Kitty Cat

We were not allowed to have pets in the children's home. One thing I really missed about living with Grandmother and Mother was that I had a cat of my own, a cat that I really loved. I fed the poor thing the cheapest cat food available but it didn't seem to mind. At night, she would curl up with me and lull me to sleep with her gentle purring. She would gently knead the covers with her sharp little claws,leaving little bits of thread standing when she was through. She was always there when I got home, and I looked so forward to her greeting me each day. We lived on the second floor of the apartment building back then, and there was a screened-in porch attached to the back of the apartment. My cat had worked a small hole in the screen near a bottom corner, and would shimmy down a drain pipe when she wanted to get out. This was perfect as I didn't have to worry about a cat pan when she wanted to relieve herself. She was a perfect pet and companion. I really missed her after I had gone into the home. One fall day after the home had moved to it's new location, I had walked to the tiny little town of Palmetto Georgia, (really just a spot on the map, not having many stores or anything). I had gone to a small convienence store and purchased a soda and some chips. I was putting off going back to the home because it was a really nice fall day and I wanted some time to myself. As I stood there just observing the street, the people and things in general, I felt something rubbing on my ankle. Looking down, I saw that it was a tiny little furry gray kitten. It wasn't a newborn kitten, but probably several weeks old. I looked around to see where it had come from, but no one was there who looked like they were missing a kitten. Kneeling, I picked the little thing up and it emitted a soft purring noise. I have never been able to neglect an animal, and this was no different. I could not have walked away and left that little thing for any reason. I rubbed it's little ears and it closed it's eyes in pleasure. It began to knead my sleeve with it's little claws and I was totally in love. Now I had a problem. I could not take it home, as I mentioned, we could not have any pets at the home. I could not leave it there, I was afraid it would get killed in the road or starve to death. As I tried to decide what to do, I went into the convienence store and got a can of tuna. I got the store owner to open it and took it outside for the little kitten. It just scarfed the tuna, making grunting noises as it ate. I knew it was hungry and that made my mind up for me. I decided to sneak the little kitten back to the home and hide it in the woods behind the cottage. I would take care of it somehow-I could not turn my back on it. I tucked that little thing under my arm and walked the long walk back to the home. When I got home, I found a box and stuffed a towel in it to make the kitten a little bed. I brought home the empty tuna can for a food dish and sneaked a small bowl from the kitchen for water. I spent the rest of the day cuddling my little kitten, but I was worried about leaving it outside for the night. Praying for it's safety, I tucked the kitten in the box, left some chicken from supper in the tuna can and filled the bowl with some water. I left a small area in the top of the box in case it needed to get out and then I went to bed. In the middle of the night, I went back outside and checked on the kitten. It was cuddled in the towel, sound asleep. The next morning, I checked on it early and found that it was comfy and covered and the chicken was gone. For the next week, I secretly took care of the little kitten. I named it Kitty, and had no idea if it was a boy or girl. I spent every moment that I could with Kitty, still having to be secretive about it's presence. Kitty was growing very fast, and I was amazed at how quickly it was gaining weight. Kitty was always so sweet and loving, and I congratulated myself on a job well done by rescuing him or her. The food I left was always eaten completly and I wondered if I was feeding Kitty enough. About a month after I had brought Kitty home, I was really surprised at how much weight he or she had put on. To tell the truth, he or she was actually getting kind of fat. Each night I put him or her in the box and made sure there was food and water, kissed Kitty and tucked the towel tight. By then, Kitty had begun to wander from the box during the night but always came running when I came out. I then realized that Kitty must have learned to hunt and perhaps that was why he or she was gaining so much weight. I thought that he or she must have been the smartest cat in the world! One day, I solved the mystery of the weight gaining kitten. Early one morning, I sneaked out the back day to go and check on Kitty. The box was empty, and so I began to look around to see where Kitty may be. I heard a quiet voice going, "Here kitty kitty" and realized someone was calling my cat. I was frightened that I had been found out and would have to get rid of Kitty. I followed the voice and to my surprise, I saw the matron very quietly calling Kitty. Kitty was going to her with no fear, and I knew the jig was up. I would lose my precious Kitty. I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to let the matron know that I had been harboring Kitty for so long. I decided to watch and see what she would do when Kitty went to her. To my surprise, Kitty went right up to the matron and jumped up in her arms, allowing the matron to rub his or her ears and scratch under his or her neck. Then to my utter surprise, the matron set Kitty down, went into the kitchen and returned with a saucer of milk and some canned cat food. As Kitty feasted, the matron stood over him or her with hands on her hips and a tender look on her face. She liked Kitty! Maybe she would let me keep Kitty! Quietly, I approached the matron, but she did not see me because she was enjoying watching Kitty eat breakfast. Then she looked up and got a startled look on her face. Glancing at Kitty and then at me, she looked rather nervous. I went up to her and grinned, hoping to soften her heart when I told her that I had brought Kitty home with me more than a month earlier. Before I could say anything however, the matron smiled at me. She quietly walked over to me and asked me if I could keep a secret. I said sure, and she quietly told me that one morning, about a month before, she had come out the back door to find this darling little kitty roaming around the back steps. She knew we could not have pets, but she had been secretly feeding it ever since. She told me it lived in the woods, and no one needed to know about it. She also said that she hoped that I would not mention it to anyone as she really wanted to keep the kitty around. Talk about an answer to my prayers! For once I knew to keep my mouth shut and not admit that it was me that had brought the kitty back to the home. I just assured the matron that her secret was safe with me, not to worry. She told me I could pet the kitten anytime, and not to worry, it was friendly. (I already knew that!) I left the matron there with her new charge, but not until after I asked two questions. The first was: What had she named the kitten? She said, "Oh, I just call him Kitty". That prompted the second question: How did she know Kitty was a boy? She laughed and showed my how to tell the difference between a boy kitten and a girl. So, I resuced Kitty, not knowing if it would work out or not, and it did. Kitty would prove to be a valuable asset to our cottage in the future, but I will tell you more about that later.

