RIDE OF MY LIFE Chapter 4

SOAP OPERA SUNDAY


I remember what I was wearing that evening just like it was yesterday. But for the life of me I can't fathom out what in the name of God I was thinking of to have put on those clothes in the first place. Let me explain.

I walked up to the intersection of his road and mine at the time we'd previously arranged and he was there already. Eager or what? Although in hindsight I'm surprised he agreed to walk down the street beside me in my three quarter length turquoise pedal pushers, white shirt with a white and turquoise ruffle straight down the middle and my turquoise bow tie. Yes, that's no typo A BOW TIE WITH MY SHIRT BUTTONED TO THE NECK.

The only thing I can't remember is what I was wearing on my feet but if I was to hazard a guess I'd say knowing me they were turquoise too.

I KNOW. I KNOW. HAD I NO FRIENDS? Like who told me I looked fantastic in that outfit for Christsakes?

We walked from the corner up to my friends house where we were going to join up with her and her sister and that whole walk is a blur to me. I think he affected me so much that I blanked the whole episode out. Call it nerves or plain petrification at having got to finally talk to him on my own but I swear to God I can't remember a thing about that walk, getting to my friends house, meeting her and her sister and continuing on to the Dance. The next thing I do remember is walking in to the Dance. He was beside me as we went in and we met someone he knew.

As he was chatting with his friend just inside the door of the room I had a chance to glance around, and do important things like STRAIGHTEN MY BOW TIE. It was then that I noticed that everyone in the room was over the age of 85. I kid you not. It was An Old Folks Dance for CHRISTSAKES.

I think his friend had been dropping off his Granny because he disappeared and the four of us were eyeballing each other seeing who would blink first.

Was this for real.

Yep. Sure was.

So being 16, broke and obviously having an extremely a high boredom threshold we decided in our wisdom to sit down and watch. If nothing else we could have a laugh for a while.

The four of us walked around the edges of the room to the back where there were three seats. They sat down and he tapped his knees.

"Sit on my knee" he smiled.

SO I STRAIGHTED MY BOW TIE, as you do, and sat on his knee.

And that was when I smelt him. What was that smell? Oh it was gorgeous. I remember taking in another large lungful of PURE HIM which lasted me the whole evening.

We stayed for a couple of hours and then left.

Leaving the place is hazy, as is leaving my friend and her sister at her house, and the walk back to my house but I remember we reached my front door at about midnight. I knew my parents were in bed because the lights were all off in the front room so I asked him in for a coffee. Sitting at our kitchen table we were drinking mug after mug of coffee and talking and I remember it started to dawn. The sun had come up and we'd been talking ALL NIGHT LONG.

"My parents will be up soon, you'd better go" I said clearing away the mugs.

I put the milk back into the fridge and when I turned around he was there. The smell and that lovely smiley face and then he kissed me and that was when his left leg began to shake. A lot. I think it almost dislodged my bow tie but I didn't care at that stage.

He liked me. I liked him.



"I think this is the part where I ask you if you'll go out with me" he said

I nodded, "okay"

We were going out. He was my boyfriend now. Rod & Ellen.

I walked him to the door and watched him step out into the early May morning

"By the way" I called after him "How come you smell so great?"

"Patchouli Oil" he smiled back and then he was gone.

And I was left wondering what I was going say to my other boyfriend........