BACK TO THE LOVE STORY

WELL, LET'S GET BACK TO THE LOVE STORY. AFTER SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR HOURS AND WEEPING AND WORRYING OVER WHETHER MARTIN WOULD LOVE ME AS WELL, I FOUND THAT AS HEAVENLY FATHER SAID, "ALL WAS WELL". BY NOW, IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF APRIL AND THE END OF SCHOOL AND MY GRADUATION WAS DRAWING NEAR. WE HAD NO MONEY TO SPARE, SO OUR DATES WERE SUCH AS THOSE WHERE WE WENT TO PARKS, RODE BIKES AND SAT AND TALKED. I MET MARTIN'S FAMILY. THEY WERE DIFFERENT THAN I WAS USED TO, AND THEY TOOK SOME GETTING USED TO. THE DAY I WENT TO MEET HIS FAMILY, I ASKED MY FRIEND LINDA TO DRIVE ME OVER TO MARTIN'S HOUSE. IT WAS A SUNDAY, AND THEY WERE HAVING A BAR-B-QUE. HE GAVE ME THE ADDRESS, AND IT WAS IN THE HEIGHTS AREA OF HOUSTON, A VICTORIAN NEIGHBORHOOD. THE STREETS WERE HARD TO FOLLOW, AND I WAS AFRAID THAT I WOULD GET LOST. SO, I PUT ON MY FINERY, AND OFF WE WENT TO FIND THE HOUSE. WE DROVE UP ONE STREET AND DOWN ANOTHER. WE HAD TO BE GETTING CLOSE, AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT BEING LATE FOR THE PARTY. SUDDENLY, AS WE DROVE PAST A HOUSE, I SAW A YOUNG MAN HAULING SHINGLES UP TO A ROOF, DANCING UP THE LADDER WITH 80 POUNDS OF SHINGLES ON EACH SHOULDER LIKE IT WAS NOTHING. HE HAD HIS SHIRT OFF, AND HE WAS A KNOCK-OUT! BOY, HE WAS SOMETHING- SWEAT GLISTENING OFF HIS SHOULDERS, HIS ARMS RIPPLING WITH MUSCLE. HIS JEANS WERE RIDING LOW ON HIS HIPS, AND HE TOSSED THOSE SHINGLES DOWN WITH OUT EFFORT. I TOLD LINDA, "STOP THE CAR! I HAVE TO MEET THAT GUY!" "YOU TRAMP" SHE SAID, "YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING MARTIN'S FAMILY TODAY!" (SHE ALWAYS CALLED ME A TRAMP, SHE WAS JOKING I HOPE)- ANYWAY, I TOLD HER, "DON'T BE SUCH A STICK IN THE MUD, GO AND FIND HIS HOUSE AND COME BACK- OH AND KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF HIM!" SHE DROVE OFF AND I SAUNTERED OVER TO THE HOUSE AND STOOD THERE IN AN INVITING POSE- "HEY BIG BOY, COME ON OVER HER" I YELLED. BIG BOY CAME RIGHT OVER TO THE EDGE OF THE ROOF, AND GRINNING, SAID, "HEY BABE! YOU FOUND THE HOUSE! GREAT! I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN!" OH YEAH, JUST MY LUCK- YOU GUESSED IT, IT WAS MARTIN! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? THERE I WAS FLIRTING WITH A HUNK WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO MARTIN'S HOUSE TO MEET HIS FAMILY, AND THERE HE WAS! AT HIS HOUSE! IF I HAD EVEN LOOKED THE ADDRESS WAS BIG AND BOLD RIGHT ON THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE! BUT NO, I WAS TOO INTERESTED IN THE HUNK ON THE ROOF. SO, I COVERED MY TRACKS, AND SAID, "YEAH, I FOUND IT. DIDN'T TAKE ME LONG EITHER. I SAW YOU UP THERE AND COULDNT WAIT TO GET OUT OF THE CAR!" "YEAH, WHATEVER" HE SAID, "I SAW YOU GET OUT, AND YOU HAD NO IDEA IT WAS ME." WELL, I CONTINUE TO COVER MY TRACKS, "WELL OF COURSE I KNEW IT WAS YOU-" AND THEN HERE COMES LINDA YELLING, "JODIE, WAIT! THIS IS MARTIN'S HOUSE!" I TURNED AND GAVE HER A SUGARY GRIN AND SAID, (LOOKING AT MARTIN) "SILLY GIRL, OF COURSE IT IS HIS HOUSE. I KNEW THAT!" SHE GAVE HIM A CONFUSED LOOK, AND SAID, "WELL IF YOU KNEW THAT THEN WHY DID YOU TELL ME TO--(I PUT MY HAND OVER HER MOUTH AT THAT MOMENT) AND SAID, "TELL YOU TO GO GET THAT THING FOR ME? WELL BECAUSE, I NEEDED THAT THING!" SHE LOOKED SO CONFUSED, (SHE WAS NOT THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE CHANDELIER) AND MARTIN JUST CRACKED UP. "TRAMP" HE SAID, AND GAVE ME A BIG HUG. WE LAUGHED TOGETHER AND THEN WE WENT TO THE BACK YARD TO MEET HIS FAMILY. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO DO ANYTHING RIGHT? I TRULY WONDER! BUT WE HAD A WONDERFUL DAY, AND TO THIS DAY WE STILL LAUGH ABOUT "THE HUNK ON THE ROOF!" LOVE, NANASEE