That fall, I was in the ninth grade and really loving going to school. This was not because of any academic attraction, but because of an academic instructor. Coach Fenning. Let me back up just a bit. I had a literature class which at that time was focused on Greek Mythology. I love history and this was particularly interesting to me because I have a vivid imagination and had no trouble picturing the Gods stirring up trouble, couples falling hopelessly in love and Goddesses causing all kinds of grief for humans and other Gods due to female spite and jealousy. The stories were easy to memorize and relate and I was really in my element. Then, one day I walked into the classroom with my mind full of the assigned reading and ready to expound on what I had learned. I even hoped there might be a test, because I knew that I would do really great, and wanted to show off a bit. As teenaged girls do, Mindy and I walked into the class yakking and not paying much attention to our surroundings. Soon, I noticed that the other class members were not very animated and it was unusual that they were not milling around and talking as the bell had not yet rung. I began to look around and there he was. I was stunned. Standing in front of the teacher's desk, with massive forearms folded across his chest stood what must have been a Greek God come to life. I actually had to look up to get a good look at his face-and life was forever changed for me. The first thing I noticed was his intense blue eyes. They were striking, glowing, and as blue as a rare sapphire. He did not notice me because he was perusing the students in the class. I took the opportunity to really size him up. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall, with very wide shoulders, a stomach that showcased perfect abs, very narrow hips and well muscled thighs. His legs were impossibly long and encased in a pair of Levi's. He wore a polo shirt that strained across those perfect shoulders and upper arms, with the neck slightly open offering a glimpse of a dark, furred chest. His hair was as black as the wing of a blackbird, with a slight wave and came slightly down to just above the expressive black eyebrows. His nose was slightly long, his cheeks chisled and his lips full and sensuous. His chin was squared and firm and he was tanned. I felt something poking me in my arm, and realized that Mindy was trying to say something to me. She was asking why I was just standing there, looking like someone had shot me. I just kind of nodded my head in the direction of this fabulous excuse for a human being and she turned to look at him. She too, was mezmerized by his perfection. As we stood there, like so many other of the girls in the class, he turned and focused on us. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I thought he was fabulous as I had sized him up, but a direct look in my direction made me realize that I had not really discovered the enormity of his attraction. I must have been gaping at him, (oh gosh, I may even have been drooling) when he smiled in my direction. After that, I don't even remember getting to my seat. Hopefully Mindy got me there- she was always so sensible. Finally, class started. He introduced himself as Coach Fenning. The regular teacher would not be back for the rest of the year, and he was taking her place. Halleluah! I would get to look at him all year long! His voice was slightly low, very manly and very attractive. He briefly told us that we would continue our study of Greek Mythology and went to his desk to open his book. He was called Coach because he was an assistant coach of the boys football team. He also was a substitute teacher during the day, but would be the permanent replacement of the teacher who had left. He began the day by reading the current assignment to the class. I was in heaven. I could not keep my eyes off of him, could not keep my ears away from his voice. For the first time in my life, I was truly in love. (Okay, how about in a crush?) I took the time to notice that he did not wear a wedding ring, so he was probably not married. He turned to the blackboard, and I realized that I had never seen a more beautiful pair of Levi's in my life. Oh, my goodness, how could any man be so perfect? Then, it happened. Coach Fenning looked right at me and said that the former teacher had told him if he needed any help to call on me as I was the best student in the class. With a gleaming smile he told me he was happy to have someone to call on the help him through the first days of his assignment. Oh yes, I would help him! I would do anything for him! Gorgeous Coach Fenning. Let me tell you that I knew that I was going to love that class more than I ever thought I would. So, that was the day that I lost my innocent heart to a crush that would be a part of my life for several months. Coach Fenning must have know the effect he had on the girls, but he was never anything but kind and tolerent of the adoration that was a part of his daily life. He was very patient and endured the fawining glances, the smiles, giggles and sighs, and was never anything but professional in every way. I was innocent, and did not harbour a thought that was any more than enjoying the feelings of joy and happiness that hit me when I was in Coach Fennings presence. I also did not realize that all of the other girls felt the same way, truly I was not aware that anyone could love him as much as I did. I only got to see him in class, I wouldn't have had to courage to speak to him anywhere else anyway. But, each day I dressed to look nice for him, and at night I thought of him before I went to sleep. They were innocent thoughts, like walking in the park with him, sitting and listening to him read just to me, seeing him smile just for me. Sometimes I would think of him when I heard songs of young love. I would have a husband just like him someday, a perfect specimen of manhood who would have eyes only for me. Until then, I would enjoy being in the presence of Gorgeous, kind, and fabulous Coach Fenning. Whoo-hoo! I loved school!

