Solitary Bower

With 42 years of hindsight mocking me, I do wish that I could do it again.  She was my first real love, though to her I was just a friend.  The bad thing was, was that there were a couple of other girls that pined for me, yet I was entirely oblivious to everything else around me.  One girl, Margaret, loved me dearly yet she was two years younger than me, just a “girl,” where Laurie was a woman.  To my credit, we did smooch one night at a party in Kristine K.’s basement.  Laurie “may” have had a couple of beverages.  She had her “beer goggles” on, so to speak.  That was the extent of our “relationship.”

Laurie was the sun in my sky.  Hot, yet distant.  She would soon burn me, although she didn’t know it.

Without dwelling on it for too long, it still hurts a little, (sniffle, snort, sniffle), and my “Pals” to this day still bust my chops about it. All in good fun, of course.  With no disrespect to my Donna, I have an ongoing $50.00 bet with my friend, Tom, that I will one day “rendezvous” with Laurie for old time sake, although since I just turned 60, time is running out.  How will I get her to wait 45 minutes?

I tried my best to be around Laurie whenever I could.  Not leechy, just lovingly.  Luckily, I went to a small high school where we would find out about a party, or where we teens would congregate.  As I never told her how I felt, she was available to any suitor.  She, on the other hand, was dating a guy named Bill, who was smarter than I was and a better athlete.  Oh, well.  I did hate him so.

Laurie and I did go to my High School prom together yet we were hardly a couple.  Just a couple of young adults, after graduation, to go our separate ways, forever.  After the Summer of ‘78, she went to a SUNY college upstate, and never paid me any more mind.  Goodbye, Laurie.

However, I would soon love again.  And love a girl who would love me back!  Hoorah!!!

Richard M.

July 2020