I had the radio turned up louder than I had done in a long time and was singing along to the music as I drove. The beautiful fall scenery passing by the outside of my car had begun to look more and more familiar with each passing mile. I knew that within a few minutes I would be back to a place and a time where I had not been in years.
Fourteen years ago I had finished school at the nearby sprawling campus. I had worked hard and played even harder. Part of it was the times, the 60's called out for fun and experimentation and I had been quick to follow that call. The knock about gang of other students I hung out with had comprised the core theatre arts group at the college. We had enjoyed our own company a great deal and perhaps the place we had enjoyed ourselves the most was the lake cabin I was headed too. I had not seen it in all that time since I had gone immediately to Work after college. Ten years ago I had met and married my husband after a whirlwind 30 day courtship. The arrival of our three children and the frequent movements that accompanied the family of a career military officer had kept me away the rest of the time.
Five months earlier my husband had been transferred to Korea, where dependants were not allowed. We had long ago purchased a home near our first duty station, agreeably close to where I had grown up and my parents still lived. The kids and I had moved there since it meant I could still be independent and yet have my parents close to assist if I needed help. I had settled into a routine of child care and social interaction with the neighbors and my church. The days seemed the same, although happily punctuated by a stream of letters and an occasional phone call from Korea. Then I had received a different phone call out of the blue one afternoon.
"Paul...is that really you?" I exclaimed. "How in the world are you and how ever did you track me down?"
Paul was one of my old friends from those wild college years. A couple years older than I, he had gone into the Air Force and I had lost touch with me. He explained he was back attending classes to finally finish his degree. He had a paying position with the school as a light/sound technician in the theatre program. And he was living at his parents lake house.
"Found you through the alumni directory, Pat. Been trying to round some of the old gang to get together in two weekends up here during the annual town celebration days. Hang out together, remember old times and meet the kids who have taken our places here. I found you were only about 5 hours away. Come up and bring your husband. My gosh, you know we've never met him. And you can still find your way here I know. Its just like riding a bike, once you learn you never forget"
I explained that my husband was overseas and that I really didn't think I would want to come up all by myself. Paul said he understood, but still gave me his phone number and told me to call if I was able to arrange things.
I would have put in completely out of my mind except that evening my husband called. During the usual "what's-new" part of our talk I mentioned the reunion. To my surprise he immediately began urging me to go.
"Pat you haven't been out of the house all by yourself in I don't know when. I think this would be a great chance for you to get away and relax and be with your old friends. You know your parents would love to keep the kids. I wish I could go with you. Please, go and have fun. Don't get carried away kissing old boyfriends though!" he laughed "Or making new ones."
With that it seemed like the days drug by till the Friday morning I loaded up the car, stopped at my parents house to leave the children, and headed out on the road. Now I made the last few turns and followed the old rutted dirt road that ended at the water next to the lake house. I got out of the car and looked. Still lovely water on two sides, the house was two stories of wood with a wonderful full length covered porch in front. Paul came out of the door and waved me in.
If the past two weeks had drag, the next few hours flew. I met old friends and was introduced to new ones. We had been such a tight knit crowd that it seemed everyone in the group had married another of the group, except me. Paul had a new girlfriend, one of the current students. But I had fun. We had music and drinks and I danced with all my old friends. My best friend Sharon had married Bill, the leader of our "pack". We compared pictures and stories of our kids. Once though, we both looked at the door to one of the two downstairs bedrooms, then at each other and burst out laughing. Part of our experimentations in the 60's had included the two of us discovering another side of ourselves one afternoon. After finding how much we both enjoyed other girls that day we had not been loath to share the experience with other female friends. Well, that was all behind us now.
As the evening grew late most of my old friends began to leave. They either lived near or had decided to stay in one of the nearby motels. Paul had offered me the use of the spare bedroom downstairs and I had accepted. During the evening I had decided to get as comfortable as the current bunch was. I had gone into my room, carefully checked that the old spy knothole was stopped up, and changed clothes. I slipped on jeans and an old t-shirt. After a moment I took the t-shirt off and recklessly took off my bra before putting the shirt back on. Barefoot I rejoined the group.
As in by gone days there was alcohol in large quantities. I took care to drink sparingly. There was lots of music and dancing too. I had always enjoyed dancing so I danced with first with Paul then with some of the guys. I was even flattered by the one young man who made a perfectly polite pass at me. I turned him down of course but it was nice to think I was still attractive in spite of being 15 years older than most of them.
As the night grew late, people drifted off, often two by two, to the upstairs bedrooms. Finally Paul and his girlfriend wished me goodnight and went to bed. There being a little bit of chill in the October night air Paul had built a fire earlier. Now it had burned down but the flames still leaped a bit and it looked lovely. I settled myself in front of it, leaned back against the couch there and closed my eyes.
"Beautiful isn't it?" came a female voice almost next to me. As I started the voice continued, "Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"