A story full of bull

You never know from day to day what is going to happen. It was a perfectly ordinary Saturday afternoon, and I had some time on my hands. Thinking about what I would like to do, it occurred to me that it would be nice to go and see my brothers. The boys campus was on the other side of the home, about a 2 mile walk from where I lived. I didn't mind the walk, but I wanted to spend some time with them, and came up with a plan to shorten the trip. The home was built in a semi-circle arrangement, with the administration building, the church, the gymnasium and the main kitchen right in the middle. The girls cottages branched off to the right and the boys to the left. It was quite a walk if you went from point A to point B on the paved street, but if you went through the field in the back of the home, it was only about a half mile from the girls cottages to the boys cottages. I decided to cut across the fields in back of the campus, especially since it was such a pretty day, and warm for being in the fall season. Taking this route entailed jumping over some fences, mostly wire fences and crossing a field where cattle grazed. There were a few cattle, mostly cows and a couple of sedate bulls, nothing to really worry about. So, I didn't even have the cattle on my mind as I walked that day. I had school, some boys, clothes, music, you know, ordinary thoughts for a teenaged girl. ( I was also watching where I stepped). Noticing a lovely cow not too far away, I wondered if she would let me get close to her. Well, I assumed it was a cow, I mean, how do you tell the difference anyway? I slowed my walk, and gradually moved in closer to the cow who just kept on grazing and not paying me any attention. I actually walked right up to her, (like I mentioned, I thought it was a her) and when I found myself directly in front of her, reached out and patted her head. For a cow who didn't know I was there a moment before, she sure yanked her head up and gave a terrific "MOOOOO!" That scared the crap out of me. I turned and started walking away from her, but to my surprise and fright, she started following me. Just walking right behind me, every once in awhile nudging me with her nose. I began to worry that she would poke me with her horns and walked faster. So did she. I began to trot, and so did she. Then I noticed something really alarming. Some of the cows didn't have horns. Only the really big cows had horns, and there were only a couple of them. The ones with horns were much bigger than the ones without too. My cow had horns, and was quite large. I began to worry that maybe my cow was a bull. I decided to turn and face that cow/bull? or whatever it was. I got the brilliant idea to pick up a stick, really a small branch so that if I had to defend myself I would have something to drive off the animal. As I straightened up from picking up the stick, I saw that what by now I was sure was a bull had come right up behind me once again. I was very nervous, I had heard stories of bulls attacking people just for being in their territory. I decided to "take the bull by the horns" (pardon the pun) and stand my ground. With a determined voice I told that bull to shoo! He didn't shoo. Again, I spoke loudly demanding that that bull shoo! He ignored my command. He began to sniff around my face and head. He licked my ears with his huge slobbery tongue. I did notice that he had pretty brown eyes, and then I got a grip. It was time to take action. One last time I shouted at him to shoo, to go away, to git! He stayed. Taking all the courage I possessed, I raised the stick and smacked him right across the nose- I thought that would get his attention. It did. He raised his huge, horn laden head and bellowed in my face. That scared me so badly that I just turned and blindly ran as fast as I could away from that bull. He ran after me, just kind of galloping, not charging or anything. I could hear his hooves clopping on the field grass, and I knew he was not far behind. With a mind full of terror, I tried to imagine what he would do when he caught up with me. I ran faster. So did he. In the distance, I saw a tree that looked easy to climb. Funny thing, when I got to that tree, I had no trouble climbing it at all. I scooted up into the tree, climbing from branch like the most talented chimpanzee. My breath was coming in hitching gasps and I thought my heart was going to burst right out of my chest. Tears of