Mar. 30, 2007 - 20:36 MDT

SAD PUPPY

I think I've mentioned this before, but probably not to the extent I will tonight.

I was in high school, in an afternoon study hall when a crusty lady teacher started giving this girl a hard time about passing notes. Heck, in a study hall that was routine between friends of any and all sexes.

This teacher was browbeating the girl until she broke down in tears.

Somehow it pandered to my dander and I spoke up to the teacher. I can't remember my exact words, but they were decent and respectful, more or less requesting the teacher to back off.

I was sent to the office, told my story and although not praised was let off lightly and told to go to my regular class.

I showed up there just as the teacher was ready to close the door, but he took time for me to give him a rundown as he had felt the grapevine trembling. I told him concisely what had happened.

I won't say I was an angel in high school, but my reputation for being truthful and accepting punishmment gracefully stood me in good stead.

The girl, Mary Lou by name sat next to me in study hall from then on and our friendship grew by leaps and bounds. She was from the South, father dead some years and she was with her mother and older sister.

Seems that Mom and older sister were down on males of most persuasions especially human types. So our budding romance was carried out at and around school. City Park was across the street from East High and we spent many spare hours there. Meeting before school, going over there on lunch hours, and lingering there after school for as long as she thought she could get by with.

I guess her family were pretty overbearing with her and she was unhappy with her situation. I fell as deeply in love as a young boy could and we pledged our eternal love and laid plans to elope. She told me that I could work for her uncle down south at his sawmill, and that we could get along.

I don't know how her Mom tumbled to the idea that her daughter was head over heels, but between her and the sister Mary Lou got the third degree.

One Saturday we had surprise visitors, Mary Lou's Mom and older sister. The whole scheme was revealed to my folks, I will say however that my folks took a sane and reasonable attitude over it. Asked me if I really loved the girl, wanted to get married and intended to get a job and support us. I answered in the affirmative.

The Mom in the case calmed down a bit and asked for the two of us to wait 'til school let out in June, it was about April then.

So Mary Lou and I were still planning on wedding in June, she was writing her uncle to make arrangements for me to work with him and things like that. I was working every little odd job I could get and squirreling my pittances away in preparation for wedded bliss.

Of course neither of us had the vaguest idea of how to run a life independent of parents, nor the cost of paper napkins or any thing else. Bet we thought we were in love.

Then suddenly one day, Mary Lou couldn't see me at school, too busy. Leaving school one afternoon I saw her get into a car, start it up and drive away.

I got traded in for a convertible.

Looking back I can see how devastated I was and felt that there was little hope in my world. Yet, it laid the groundwork for eventually meeting Heather and the two of us working to put on our own wedding. It was war time, I borrowed a suit from on of Heather's in-law friends, she and I bought the flowers and paid for the wedding. A thing that we are still proud that we did.

Things worked out beautifully after I met Heather and we have had many years together, most of them quite happy.

But at that teenage time when the whole world rained upon me, I was one SAD PUPPY . . . . . . . . .

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