Part Two
From The Day We Met...
And Through Part of Our Courtship
To keep the anonymity of those persons who played a major role in our
lives, I have used fictitious names, or just "blanked" them.
We never saw each other,while I was making my decision.
Then, on a Wednesday, half day I was waiting for my connecting bus to
the southside, on the corner across from the McDonald Hotel. You had come
off the northbound bus. When you saw me, you came over, and we talked for a
bit. You said you were meeting some friends in the beer parlour,then you
asked me to wait for you. When you came back, you suggested a bite to eat
and then you would see me home.
Labour-day week-end was coming up and our group were planning to go to
the lake for the week-end, so I asked. "Would you like to come to a weiner
roast?" It was a nice quiet meal. We talked of many things. Then we took
the bus and headed for home.
As we walked from our stop, we were a few blocks from Whyte Ave,
when we heard this loud crash. We turned around to see that a car
had rear ended a parked car.
You asked me to wait as you walked over to see if anyone was hurt.
They were ok, one of them being "------ -----", your girlfriend from
earlier. She wanted you to stay with her, but you said
to her. "You'll be alright." and returned to me. I don't think she
knew I was waiting. Nothing more was heard about this accident.
The driver was drunk, and probably was going too fast to park and so
drove into a car already parked.
As we continued home I explained about our weiner roasts. Our group,
consisted of kids from the neighborhood, schoolmates and some
fellow-workers from former places of employment.We were friends with
just about everybody in the area, and often got together for weiner
roasts and picnics. We even learned to dance together, and all
developed the same style of dancing. Nothing like the way you danced.
One of the boys "---- -------" used to get his dads' team of
horses and a hayrack or wagon and with as many people as we could
get together on short notice, we would go for the day.
For this week-end "---- -------" was able to get his fathers' covered
grain truck, they were all reaching the age where they could get a drivers licence. "----" had his licence, as did my brother "------", so we decided
to go out to Jackfish Lake, which was situated on my grandpa Edwards' farm,
for the weekend.
Grannie and Grandpa Edwards and some of my aunts and uncles, my brother and
sisters who always came along on these excursions were the first to meet you.
Of course, you and my dad had known each other for some time, but I didn't know
that at the time. You drank with him in the beer parlour,on occassion,
I found out later.You only knew him as "Dave" and didn't know our connection.
It was a great week-end. Aunt "Dot" made a nice custard base for
home-made ice cream. We usually took a two-gallon can of homogenized
milk with us. This time it was chocolate milk we took. Everybody would
take a turn at the crank. Aunt Dot was a little dubious about using
the chocolate milk, but it worked well and tasted great.
You did come along with us and brought your camera. So many pictures
were taken of the fun, cameras clicking all the time. We never knew
when a snap was being taken. You took pictures in sequence with "------"
and I at times.
It really worked out good too, especially when "-------- ----------"
a friend of "------" stepped into the lake, thinking she'd get out of
the boat faster that way. She didn't want to wait for assistance and
didn't know there was so much mud below the water. It didn't look too
deep to wade to shore, but under that foot of water was another foot or
so of silt. I think maybe she didn't want any help from the boys.
There was a "Mrs.------" visiting my grandparents,who thought we
should have a chaperone and decided to ride home with all of us in the
back of the truck. Everybody was very tired and slept during the trip
home. I wondered if she did too.
During that month of September we often met at that corner. This
actually became a regular meeting place. We would dine together, then
take the bus and you would walk me home from the last stop. It was about
three miles,and then you would have to walk back home, two miles. We
still weren't an "item" or dating, These meetings were never planned,
but just seemed to happen.
One night on our way home, and since we went by their place you took me
over to meet your sister and her husband and son, you were boarding with
them at the time. Your nephew "-----" was very special to you. Your sister
"-----" was planning a birthday party for "-------" on Saturday and asked you to bring me.
You had said how "-------" used to brag that he could tear a deck of
cards in half, so we decided we would give him a new deck and get him to
tear up the old ones to show us how it was done.
Before the others got there we went into your room and had such fun wrapping the cards. We used a full roll of toilet tissue and talked and laughed while composing rhyming notes, which we placed carefully all
the way through.
When he had unwrapped the package, he promptly tore the other deck
in half.
"-----" was upset with us because she thought it was such a waste for
him to tear up a perfectly good deck of cards. I guess he got a little
carried away though because he tore up the new deck as well. He was getting quite drunk by this time, and for some reason was out to get you.
It was quite a party "-------" kept trying to pick a fight with you.
You were getting pretty drunk too. It was strange for me to be here since
I had said, as I was growing up,I would never marry a man who drank, smoked
or swore. I had never heard you swear, but you did smoke and drink, I didn't
know how much. But I had recieved a message of our marrying and so I was following my destiny.
Friends who were there, suggested I get you to sleep. They were all
trying their best to get you to do so and decided I would be able to,
but "-------" wouldn't let you.Then someone got us to go with them to
check on their family down the street. When we got back to the party,
we were to stay in the car so you could sleep it off. But "--------"
found us and pulled you out of the car. There was no way he was going
to let you be.
You caught the ring, your mother had given you when you joined the
Navy [a St. Jehosephat ring for luck] on the door handle as "-------"
pulled you out, breaking it.
You had never taken it off your finger since she had given it to you.
You carried it in your wallet after that.They finally got "......." away
from you and I got you to go to bed. You asked me to stay with you for
awhile, until you were asleep. I had a pleated skirt on, which was quite
a job to press, so I slipped it off, placed it over the back of a chair
and laid beside you on top of the covers, while you went to sleep.Which
you did right away.I put my skirt on and was about to leave,when you got
sick. The window was open so you pushed the screen out and threw up out
through the window, rather than inside the room. We then sat on the edge
of the bed and talked as we waited for my brother "......" to arrive.
"......." went outside looking for you and saw the broken screen.He
came crashing into your room, very angry.He thought you had broken the
screen to sneak me into the house. As if you would do such a thing,or I.
There was no way you could get an adult in through this small space,
anyway. He didn't know that we had made arrangements ahead of time, for
"......", to pick me up at midnight.
"......." wanted us to leave right now, but you told him "......"
would be there soon. We continued to wait in your room.
"......." had left us alone, for now. It was nearly midnight. His
friends got him settled down before "......" arrived.
We continued talking, as we waited. You said. " Elope to B.C. with
me." This led me to believe,you had heard the voice the same time I had,
but when I had mentioned it to you many years later, you said you hadn't
heard it. I didn't even know you were getting serious, but it was
supposed to be, and we were heading in that direction.
Because there had been a lot of drinking and I wasn't sure what you
would think in the morning when you woke up with me beside you, and
maybe we should know each other better as well, I said. "Not yet."
Anyway I wasn't 21, so we would have to travel some to find a judge to
marry us. Besides I was to leave for Calgary on the morning train to fulfill
a committment I had made, to go for 'special training,' as a Safeway Cashier.
I was to be gone a week.
By this time "......" had arrived and I said my goodbyes.You saw me to
the car, but said nothing about seeing me again.
END PART TWO
To continue Click on PART THREE
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