fright were streaming down my face. Finally, when I thought I was good and safe from that bull, I wrapped my legs around a branch and got comfortable with my back against the trunk. The bull was pacing in circles around the base of the tree, butting the trunk with his head, but I was about 30 feet up so I began to feel safe. For just a moment. Now, I have never been a really lucky person, and this of course was no exception. Believe it or not, that bull finally calmed down a bit and just lay his big old self down under that tree and got comfortable. Right under the tree. So, there I was, clinging to a tree 30 feet up over a bull that was already mad at me and then decided to wait for me to come down so that he could finish me off. I wondered how long he would be there. I wondered when it was time for his dinner. Would he wander off with the rest of the herd eventually? Would anyone miss me? Shoot, would anyone even think to look for me in the field? I hadn't told anyone that I was taking a short cut, I thought perhaps it was wise not to bring it up. I had told the matron that I was going to see my brothers, so maybe if it got late she would call and see if I had made it there. That was another can of worms that I didn't want to think about. Time passed and I sat in the tree. The bull just stayed where he was, and eventually I thought I could hear him snoring. I listened to the birds singing in the distance and felt the wind as it dried the tears on my face. It was getting cooler and I wanted to go home. I didn't know what to do, so I began to pray. I prayed that the bull would get up and leave, that I could get back to the cottage without the matron finding out that I had taken a short cut and that everything would resolve itself before it got dark. I am not sure how much time passed, but about the time my backside was getting numb from resting on the rough bark of the tree, I heard a noise. It was a tractor. A farmer was driving his tractor through the field not far from where I was trapped. I started yelling at him, not caring that my yelling would wake the bull. I was glad that it was fall, because the tree didn't have many leaves and I hoped the farmer would see me. I guess my prayers were answered, because suddenly the farmer took a sharp turn and headed for the tree. With the noise from the tractor and my yelling, the bull began to stand up and circle the tree again, mooing and making lots of noise. The farmer came right up to the tree, looking confused as to what was wrong with the bull. I yelled again and he looked straight up at me. The look on his face was comical, but at the time I didn't appreciate any kind of humor. He got off the tractor and shooed the bull from under the tree. With a great shove on the rear end of that bull, the farmer got him to leave. Stupid bull just turned and walked away as if he had nothing else to do. The farmer asked me why I was in the tree, and I told him about the bull being in the field that I was crossing. He told me that he couldn't understand why the bull bothered me at all, because it was a perfectly tame bull that even a child could pet. I wondered if I should mention that I had belted the bull with a stick. I thought better of it and after climbing back down from my lofty height, stood patiently and attentively as the farmer explained the dangers of walking through a field with cattle grazing. I dutifully apologized and assured him that I would never, ever again walk anywhere near a field of cattle, grazing or not! He asked me if I wanted a ride back to the paved road of the campus, and I thankfully accepted his offer. I went straight back to the cottage about 3 hours after I had first left. I went to my room and lay on my bed, thinking about the close call I had had. I think the worst thing about the whole incident was that I couldn't tell anyone about it in case I would get in trouble. So, I had to keep the whole terrifying ordeal to myself. The farmer didn't rat me out, and I came up with a plausible excuse for not visiting my brothers after all. I felt really lucky that everything worked out, and to this day, I swear, I will not go anywhere near a bull that is loose in a field! And by the way, I am still trying to figure out why I got the idea to belt that bull on his nose. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but looking back I guess I was either really brave or really stupid. All in all, it was a "mooving" experience!

