The world seemed in never ending turmoil as the decade of the 60's drew to a close. Vietnam was an ongoing war and the peace movement was in full swing. Woodstock was fresh in everyone's memory having provided our generation with the hope that as we graduated high school we could actually affect change in a world of unchanging politicians and nineteenth-century morals our parents had grown up adhering to and tried to force on our generation.
After receiving the diplomas we'd work twelve long years for, promises to stay in touch and never forget our time together abound. Each one of us knew they'd be promises un-kept as we headed off some to secondary schools others to the steamy jungles of southeast Asian and a few to the great white north of Canada to avoid being drafted.
Before leaving commencement I made it a point to find Samantha the one person I truly wanted to keep contact with. We had been close friends all through high school. I'd rescued her more than once on those occasions when she'd had too much to drink or needed to be reassured that her current boyfriend wasn't using her even though I always felt they had. We never had intimate moments not that I wouldn't have welcomed them with all my heart. I'd had a crush on Sam since the first time I'd met her in the seventh grade.
As I approached Sam her wide smile warmed my youthful heart.
"Congratulations Paul" She beamed giving me a hug that allowed me to feel her soft body against mine.
Sam was thin her breasts while small were very perky. She had caught me more than once as I'd stared at them when I happened to see her at the pool wearing a sexy string bikini. Her long thin legs were most often covered by denim but on those occasions when she wore a skirt I made it a point to tell her how great she looked.
As I held her close to me I whispered in her ear. "We made it."
Sam leaned back so she could look at me but kept her hips pressed against mine. "Thank you so much I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Her sparkling eyes and broad smile speaking volumes to me. We both knew what she meant. During the summer between our junior and senior year, Sam had gotten pregnant the result of a drunken weekend with one of my rivals for her attention.
I'd convinced her to have an abortion instead of moving to a distance city to give birth to an unwanted child while staying with her aunt. I'd told her at the time that she couldn't give up her dream of becoming a registered nurse and let herself be tied down to an unwanted baby. But I'd lied to Sam. My real reason was so she would still be in the same town and at the same school I was. In my own selfish way, I held hope that somehow, someway Sam and I would be together.
Weeks earlier she'd told me that she had been accepted at a nursing school in a city beyond driving distance and I knew that I only had a short time to make her realize how much I cared for her.
"When do you leave for school?" I asked.
"Day after tomorrow." Sam replied.
Somehow I'd put the idea out of my mind that she was leaving. I had known she was going but in my mind, I couldn't accept the fact.
"I wish we could spend the summer together." Sam remarked her voice sounding sincere but I knew if she had waited until the fall to start school I'd just have to endure another summer of her boyfriend taking most of her time.
"I'll write you, Paul." Sam offered as consolation knowing I was more than disappointed that I'd only see her if she returned home for the holidays.
I kissed her softly on the lips then said. "If you don't I'll come track you down."
We parted that night both knowing we may never see each other again. I would be off to college in the fall and who knew what or where our lives would lead us to after that. I could have kicked myself in the ass for not overcoming my shyness and taking her aside years earlier to open up and tell her that I'd been in love with her for years.
Over the next thirty-nine years, Sam and I saw each other maybe three times. And every time her smile warmed my heart as it had the night we graduated from high school. We'd both married and started families. I heard from a mutual friend that she followed her husband off to some distant state giving up her nursing career. But I kept her in my heart always. Often wondering if she thought of me. I remained in the same town enjoyed my work loved my wife and family but I never spoke of my best friend Samantha.
Several months ago I received an envelope in the mail. It seemed strange that it was addressed with my full name since I hadn't used my middle name since high school. The return address gave me a clue. It read. "40th Reunion committee with an address nearby.
Opening the envelope, I read the contents. The Class of 1970 will be reunited on August 15, 2010. The letter went on to detail where and when my class reunion would take place.
I showed it to my wife Marsha who immediately said. "We should go."
"I don't know. I haven't seen any of these people for almost forty years it could be a rather boring night." I replied.
Marsha explained. "You all grew up in the 60's and went to high school together. Don't you think it would be fun to reminisce about your youth."
"I suppose so but I wasn't exactly the life of the party when I was in school." I explained adding. "I doubt many of those attending would even remember me."
"Oh come on. I'm sure some of your close friends will be there." Marsha encouraged.
What she didn't know was that the one person I'd hope to see was Sam and I doubted if she'd travel three-quarters of the way across the country to attend a couple hour reunion.
Marsha went on. "They're having it at a really nice place and I've heard the food there is wonderful so even if the reunion is boring you and I can get out for a night and enjoy a good meal and do some dancing."
That sounded pretty good so I said. "Okay, hun I'll send the reply and a check back to the committee."
Even if the reunion was a dud I was sure Marsha would dress to the nines and afterward we'd enjoy a romantic night of lovemaking. I'd have that to look forward to at least.
The next night I filled out the form and wrote a check for a hundred twenty-five dollars then put the envelope on the table by the door so I could mail it the next day.
As Marsha and I lay in bed together she turned over and whispered in my ear. "Anyone special you hope to see at the reunion?"
I rolled toward her and slipped my arm around her. Pulling her close to me I replied. "No one as special as you."
Marsha smiled and kissed me tenderly on the lips. We made love like we'd done thousands of times before. But this time the thought of Sam was on my mind. She still had me after all these years I still loved her so much.
Nearly six weeks passed before I received another envelope addressed from the reunion committee. This time it was a confirmation of our reservation and a list of people they were still trying to contact. As I read over the list I found Sam's name they hadn't been able to locate her which disappointed but didn't surprise me.
Marsha and I were having coffee one morning when she flipped the family appointment calendar hanging on the fridge from July to August. In bold red letters, she had written "Paul's Reunion" in the block for the fifteenth.
"I think I'll buy a sexy new dress to wear to the reunion." Marsha said.
