The summer of 1961 my grandmother took me to Prince Edward Island, which is where she grew up.
We spent the first two week at one of her cousins' farms. She was orphaned as an infant when her parents died. This is the farm she grew up on and the cousin that now owns it is her third cousin Otto,
The third week we stayed at Otto's sister Bess' house in Georgetown. She had three grown sons, two of which were married with kids my age. Her third son Irving lived with her.
I met Bess' grandchildren who were my fifth cousins. We got along great and had a lot of fun together. They had a million questions; they had never seen a TV and the only phone was at the general store. The only house in town with indoor plumbing was Bess'. They didn't have sneakers and were barefoot almost always.
In the middle of August my grandmother, Bess and I took the ferry to Nova Scotia. Bess' daughter lived in a town twenty miles outside Halifax. Linda had two children, Ann her nineteen-year-old daughter and a son Timmy six.
The second day we were there, my grandmother, Bess, and Linda. Left early to spend the day in Halifax. I was in the dining room eating cereal when, Ann came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her waist. She told me to fallow her which I did,
Four days before my seventeenth birthday. I was at the pool lobby at the West Roxbury YMCA with my friend Peter. It was a Wednesday night and as I looked through the window in the lobby that you could see into the pool. I saw a girl climb out of the pool near the diving board. She took off her bathing cap and shook out her hair.
With out looking at him I told Peter: "I just fell in love."
He said: "With who?"
He walked over to the window and I pointed the girl out to him.
He said: "You maybe in luck, if she is with the girl that is climbing out now, I know her. Her name is Jennet."
We waited in the pool lobby till they came out of the woman's locked room. In deed they were together.
Peter said: "Jennet, you're a long way from Dorchester what are you doing here?"
Jennet said: "Hi Peter, this my friend Kara, both of our families move here a week ago."
Peter then introduced me saying: "This is my friend Bill and he is in love with Kara."
Seeing Kara blushing it dawned on me what he said. I didn't even notice Jennet and Peter walking away. I just looked at Kara and told her: "The moment you started climbing out of the pool, I fell in love with you."
Still blushing she said: "Do you say that to all the girls?"
I told her: "I have never said it before, you are the first and hopefully the only one I ever say it to."
We noticed we were alone and went to catch up with Peter and Jennet. Next to the Y is Billings Field a large recreation area with ball fields tennis courts a club house and playground for small kids. The four of us walked along the walkway from the Y to LaGrange Street.
Along the way Kara took my hand and I was hopeful she and I would become a couple. The girls told us they were going to walk home. I learned she was fifteen and would be a sophomore at Roslindale High where I was entering my senior year. Kara lived two miles down LaGrange. Jennet lived on a street two streets over and her and Peter left us half way to Kara's house.
When we reached her house, we talked for a couple of minutes till she said she needed to go in. Before she did, she kissed me on the cheek. I don't even remember walking home that night.
The next day Thursday school started for the year; it was September 10, 1964. When the bell rang for the first class as I was walking past the office. Kara came walking by going the other way. In those days you walked single file on the right with teachers in the middle keeping order. No talking and do not acknowledge anyone going the other way.
As we saw each other we smiled and I turned as she walked past. As I approached the next teacher, she pulled me from the line. I was caught I just hoped Kara didn't get caught also.
The teacher asked: "Who were you smiling at?"
I simply told her the truth: "I met a girl last night and I fell in love with her and she just past me going to first period."
She told me: "Come to my classroom after school."
I was then free to proceed to class. I didn't see Kara the rest of the day.
I went to the teacher's classroom and she told me: "First day I have the in coming students each tell the class about themselves. I believe the girl that you were smiling at and turned to keep looking at is Kara. She was in my class third period. She just moved to the area and said she meet someone last night.
This is the problem I feel you both will have. She is a sophomore and you are a senior. You are good looking as is she for that reason others male and female that may like each of you will try to cause trouble for you both.
To avoid that do not openly show signs of affection during the school day. I am telling you this because of my own experience in high school and what I have seen happen to others here."
I thanked her and left to go to swim practice at the Y. It was two days before I saw Kara again. We ended up taking the same bus, me to the Y and her to go home.
Even though I was sexually experienced. When it came to being in a relationship, I was very immature.
Kara was the first girl I wanted to date and I was the first guy she would be dating.
I had lost my license so I didn't have access to a car. The New Jersey license I had my parents didn't know about. It wouldn't matter because my right to operate in Mass was revoked. So, taking her on a date met taking a bus, walking somewhere local or doubling with someone.
Meanwhile Peter and Jennet were going steady. Kara and I had only gone out a couple of times. Peter also didn't have a car and Jennet talked Kara into going on a date with Peter's brother Ben.
Ben was also a senior and a goofy type of guy. I didn't take this very well and instead of dating her more aggressively. I felt betrayed and stopped calling her.
Life went on and I got more involved at the Y. I was in the leadership program and Kara had become friends with one of the other girls in the program.
Jennet broke up with Peter and I hoped that Kara would stop seeing Ben. But that wasn't the case. He had gotten a job after school driving a truck. So, I would see her with her new friend Elli at the Y. Elli even got Kara into the leadership program.
Her first day in the program I was hoping to talk with her after. I was disappointed when Ben showed up to drive her home.