The Group at the Home

The summer was over and it had been just a bit over a year since I had come to the Children's Home. I had changed so very much! When I arrived at the home, I was a terrified, saddened, dissapointed and frightened young girl. Through the year, I had opened my mind to joys and treasures that I did not know I could be a part of. I had learned to overcome fear, learned to trust, learned to be a friend and to have a friend, learned compassion, love, kindness and so much more. In one year, I learned to be a gracious person, laying aside jealousy, anger, frustration and a lack of self-worth. Now, don't for a moment believe that I had found all the answers, certainly I had only scratched the surface of a life worth living and believing in. Truthfully, there would be other obstacles that I would meet in the future, some so devastating that I would embrace the thought that life was not worth living, but for the present time, I was enjoying being Joselli. Being Joselli meant that I knew that there was safety if I relied on myself only. I could not place my trust in anyone, because that meant getting hurt, but on the other hand, I knew that being trustworthy brought many rewards. This is where I found my joy. Being trustworthy gave me freedoms that other kids did not have. I could pretty much do what I wanted, as the matron knew that she could trust me. I accepted something else that gave me peace. I had decided that Mother had done the best she could for us, and leaving us in the home was a decision that she made with the best of intentions. I could not fault her for this, she loved us and had found a way to make sure we would be provided for. In a way, it was the ultimate sacrifice, being apart from her children for their own good. Okay, at least it was an excuse that I could live with, and that took the blame from my shoulders. I no longer felt it was my fault that we were in the home. Then, there was my father. He wrote to tell me that he was getting released from prison, and that he would come and see us when he could. I had no concept of exactly when that would be, I only knew that one day I would see him again. That was a closet full of memories and anxieties that I would have to deal with eventually. To narrow all of this down, I had come to a point in my life that classified difficulties in the order by which I could deal with them. By neatly placing my skeletons in mental cubicles and locking them away, I opened up my life so that I could enjoy the things that were available to me and using them, could become a young lady full of joy and peace. So, the school year started. Each morning, we were up with the alarm, cleaned our rooms and made our beds, got dressed and went to the dining room. Nothing had changed here. But after breakfast, instead of walking through the little town of Hapeville Georgia, we would walk the long walk to the bus stop and wait for the bus. This was a time to talk and visit with each other. We would see the boys too, and looked forward to being with them. The boys that were our age, were the usual teenaged boys. Of course, they came from difficult backgrounds such as the girls had, but since we were all in the same boat, we took comfort in the familiarity. There were a few couples, but for the most part, we were all a group and enjoyed being so. The trip back into Hapeville from Palmetto was about 40 miles. This gave us plenty of time to talk and visit, and we really enjoyed the bus ride each morning. This group was our family. We watched out for each other at school, and took up for each other when there was a difficulty. When I say difficulty, I mean things not out of the ordinary, but things that were hurtful to a member of the group individually. One time, as I went to sign my name on the sheet in the cafeteria so that I could get my lunch, someone loudly remarked that I was signing the "Orphan List". They went on to ridicule the kids from the home, saying that we were poor and nothing more than a bunch of orphans. Other kids took up the cause, and began to remark that we had ratty clothes and that nobody wanted us. That was why we were in the home. In the midst of all of this, one of the larger boys from the home stepped up to the instigator, pulled back a ham of a fist and punched that kid right in the mouth. The kid flew backwards, slammed into a table, toppled the table and fell face down on the floor. Without looking at the damage, the boy from the home challenged anyone else who may have something to say about us. No one did. When a teacher came running over to see what happened, none of us would admit what we had seen. The other kids were afraid to say anything, and so nothing more was done about the incident. There was no more said about the "Orphan list" from anyone. It felt so good to be a part of something, and I truly began to love our group. It wasn't long after school started that I got the idea to get the group together for a dance in the gym at the home. I first asked Mrs. Thompson, and then she suggested that I ask the administrator for permission. The first opportunity, I asked the administrator and he thought it was a good idea. He told me to take care of all the details, and it was fine with him. I was so excited! We had not had a dance before, and I knew it would be great fun. I roped Mindy into helping me, and some of the other girls as well. We planned food, music and decorations. For the next few weeks, I was busy baking and freezing cookies and getting the last details done. Then, one saturday night in the early fall, the dance was held. All that day, the girls had been getting ready, rolling their hair, ironing clothes and putting on makeup. We decorated with balloons, streamers and tablecloths, and one of the houseparents found an old mirror ball to hang from the ceiling. I was so excited and happy, I had the idea from the start and now the whole thing was coming together. At six P.M., the doors were opened and the older kids from the home streamed into to gym. Exclaiming at the decor, groups were formed and the dance began. Some of the couples paired off, but most of us hung together in our group. The music was lively, some from the Beatles, some from Elvis and so forth. Punch and cookies were consumed in a constant stream, and fortunately I had baked enough to keep replenishing the dishes. There were chips, popcorn, my famous brownies and even a large bowl of hard candy. I was surprised and happy when some of the boys asked me to dance. When one dance was over, another boy asked me for the next one. It never occurred to me that this was due to anything more than friendship. I had no designs that any of them took me seriously, and that was fine with me. In spite of the time with Henry, I didn't have the confidence anyway to have a one-on-one relationship with any of them. The music played on, the dancing continued and then someone got the idea to play a game. It was called choo-choo. Here's how it went. A boy or girl would start by choosing a partner of the opposite sex and "choo-choo" like a train into the other room. Then, they would come back out, and the person on the end of the train would chose someone else of the opposite sex. The train would go back into the other room and come back out to choose someone else. We all waited with anticipation to be chosen, because we didn't know what was going on in the other room. Finally, I was chosen. I put my arms around the waist of the boy who had chosen me, and we "choo-chooed" into the other room. Then, to my surprise, the first boy turned around and lightly kissed the girl behind him, she kissed the boy behind her and so on until it came to be my turn. I was terrified. What if I messed up? What if I slobbered on the boy? What if? What if? Then, seening that it was my turn, I pursed my lips, closed my eyes and leaned in for my kiss. But, I didn't get a kiss, but a smack on the cheek! I squealed in surprise and everyone laughed good naturedly. That was the joke of the game, to make you think you had to kiss someone, and then wait for them to get ready and lightly smack them instead. It was really funny, and I was glad when it was my turn to choose someone. I too, delivered a smack, but only after I did actually lightly kiss the boy that had chosen me. Everyone thought the game was great fun, and we talked about it for days to come. Before we knew it, the party had to come to a close. We wanted to stay on dancing and such, but I knew that we had to prove our trust, and so I insisted that we clean up and get back to the cottages by the appointed time. That night, I reveled in the wonderful time I had had at the dance. I got so many compliments and over and over was asked to do it again soon. I went to bed, hugging my stuffed pig and thanked Heavenly Father for the wonderful time we had all had. I looked forward to the bright future of fun and companionship that I felt was a part of living in the home.

