First Date
I
was never a ladies man at school, but in the sixth grade I
took a fancy to a little girl in the seventh grade. She was
cute as a button, so I decided to ask her to go to the high
school’s Senior Play. To my surprise she accepted and I
made big plans. I even bought a new billfold to have when I
bought the tickets that night. This was in 1945, before
television, and the Senior Play was an important annual
event in the community and everyone who could attended.
The nearer the time came for the play the more apprehensive
I became. I didn’t know how to act on a date. I’d also done
some bragging about the date to the boys and I knew they
would not miss a chance to heckle me that night. She seemed
to be looking forward to the event and I could not back out
at this point!
The night came. The plan was for me to meet her at Beatles
Drug Store and to walk with her to the high school. She
lived outside town and was staying with a classmate in
Fayetteville. I was nervous as could be and even cried to
my mother, but she had little sympathy for me, explaining I
had obligated myself and must follow through.
I put on my best clothes and walked up to Beatles Drug
Store and waited. In a short while, she appeared all bubbly
and excited; but she was walking with her friend and her
friend’s mother, whom I knew very well. I’ve never felt so
awkward. Her friend’s mother greeted me in such a way that
I knew she knew nothing about the date so I tagged along
behind the three of them until we got to the school
auditorium. To avoid the boys, I stayed outside until the
girl, her friend, and her friend’s mother bought their
tickets and entered the auditorium. I then bought my
ticket, slipped into the auditorium past the boys, and
found the girl seated by herself. I sat beside her during
the play.
After the play we met her older sister and her sister’s
high school boy friend outside the auditorium and walked
with them up to Miss Roxie Blalock’s house in town where
her father picked her and her sister up.
I ran home quite relieved determined not to date again for
a while.