A poignant account of our early venture into the unknown and exotic world of romance may be contemporarily humorous, nevertheless, it serves our thematic purpose of contrasting the style and context of romantic interaction in our 1950s High School days, with that, observably prevailing today. Our intended purpose is societally empirical and not morally judgmental.
After some weeks of surreptitious surveillance, we summoned up our potential for valor and hesitantly, after class, succeeded in breathlessly asking our attractive and, maturely endowed, classmate, “J” for a traditional,) Saturday night, movie date; after that attempting, perhaps in vain, to hide my feelings of fear and heart-beating happiness, upon her smiling acceptance and compliance with my request for her telephone number and address.
For the balance of that week, we felt our heart beat excitedly at the prospect of the coming Saturday evening and tried not to make further eye contact with “J” for the remainder of the week, with the sole exception of two weak and diffident waves in class when she casually chose to look my way. We ventured a conspiratorial wave on Friday, at the end of classe to which she, we worrisomely, perceived, did not respond.
When Saturday evening at last, arrived, at precisely 7:30, we took a quick shower,, dressed (in our new brown wool sweater and tan-colored chino slacks), checked our hair (two times), and then traveled by city bus to the apartment house address previously furnished by “J” (Apt. 2B). For some unknown reason, we had contracted a light cough which had seemed to persist throughout Saturday afternoon but mercifully ceased its assault at approximately 6 PM, just before to the pre-date shower and did not recur until reaching her apartment door.
We knocked awkwardly and unnecessarily loudly in response to which, a pleasant-looking, middle-aged gentleman appeared at the door, and after routine greetings and perceived concentrated scrutiny, articulated some precautionary inquiries, and stated that his daughter, “J” needs to be home no later than twelve o’clock, midnight.
Yet unnoticed and still standing in the entranceway of ” Apt. 2 B” we were pleased to see “J,” adorned in a pretty baby blue argyle sweater and color-matching skirt, smiling an assurance to her father that she would be home early. Her father, still scrutinizing us, withdrew to the living room, sat down at an essay chair, unfolded his newspaper, and commenced reading.
After arriving at the bus stop, we were happily surprised to be the beneficiaries of a small peck on the cheek from “J” and, in time, mounted a city bus bound for the neighborhood theater. Tickets were purchased and we were then guided in the dark interior of the movie theater, by a movie theater employee with a flashlight, to our seats, she sat to my left.
As customary, the traditional two features were preceded by”The Movietone News,” and succeded by an animated cartoon,. in this case, a loud “Tom and Jerry,” At this point, neither “J” nor we, said anything to the other, although “J” did, silently submit to my courageous intention to lightly hold her hand. The latter franchise was exciting and hopefully perceived as permission to go further in our youthful, and fearful desire for further, more ego-rewarding physical contact.
We had difficulty concentrating on the first movie being excitedly distracted by her close proximity and the lovely enhanced reflection on her half-smiling face from the reflected cinema screen, Instead of attempting to better concentrate on the movie, we bravely aspired with the courageous intention to put our right arm around the back of her movie chair. By furtive and minute degrees we began to move our right arm toward her accompanying seat, which stealthy undertaking singularly occupied our anxious mind. It was not until a time, just before the conclusion of the first feature that success was attained in resting a now aching right arm on the back of her movie seat, following which, with cautious and respectful stealth,. moved the aching limb judiciously and lightly to the top of her right shoulder where it valorously remained, without comment, during the better part of the final feature,
It was getting late, so we quickly proceeded to the nearby diner for the traditional “black and white” ice cream soda (a traditional scoop of vanilla ice cream in a chocolate soda) and then bundled off to the bus stop for her, pre-midnight return home, On the bus, “J” softly expressed her thanks for a nice evening, and shortly (too short for us arrived at her home. After again thanking us for a nice evening, we successfully braved the ultimate challenge of kissing our date, lightly, on the lips, which mercifully, she accepted and said good night, We happily set out for home with a sense of proven valor and personal confirmation.
- [ This mostly accurate autobiographical account was prompted by our recent surprised reaction to a televised program on the subject of the mandatory requirements for the modern woman’s wardrobe, in which the celebrity interviewee stated that a particular item of intimate wear, was identified as her “dating panties.” How times have changed! ( N.B.–Query: for the better or the worse?)]
-p.
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