classroom, I had made up my mind to ask
her out, the monument came when we were standing next to the classroom
door. "How about a hamburger and a movie one of these weekends?" (O'
Yea, that was cool.) Pat gave me a big wonderful smile and said
"Maybe" Now I knew how that donkey felt chasing the carrot.
A week later I was walking down the hallway to my first class
when I met Pat, she stops and put her hand on my arm and with another
one of those big wonderful smiles says. "How about that hamburger and
movie this weekend?" "I said sure" then we parted.
I was sitting at my desk, an English teacher was talking about
nouns and pronouns when it hit me, I forgot to ask Pat for her phone
number or set a time. I met up with Pat at lunchtime, after a couple
of minutes of small talk; I got around to the subject of our date and
her phone number. Pat handed me the paper with her phone number on it
with another one of those big wonderful smiles and my legs turned to
rubber. I wobbled over to my car and pulled the brown sack lunch out
and sat it on the fender, when I opened it up there on top of the
sandwiches wrapped in wax paper were sliced carrots.
I had to get out on the passenger side of my car, I did not
have the time to fix the drivers side, before my date with Pat. I
knocked on the front door when it opened there stood Pat, she sure
looked good, then she said those words that turns every young mans
stomach into knots. "My parents want to met you"
I was a big kid but Pat's father was bigger and I told myself
don't make this man mad. Pats parents walked us to the front door and
watched as Pat and I walked down the stairs to the car. I opened the
passenger door for Pat, I looked over my shoulder to see if her
parents had closed the front door, they had, then I told Pat, I had to
get in first since the other door was not working.
After fact: Pat and I continued going together for the next four
years. Pats Father never liked my cars, I don't think he thought they
were safe for his daughter. If we had a Prom to go to or some over
special event, Pat's dad would give me the keys to his 56 Ford Crown
Victoria, and say "Drive safe" young man.
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