FIRST KISS RERUN

Some of you got a chuckle out of my wishing to chat with Jimmy to let him know I gave him credit in my later years on my kissing abilities.  This is that story from 2009. A bit long--sorry about that. 

There are certain events in our lives we remember vividly.  Some may differ with each individual. However there is one memory that I think everyone can recall in detail and that is that first kiss.  

I stuck my toe in the waters of adulthood at the grand age of ten. We had moved to Key West and I entered my only time of extreme popularity. I peaked early. While I had a ton of boyfriends that year, I was still in the never been kissed category with just lots of sweaty hand holding. 

Because I was totally horse crazy, I constantly scoured the small island in search of large four legged creatures.  One day after school my friend Shirley said she knew where a pony was so we made a detour on our trip home.

Sure enough, there in a sectioned off part of a garage, behind a small house, was a tiny Shetland pony. If you know Shetlands you know they have nasty dispositions. They just don't particularly like people.  

I was admiring Skippy who had just tried to bite me, when his owner came out to see what we were doing. Shirley knew Jimmy and introduced us.  He didn't go to our school but went to the Catholic boys school. Shirley knew him from church. He had wavy blond hair, a beautiful smile and a nose sprinkled with freckles. I was moonstruck the minute I saw him.

It was almost past time for me to be home for supper but when Jimmy suggested we play hide and seek, I agreed.  Jimmy hid his eyes first and Shirley and I scrambled to find a hiding spot. I crawled under a car to hide and listened.  Gravel was digging into my back and I was hoping he would hurry.  Finally he found me and helped me to crawl from under the car.

Gently he brushed the gravel from my back. This was a very simple act but it was the first gentle touch I had received from a boy. Most experiences up till then involved boys unable to show a girl he liked her without some sort of mild violence. You know the drill, pulling a girl's pigtails, tripping her on the playground, that sort of awkward, sometimes painful affection from boys who haven't added "smooth" to their resumes yet.

Jimmy was very smooth and we talked till it started getting dark. Both Shirley and I knew we were probably in trouble with our parents so we started towards home. 

My parents were worried sick. Parental fear quickly turns to anger when the wayward child reappears unhurt. I was grounded to my block for a week and Jimmy was not allowed to come on our block. For that week, Jimmy stood on the curb across the street every afternoon. We shouted across the traffic to each other about how unfair parents were.

As soon as the week was over, we spent every minute not in school together. We went to the Saturday matinees and held hands in the balcony. That made him my first date I guess. Usually Jimmy brought his gang of followers with him when he came to see me. He had 6 loyal boys that followed him everywhere.  

One of our favorite games to play was Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Roy(Jimmy) always saved Dale (me) from some terrible fate (kidnapped by outlaws, etc.)  He would then propose marriage. I always accepted and Bubba, one of Jimmy's friends,  would play the preacher. The rest of his gang were the congregation.

Bubba did a respectable job as preacher. He certainly got lots of practice. Every day, after Bubba performed his duties as the minister, he would say, "You may now kiss the bride."  However, I chickened out every time.

This went on for a week, each time I would think I could, but then would wimp out. Finally one day Jimmy had it and just grabbed me by the shoulders and roughly planted a big wet one on me. Yuck. Pretty sure I wiped my mouth on my shirt as the boys ran down the street "woohooing".  

So that was what it was all about?? Pretty disgusting if you would have asked me at that moment. Sweat, slobber and grit totally underwhelmed me.

That evening after dinner, Jimmy called and wanted me to meet him. I hesitantly agreed and it was a soapy smelling Jimmy that showed up. We walked across the street to the Naval officer's club and went to the palm surrounded tennis courts to sit on a bench. The moon was so full it was almost daylight and a warm tropical breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay. Soft music drifted out of the officer's club.

Jimmy apologized and said he shouldn't have grabbed me like that. He shyly asked if he could kiss me again to show me it could be nice. Well I was no longer a "kiss virgin" so I said OK. This time he was very gentle, 
not-slobbery or gritty. I found it amazing and I could taste his minty fresh breath.  While pretend Roy may have broken the kiss barrier earlier, I consider that sweet kiss, my first.

We went steady for the next two years till my family moved. Thank you Jimmy for all those innocent kissing lessons that followed. You taught me well. 

And your first kiss???