Young Love

*** Daniel and I are happily married for three months now. Of course, we’ve lived together for 13 years. Because of our happiness, I was reminded of a time when the idea of marriage was taboo. Like for a teenage girl in 1967. This story is about me, but more about a girl I had known with her dilemma. What a difference 50 years can make! ***

A Time for Young Love

Part One

By

B.D. Adams ©2016

   It was 1967. Music by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and much more that influenced this era. Lucy had been dating Roger since the mid-summer. They were very much in love.

   Lucy was 17, two years younger than Roger. He was attending Community College. She was still in High School.

   Roger had lived in Ft. Worth, Texas all his life. Lucy had recently moved to Ft. Worth with her mother, who was now divorced from her father. Her maternal grandparents lived here, also.

   Before moving more inward to Ft. Worth, Lucy had lived in an average coastal city on the Texas Gulf Coast where she had lived with her mother and father.

   Because of the divorce, it was not a pleasant time until Lucy met Roger.

   They had met through mutual friends. It was after school one day, before the end of her junior year. Lucy and two other girls went to a hamburger joint, where they had been a few times. Actually, they stopped for milkshakes, a great place for hamburgers and shakes.

   The girls were giggling and talking, as teenage girls did. The one girl Lucy had become very friendly with pointed to one of the fellows behind the counter and said, “See that guy?”

   “Yeah,” Lucy acknowledged. “Why?”

   “He’s been our friend in band. He’s already in college. Would you go out with him? He really thinks you’re cute,” her friend encouraged. “I think you’ll like him. He’s smart, like you.”

   Lucy tried to look at this boy without staring at him.

   Like the other counter workers, the boys, he wore black trousers, a white shirt, a yellow apron and a white hat that looked like the summer hats for the cadets at Texas A&M. The boy wasn’t tall – maybe only an inch or two taller than her 5’2”. Rather slender in build, but a nice face. A sincere face. What hair she could see was blondish and his eyes were a darkish blue. Darker than hers.

   She said to her friend, “Okay. Yeah. I’ll go out with him. What’s his name? What instrument did he play?”

   “Roger. He played the flute. I’ll give him your phone number.”

   The girls left with their milkshakes.

===

   Lucy was afraid to talk to this boy. He was in college, he might not think that she would be up to him.

   The next day, though, Lucy got the phone call from Roger. She had the phone in her room via the long cord from the living room. A little privacy. An affable call, but a short call. He asked if he could take her to lunch soon.

   “What food do you like?” Roger asked.

   “It would be better to tell you the foods I don’t like. A shorter list,” Lucy snickered.

   “Okay, what are they?”

   “Liver, in any way, and collard greens. Yuk! I really hope those aren’t your favorites,” Lucy said.

   There was a brief silence, so Lucy asked, “Roger – are you there?”

   “No liver? Really?” Roger teased. After a moment, he let out with a big laugh, which really broke the ice for them.

   They decided on seafood. She loved seafood, of which Roger wasn’t all that familiar with. He would give it a try, though.

   After that luncheon, Roger and Lucy became a steady couple. Roger acquired a taste for seafood, as well. They went to movies, to other restaurants and to plays and classic music concerts. Lucy really enjoyed the plays. And, they sat many times on her mother’s porch to drink Dr. Pepper and to talk. Just talk.

   Their relationship flourished! As said earlier, they fell in love!

===

   Then, the summer vacation had ended. It was the beginning of Lucy’s senior year. This was the down slide of 1967, on its way to 1968. To approached graduation. Time for life decisions.

   Lucy’s mother kept trying to get her to go out with other boys – whose families had money. She managed to manipulate those “dates.” But these guys were nothing like Roger!

   One of these boys was a drinker. From a wealthy familiar, but Lucy couldn’t stand the rich boy! Her mother got so angry at her when she refused to go out with the boy.

   There were a few brew-ha-has between mother and daughter, but they managed to move on, not stay angry.

====

   According to the school she had transferred to in Ft. Worth, she learned that she could graduate six months early, like in December. This really intrigued Lucy. She really liked going to school, but was more than ready to become an adult, to progress.

   Then the “M” word came up for Roger and Lucy. Marriage. Were they ready to marry? Yes, they were. With their hopes and desires, Roger gave her a very lovely engagement ring. Not an ostentation diamond, but lovely. They felt they were doing the right thing. Especially to talk to her mother and Roger’s parent’s, in turn.

   Roger was already in college and she could go to the same community college. Part-time college for both of them.   

   Lucy had a part-time job at the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram newspaper, the rival to the Dallas Morning News, in Dallas. Her mother got the job for her from a one-time school chum of hers. An editor at the Star-Telegram.

   She wanted Lucy to go to TCU – Texas Christian University – where she had gone, but hadn’t graduated. She had married instead – helped her husband to get his degree. Her mother was emphatic that Lucy would NOT follow in her mother’s footsteps. Wanted her daughter to do better.

   For his contribution, Roger was already in the works for management with the hamburger place. More money for him – and Lucy. As yet, Roger hadn’t chosen a college major or career.

   If Lucy decided to stay with the newspaper, he would be very glad to support her in that job and career. She could be a reporter, a copywriter. He was proud of her newspaper position, even though it was only as a copygirl -- tore stories as they came in on the teletype machines to distribute the stories to the various editors.

   Unfortunately, Lucy’s main concern was about her mother’s social problem. She was a functional alcoholic – the kind that could hold a job … sort of. Lucy had read about this kind of alcoholism in an article in Reader’s Digest. She knew that was the main reason her father had divorced his wife – plus, he had a woman he was interested in. He and the woman married not long after the divorce.