Summer's End

I had such a wonderful week at the beach! I think it truly rates up there with Moondoggie and Gidget- almost to the expectation of my imagination. I was a bit upset over Henry and his quick departure, but the time I spent with him was proof positive that such things do happen. I would have lots of great things to tell Mindy and the other girls, and for once would be able to relate things that I had only heard them talk about. The day that Henry left, two things happened. First, Karen got caught in her bikini. I didn't rat her out, as fate would have it, her mother was just strolling along the water's edge and enjoying the day when she noticed a group of boys surrounding a young girl. It was apparent that the girl had pretty much nothing on, and Karen's mother felt a bit scandalized that any mother would allow her daughter to go out in public like that. Then, the unimaginable happened. A young man, eager to join the throng, ran up to Karen and called her by her name. When she heard the name "Karen", Karen's mother naturally looked to see if it was her daughter that the young man was addressing. To her shock and dismay, and then incredible anger, Karen's mother saw that it was her own chaste and innocent daughter that was surrounded by boys and practically naked! With a justified exclamation, Karen's mother stomped up to the group, picked up a beach towel and threw it over Karen's body. Then, with righteous indignation, she turned and blasted those boys, sending them sucrrying away in record time. Finally, she turned to Karen and for the next ten minutes, carped about trashy behavior behind Karen as they were going back to the hotel. Of course Karen was mortified, especially since her worst nightmare had come true. I was no where around, as I had gone with some girls I had met during the week. When I looked to see where Karen was, I noticed the absence of the boys and that Karen's spot on the beach was vacant. I was confused, but was enlightened when one of the girls told me that Karen's mother had come down and blasted Karen all the way back to the hotel. I began to worry that Karen's mother would blame me somehow for Karen's behavior, and wondered if I should go back to the hotel and face the music. I took my time, but finally, went back to the hotel room to find Karen weeping, her face red and eyes puffy. As soon as I walked in the room, Karen attacked me saying that it was all my fault that she had gotten caught. She claimed that if I had kept watch out like I should have, I could have warned her before her mother saw her. Before I could even respond to those rediculous accusations, Karen's mother came into the room and shaking a self-righteous finger in Karen's face, told her that it was her own fault that she was in trouble, parading around like a naked hussy for all the world to see. Why couldn't she be a nice girl like me, and keep her body covered so that people would not think their family was trash! By now I was in tears, and hated the contention going on. Karen's mother looked kindly at me and told me not to cry, I had done nothing wrong, indeed, I had shown Karen a good example. She then told Karen that she was confined to the hotel room for the rest of the day, and she was going to take me shopping at the little souvenier shops. I told her that I thought I should stay with Karen, but she insisted that I go with her. With a backward glance in Karen's direction, I followed Karen's mother out the door, down the hall and into the warm, sunny day. I tried to apologize for anything I might have done to upset her, and once again, she assurred me that it was Karen that had upset her, not me. I tried to enjoy my time with Karen's mother, but I felt so awkward about the whole situation. After awhile, I began to calm down and really began to have some fun. Then, the second thing happened that I will remember about that day. As we entered one of the souvenier shops, I was drawn once again to the preserved alligators that lined a whole shelf. Some of them had their mouths open showing thier sharp little teeth, and some of them had closed mouths. All of them had little black beady eyes and thick, dried alligator skins with differents pattens. Some were really large and others very small. The one thing they had in common was that I wanted one so very badly. I didn't have enough money to buy one, and so as in most cases of something I wanted, I just decided to enjoy looking at them while I could. I picked up one little alligator, about nine inches long and began to run my forefinger over it's rough exterior. I was enchanted by the tiny little claws and the alligator grin of it's little face. I felt sorry that someone had killed this little baby alligator just to make a souvenier out of him. While I was engrossed with these thoughts, Karen's mother came over to stand next to me. She asked me if I liked that little alligator, and I told her that I did. I admitted that I would love to have it for a memory of my wonderful vacation, and to my amazement, she told the clerk to wrap it up for me! She was buying that alligator for me! I could take it home, and just like I imagined, put it on the windowsill and remember the wonderful week I had spent in Florida. When the clerk handed me the wrapped package that held my little alligator, I hugged Karen's mother, thanking her for everything- the week in Florida, the fun I had been having, and most especially the little alligator. I don't remember much about the rest of the week, but Karen and her mother resolved their issues, I spent all the time I could on the beach, and when it was time to return, I carefully packed my alligator to take home with me. When we returned to the home, it was as if a magical time had come to an end and things would be returning to normal. Mindy was so surprised that I was so tan, and she said that I looked great! I basked in the limelight as I related my week in the sun, along with tales of Henry and everything we did together. The summer was coming to a quick end, and soon, school would be starting again. I didn't know it then but I would find that it would be an interesting and wonderful year.

