Part 1: Thunderstorms and Virginity,/B>
I know a little cafe bar in a rural town near my lake home that is a great place for burgers and beer. They have a sign over the bar proclaiming cold food, warm beer, and lousy service. Fortunately, we patrons know the sign is wrong. It is a place to bring family for a good dinner when driving several miles into the city is just not an option. It is not a pick-up joint.
Folks do not know mw well there since my lake home is a weekend retreat and a place where I can go vacation on little money. I am quickly approaching my mid sixties, carry some extra weight, and prefer jeans and sweatshirts to business attire. I am in business for myself and it is a jeans and sweatshirt business making me comfortable at work or lounging.
Spring weather is in full bloom and I am working in yard along the lake trying to clean winter debris and make the shore presentable. It is not the warm part of spring leading into summer; it is still cool enough for a jacket until the sun reaches its noontime high.
"Hi Mister Jackson," I heard a sweet voice call. I looked to see who called my name and standing near by was Molly, my neighbor's 19-year daughter. Molly is cute, light brown hair that goes blond in the summer sun. She is a nice height of about five feet seven inches tall. Over the years, I watched her grow from a bumbling nervous tween into the womanly figure she is now.
"Oh, hi Molly. I bet you are glad for warm weather to return. Do you need something?" I could see apprehension in her demeanor and waited for her answer.
She took a few more paces closer. It was her habit to stand away waiting for me to turn and acknowledge her. "Well, Mister Jackson," the apprehension was in her voice as well, "uhm, yeah, I do need something and I hope you don't think it is foolish."
"Molly, it is only foolish if you don't tell me. I can take a break from this job for a sweet neighbor. Why don't you go inside and make us some hot tea while I finish this spot. She trotted off to my house, her young body showing off its firmness. Before long, her summer attire of bikinis will taunt all the neighborhood boys and men.
I was about ten minutes finishing my task and putting away tools before I went inside for tea. Molly was just heating the tea pot with hot water before pouring in the tea water and tea ball full of King Cole tea from Canada. She also had tea cakes laid out. "Let me wash up a bit, I'll be right out." I disappeared into the bathroom to wash.
When I returned, Molly had place settings ready, "Come, Mister Jackson, sit down for your tea." Molly smiled a magnetic smile as she called me. She would not sit until I did her show of politeness and respect. "I think I brewed it the way you like it."
"Come on, Molly, sit down, I'm here now. What is the issue on your mind today?" I knew if I did not get to the point, Molly would take her time and maybe not say anything at all. She sat across from me; her smile and bright eyes could melt the winter snow and warm the Arctic.
"Will you vacation here this summer, Mister Jackson? If you do when will you start?" Molly's voice foretold a longer story and I asked her to tell me what she needed to tell me. "My family said I could stay here this summer instead of going on vacation with them. I'm happy about that but staying alone for three weeks is kind of scary for me. If you are here, I have a neighbor who I call if I need."
I already knew about the vacation arrangements and already planned my vacation at the lake for the same time; however, Molly did not know that. I suspected her parents said nothing to her since she asked in ways confirming she did not know the plans.
"I do have a month of vacation planned for July. I am not traveling anywhere and will be here. When do your parents leave?" Molly lit up when she heard my vacation plans. She was almost giddy with excitement.
"Mister Jackson, really! That's perfect. Can I visit you while you're here? We can drink tea and talk about things." I was not sure what topics I could talk about with a young women or what topics she would want to talk to me about. I guess that will wait for July.
We finished our tea and nibbled on cakes. We talked about general things, mostly what is happening around the lake. "I better go so you can get back to your yard. I am excited that you will be here this summer." Molly gave me a hug and little kiss on the cheek before bounding off.
Through the rest of April, May, and June, I made a couple weekend trips to the lake and saw Molly occasionally. I talked with her parents who did not have many instructions for me. At 19, Molly is an adult and a very responsible young woman.