   When Lucy’s mother would drink too much, and get on the subject of how horrible “that man” had treated her, Mom felt that Lucy didn’t understand or wouldn’t understand. Mom would get angry with her, which could be often. Lucy would go for a long walk in the hopes that Mr. Edson, her mother’s boyfriend, would come to calm her down. Mother would always call him.

   A nice man and rich. Lucy couldn’t understand why her mother wouldn’t marry him and leave her alone with Roger.

   Her mother could be lucid, easy to be with. However of late, she would berate her about Roger – about getting too serious, too quickly. That Lucy could do better than a boy who worked at a hamburger joint and went to a community college.

   Well, no matter, the young couple decided to talk to her mother. They chose a day right after she got home from work.

   Once, her mother made her vodka highball, sat in her overstuffed living room chair with her feet in her slippers on the ottoman, and lighted a cigarette she would be ready to listen to anything. Almost anything.

   And, Roger was right on cue. Lucy opened the door to him. The young couple sat on the near sofa to face her.

   “Mom … Roger and I want to talk to you about our plans,” Lucy began.

   But Mom looked at her hand and asked, “What’s that on your finger?”

   “An engagement ring, Mom,” she calmly answered. She held her hand out so Mom could see how pretty it was. 

   Mom leaned closer to really look at the bauble. After looking at the ring, she relaxed back in her chair, took a drag off her cigarette and commented, in her way, “Kind of a small diamond.”

   Lucy knew what her mother was doing, so she decided to ignore her mom’s tripe.

   Roger and Lucy began their orchestrated arguments for why they wanted to marry. Of course, Mom asked if Lucy was pregnant, which Lucy was not. College and education for both of them were their key subjects … and to work. They would not expect money from her or Roger’s parents. They saved the argument that they loved each other to the last, which they did.

   Mom had finished the highball, snuffed her burned up cigarette in the ashtray, stood from her chair to go to the kitchen to make another drink. No yelling or harsh berating, as she returned to her chair with her refreshed glass and lighted another cigarette.

   “You both believe you’ve figured everything out,” Mom said. “What about insurance? Especially health insurance.”

   Roger spoke up, “I have insurance through the college. When we’re married, I can include Lucy or she can get insurance after she’s enrolled.”

   “Where will you live?” she questioned.

   “I found a small apartment,” Lucy answered, “above a garage two blocks from here. The woman was very nice and understood we are young, but responsible.”

   Mom nodded her head – frowned a bit, but didn’t go into a tirade. “Let me think about all of this,” was all she said.

   Roger and Lucy calmly left her mother to mull everything over. They got in his 1964 Chevrolet Corvair to just drive around. No conversation, just together. They stopped on West 7^th Avenue, on a little hill, where they could park to look to Ft. Worth’s downtown. A nice and somewhat romantic view, especially as the sun began to set behind them. The downtown lights began to twinkle. A popular place just to sit to see the view, talk or kiss. The Cops usually left the teenagers alone. 

   “What do you think?” Roger finally asked. He looked through the windshield, not at her.

   “I don’t know. She was hard to read,” Lucy quietly replied. She didn’t look at him either.

   He took her hand to admire the ring he had given her. “Do you think she liked the ring?” He lovingly pressed her opened hand to his cheek.

   Now, she looked at him. Love swelled in her chest. She scooted to sit closer to him, rested her head on his shoulder. Their arms were around each other.

   “I don’t know, Roger.” Lucy gave a heavy sigh.

====

   Their talk on this evening had been more of their future. They hoped that Lucy’s mother was on their side, so they could next go to Roger’s parents.

   When Roger took Lucy home, after a few parting kisses and hugs, Roger went to his parent’s home.

   Once inside her home, she knew her mother was not at home. Probably with Mr. Edson.

   Lucy slept all right, but somewhat edgy. Some minor demons poked into her dreams. She awoke and felt good, in spite of the dreams. The morning was bright and comfortably warm. Still good weather before the cooler Fall weather in northern Texas.

   She sat on the side of her bed in her flowered cotton nightgown. Her awaken mind went over what she would wear for school today.

   Then, there was a tap at her door as her mother gently opened it.

   “Good morning,” Lucy nicely said to her. Her full-sized bed was near to the door. Not a large room.

   Her mother’s face was neither happy nor angry. A mother’s face. She stood in the doorway in her slippers and long, pale blue robe. Slightly leaned against the doorjamb with her arms folded defensibly.

   She spoke, “Honey, I thought about all you and Roger said. You seem determined.” She paused, then continued, “I have to ask again … are you pregnant? Are you and Roger sexually active?” 

   Lucy was irritated by this again assumption.

   “No, Mother. To both questions. When we have sex, it will be after we’re married. Only then!” She really hoped her mother would believe her honesty.

   Mom remained by the door, but then she casually turned to sit beside her daughter on the bedside. She took her hand with the ring and said, “Honey, that ring says – to me – that you are committed to Roger. No one else has a chance. Is that the message you want to send?”

   Lucy took her hand from her mother, then said, “We are committed to each other. That’s the only message.”

   “Look … why don’t you take more time, give the ring back for now. You could change your mind about Roger.” Her mother gave a tight smile.

   “No, Mom. I won’t,” Lucy said defiantly.

   “You are so obstinate!” Now her mom stood again and turned to look at her. “You are both too young. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.” She wasn’t yelling, but she was firm.

   Lucy was adamant in her attitude, as she fought back with, “You mean because you married Dad so young.”

   Her mother seethed to her and put her right hand out to slap her daughter’s face.

   Lucy was astonished at her mother’s slap! She moved immediately to the other side of the bed, to distant any other aggression.

   Her mother just stood with the eyes of peevishness at her daughter and said, “Get dressed for school. Give that … that ring back to Roger. We’ll talk later.”

   Lucy was hurt, but not from the slap. She could not understand why her mother could be so hateful.

=== To be continued ===