Dream date

Morning could not come too soon for me! I awoke early, but I had to wait for Karen to be up and about, as her Mom would not let us go to the beach alone. She was afraid that some unscrupulous stranger would take advantage of us, we being such lovely innocents and all-(Boy did she not know her daughter!) I was very hungry as well, and decided to go to breakfast and let Karen sleep in for awhile. I thought that she would be awake when I got back, and we could go to the beach. I gobbled some eggs and a sweet roll, and when I got back from breakfast, Karen was still sleeping. I gently poked at her exposed foot, trying to get her to wake up. She just yanked her foot under the cover, and I stood there trying to hold my patience. Next, I tickled her arm, but she just rolled over. I whispered her name, but no response. I was getting impatient, I knew that Henry was waiting for me! Finally, I called her name rather loudly, and she shifted a bit. "whadaya want?" she mumbled. I told her to come on and get up, I wanted to go to the beach, but she said she didn't feel well. I asked her again, more earnestly, and she just rolled back over and pulled the covers over her head. I was getting desperate. I yanked the bedspread off of her and told her to get up. I wanted to be there with Henry, and she wasn't going to stop me! With a few unlady-like words, Karen glared at me, telling me that she had no reason to go to the beach, after all, I was the one with a boyfriend, not her! Quickly, I came up with a lie. I told her that Henry was bringing one of his friends to meet her and we would hang out together. That piqued her interest. I handed her one of her most scanty bikinis and told her that no one could resist her in something like that. By now, she was smiling, and had a crafty look on her face. Because she was dragging her feet, I began to throw towels, the bikini, sun tan lotion and t-shirts into our beach bag. Once again, I pressed her to hurry, and at last, after donning the ugly, one-piece swim suits that her mother insisted we wear, we finally found our way down the back stairs and on to the beach. We had not gone far, when I heard my name called. Looking back, I saw Karen's mom calling and motioning for us to return. Going back to her, I listened in horror as she told us that she wanted to spend the day at the beach with us. She thought it would be fun for just us girls to hang out together. She said we could build sand castles, lay in the sun, eat hot dogs and snow cones and suggested that Karen and I introduce her to out little friends. I saw my highly anticipated day shatter right before my eyes. Both Karen and I had a problem with her mom's plans for the day. In no way was Karen going to be seen on the beach in such an ugly swim suit, and I knew that I could not hang out with Henry if Karen's mom was there. Just as I thought I was going to break down and cry, something wonderful happened. I guess the summer beach fairy was looking after me, because right then, Karen's dad came down the stairs dressed in bermuda shorts, boat shoes, a t-shirt and had a camera slung about his neck. With a booming, cheerful greeting, he told us that he was going sight-seeing and invited us to join him. Karen quickly spoke up and told her dad that she thought it would be a good idea if just he and her mom went together and let us just spend the day at the beach. She added that they did not ever have much time to be alone, and, waggling her eyebrows in a suggestive manner, said that it would be romantic for them to spend the day together. (She had such a silver tongue!). Her mom looked at her dad and smiling, said that it sounded good to her. She insisted that she didn't want to leave us all alone like that, but we assured her that we would have fun and not to worry. In no time at all, Karen's parents were gone to their sight-seeing, and we were on our way to the beach once again. As soon as we were out of sight of her parents, Karen pulled her genie act and snaked into the tiny bikini that we had smuggled from the hotel. I was amazed at the fact that such a small amount of fabric could even cover the vital parts of Karen's body. Next to her physical perfection, I felt like a whale, but then I remembered that Henry was waiting for me and he had said that he liked me just the way I was. As I ran along the expanse of the white sands of the beach looking for Henry, once again I was amazed that I had been given the opportunity of having a vacation such as this. Karen had found her usual gaggle of admirers (I guess she had forgotten about my little white lie) and I went, as usual by myself to see what the day would bring. Before long, I heard my name called. It was Henry! He was running along the beach, calling and waving to me. The dream continued. There was actually a boy that wanted to be with me! As we met by the water's edge, Henry told me that he had the day planned for us. After spending some time with our friends, he wanted to go to the shops and look around. After that, we could get some lunch, and then he had a surprise for me. I was so excited, and I thought if only Mindy could see me now! The morning