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July Fourth weekend this year is a weekend with the fourth on Saturday. I arrived on the first and started setting up for my month of vacation. Molly must have seen me arrive because minutes later she appeared to help me get organized. This warm July day, Molly wore loose baggy shorts and an oversize T-shirt. She had a bikini bra on with tie strings hanging out of the shirt and I presumed she had bikini bottoms on under the shorts.
I had several bags of groceries and my clothes to organize. "I'll put away groceries, Mister Jackson so you can unpack clothes. Mom and dad want you to come for dinner tonight. I think they want to give you final instructions for watching me," I heard her giggle.
"I probably should not say this, Molly; I enjoy watching you."
Molly was a great help getting the kitchen into order and functioning. I heard her working banging around cupboards then heard water running. I guessed she had tea almost ready. When I came back to the kitchen, she greeted me with a cup of tea. "I am glad you are staying here for vacation and I get to stay too."
We settled into the living room with our tea. The house at the lake is not large, the kitchen - living room is really one great room. "Listen, Molly, you are an adult and I will not be watching and waiting up for you if you have plans for late nights out on a date. I will be here if you need to call for a ride."
"Oh, I don't date much. I like staying around here. Guys around here are fun and we get along like best friends. I don't want to complicate that with dating. If you see me out late, it will be on the shore at a bonfire. I don't think I will call for a ride, Mister Jackson." What she said was true from everything I knew.
"Thank you for coming over to help me get settled. I would be at it for hours by myself. What time do your parents want me for dinner? I have a couple loose ends to tighten up before I am really on vacation." Molly took my teacup to the sink and headed out the door.
"Bye Mister Jackson, I'll see you later." I could not help but watch her bound off to the shore stripping off her shirt and shorts to reveal her bikini and firm body. There was not much to the bikini and I ridiculed myself for watching her.
Dennis, a neighbor boy was fishing from his paddleboat. He paddled up and Molly got in with him. As they paddled away, she looked back and waved. Molly did not tell me what time for dinner.
The first few days of vacation were full of activities leading up to the Fourth. Fireworks are legal in this county and the sounds of fireworks echoed all around the lake. Neighbors had bonfires and beer, barbeques and music, a whole host of Fourth Weekend craziness. I hosted one fire and barbeque having dozens coming and going. Molly was ever present and her parents came by although they were busy packing.
The Fourth started with paddle boat races in the morning. Paddle boat races are much like bumper cars in virtually unsinkable little paddleboats. The races have several categories from age five to age 75. Everyone wears a life jacket no matter how well they swim. Part of paddleboat racing around here is trying to stay dry. Everyone wears swimming suits because it is a tradition to get wet.
Later in the day come swimming races and bicycle races along the beach. In the evening, everyone has a bonfire and at dark, we start blowing off our big fireworks. The night air fills with scent of gunpowder and the sky fills with exploding rockets and bright flashes of color. This weekend there were more fireworks than usual since the Fourth is a Saturday and people have Sunday to recover.
Molly's parents planned to leave for vacation Sunday morning and bugged out of all the parities early. However, Molly stayed out until the last firecracker exploded and the last bonfire flickered out. I was out later than I imagined I would. I ended up watching from my deck. Molly came by a couple times bounding from fire to another. Just before I called it a night, she came past again, stopped for a moment telling me thank you for being here. Her bikini-clad body shown against the night sky glistened with dampness from humidity and a day of crazy neighborhood celebrations.
Sunday morning was a polar opposite to Saturday the Fourth. The morning broke silently and I woke to the smell of coffee brewing in my programmable coffee pot. This would be a good morning for coffee and bagels on the deck. I took a quick shower and dressed in my vacation clothes, jean shorts, knit shirt, and canvas deck shoes.
I set down my coffee and bagel, grabbed my tablet computer and settled in to read the morning news. Some neighbors were already out cleaning up messes along the lakeshore. It was not long before I heard a car door close and saw Molly's family drive of for their three weeks away. I went back to reading a trade article that got my interest.