passed quickly, and soon we were on our way to the little shops that lined the main street where the beach began. Once again, I was enchanted by all the souveniers available. The tiny preserved alligators stared at us as we passed by, and I thought again how much I wished I could take one home with me. Carved coconut monkeys grinned at me in passing, as if they knew that I was having a special time. In one shop, Henry picked up a large conch shell and put it to his ear. His face lit up with a huge smile, and he told me that he could hear the sea. I asked if that was all he could hear, and he said no, that he could also hear the shell telling him that I was special to him. I blushed radiantly, no boy had ever spoken to me like that before! We left the shop and strolled past other shops, most of them offering the same souveniers. As we came to one shop however, I noticed that they were advertising salt-water taffy. I told Henry that I had never had salt-water taffy, and he suggested that we go in and try some. Inside the store was a counter lined with striped taffy candy in several colors and sizes. Off to the side of the counter was a machine that was "pulling" taffy, or in other words, stretching long ropes of candy over and over. It was amazing to see the candy lighten up in color and it was stretched. Most of the colors were pastel pinks, greens, blues and yellow with stripes of white running through them. Some of it was chocolate, vanilla or strawberry, and were in solid colors. After the taffy was stretched, it was rolled into long snake shapes and cut into small, round pieces. Then, a worker would wrap each piece by hand and throw it into a bin of the same color. From each bin, the candy was packed into lovely foil boxes to be sold. There were free samples of the taffy, and I eagerly chose a pink piece. Popping it into my mouth, I was surprised at the sticky sweetness of the taffy. Noting my surprised look, Henry asked me what I was thinking. I told him that I thought that since it was salt-water taffy, it should have had a salty taste. The clerk heard me and explained that it was only called salt-water taffy because it was usually sold only at the beach. I loved the sweet, vanilla taste of the taffy, and found myself pulling it from my teeth with my tongue as I tried to eat it. Before long, the taffy had dissolved, and I wished that I had another piece. Before I could say anything, Henry pulled out some change and had the clerk fill a small bag with pieces of taffy of each color. Smiling, he handed me the bag and told me to enjoy myself. All I could think was that I would never eat all of that precious candy, because Henry had bought it for me and I wanted to keep some to remember him by. Soon after we left the taffy store, Henry led me to a small cafe where we had corn dogs and cokes for lunch. I felt like the heroine in a romantic movie as I enjoyed each moment in Henry's company. He was so sweet to me, and I never wanted the day to end. After lunch, I found that the surprise that Henry had for me was to rent a bicycle built for two. We rode all over the shopping area with the wind blowing in our faces and the sun beating down on us. It was magical. Finally, we turned the bike back in and went back to the beach. Sitting at the water's edge, we sat in companionable silence while I thought of the wonderful day. Dusk was falling and the night beach goers were coming out. Campfires were being lit and the smell of roasting marshmallows and hot dogs permeated the air. The wave gently rolled in and out and the smell of salt caressed the breeze. Stars began to blink in the dusky sky. How could anything be any better? Henry and I talked of nothing in particular, but we held hands. Then, I knew it was time to go in, and as much as I would have spent the whole night sitting on the beach and talking to Henry, I also knew that it could not be. So, I stood up and told Henry that I had to go and find Karen and go on back to the hotel. Henry took my hand and looked into my eyes, and I knew that the time had come for a kiss from him. But as everything else in my life, the magic had to come to an end. As we stood face to face, Henry quietly told me that he and his family were returning home the next day. It took a moment for that information to register, and then I asked him why he had waited until the last minute to tell me that he was leaving the next day. He told me that he did not want to spoil our last day together. I asked him if he would write to me, and he told me no, he didn't think that we could sustain a long-distance relationship like that. Giving me a hug, he told me he enjoyed our time together and he would never forget me. And, just like that, the dream was over. I could not believe that I had only known him for two wonderful days! It seemed much longer. I found Karen and she changed back into her "proper" swimsuit. Together we walked back to the hotel, and noticing that I was quiet, she let me be alone with my thoughts. I don't know what I thought would come of the magical days on the Florida beach with Henry, but I knew I would always remember the farm boy that made me feel so special.