CHAPTER ONE: An Education
There are some things about growing up in a small community that can be a pain. When you do something stupid people are not afraid to call your parents and let them know. But, there are advantages as well. You learn everything that is really important in life very early on. Things like the value of hard work, faith, sense of community and patriotism. But the most important thing you learn is the value of family. When it really comes down to it family is the only thing that will matter from start to finish in life.
I learned this lesson in the life from a unique teacher, my uncle Bobby. Bobby is my dad's accidental brother' Bobby was born only five years before me. I thought he was the coolest uncle on the planet. While my dad and grandfather worked the fields of our family farm, Bobby would lead me in the smaller tasks that we were assigned thus teaching me about farming along the way. After the chores were done my true instruction began. Bobby taught me to swim, fish, throw football, field grounders, and to fight. Besides Bobby and me, there were other cousins of mine (two boys and three girls ages eight to thirteen) in the same area and we all attended the same school. The community schools sat on the same road, the primary and junior high on one side and the high school on the other. Booby was a senior in high school when he taught me one of life's most valuable lessons.
As an eighth grader I had decided to try out for the high school junior varsity baseball team and Bobby helped me prepare as he was the starting shortstop on the varsity unit. Things went well and I made the team. The roster was posted and as was tradition, each senior player chose a JV player to be their understudy. That really meant their slave for the first two weeks of practice. Bobby chose me. I thought that I had lucked out; as he was my uncle he would go easy on me. I was so very wrong. Every day it was extra; extra push ups, fielding, batting, sliding, and extra running. I was so sore and tired.
On the last day of apprentice weeks Bobby decided to run the ten extra laps with me. "You've done good Andy" he said as we ran. Oh, I guess I should have told you before now; I'm Andy or Andrew Cole Quinn if it's important. Anyway, Bobby went on to tell me it was a big deal that if I was to lead my team I had to show everybody that I was willing to do the work and not rely on the fact that my last name was Quinn, or that the coach was my third cousin. It was good advice because as an eighth grader I started on the J.V. team at second base. The next year I was on the varsity team as back-up catcher, and my sophomore year I was again starting at second.
By my junior year, Bobby had gone into the marines and gotten married. I had a girlfriend for the first time in my life. Things were going well for me. I had been getting letters from several Division One programs interested in recruiting me for baseball, my grades were good and every Friday and Saturday night I was out doing stuff with my girlfriend Janet. In late Summer I learned that my uncle Bobby was being deployed to the Middle East for a year. He and Aunt Teresa asked me to spend a few weeks with them during the summer. I was eager to meet Bobby's wife. I had never met her as she and Uncle Bobby eloped during her spring break from university. I knew she had to be pretty because every girl he ever dated was a knock out.
All the arrangements were made and I took the train up to where they live near Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. As I stepped onto the platform that day I was greeted by the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was about five foot four with reddish brown hair and eyes that were the exact same color as her hair. She was incredible! No wonder Why Uncle Bobby married her!
"Hello, you must be Andy!" she spoke before I had really taken her all in, "Bobby talks about you all the time. He keeps up with your scores and stats too. I'm Teresa."
I was dumb struck and unable to speak. I simply nodded, smiled and hurried past to give Uncle Bobby a hug and a handshake. My palms were sweaty and my heart boomed like a bass drum. From the moment I saw her I was smitten.
Aunt Teresa made a special effort to make me feel comfortable around her, speaking in soft cheerful tones. Since Teresa and I were just over two years apart in age she was really easy to get along with and talk to. She and I had a lot of things in common like music, movies and TV shows that we liked. I guess my job was to keep her mind off of Uncle Bobby and the danger he faced during his deployment. I really was happy to help. Teresa wasn't' just a beautiful face, she was also beautiful person. And I truly liked being around her.
The time spent with them in North Carolina passed much too quickly. But we had lots of fun days. We went to Raleigh to see a baseball game, toured the base where Bobby was stationed, had a pig picking' (that's a whole hog barbecue), and went fishing a few times. It was some of the best times I had ever had. But, it ended much too soon and I was on my way home to the farm.
CHAPTER TWO: Dancing in the moonlight
My senior year in High School went well. I had made a decision to play baseball at Coastal Carolina near Myrtle Beach and only a couple of hours from home so my parents could see me play. As the year went on, things progressed well with Janet and I asked her to the prom. I made plans to make the night a big deal. I rented a tuxedo, and borrowed my mom's brother, Uncle Mikes old Jaguar to drive. All of my friends were going with their girls and we had planned an after prom party at my friend Matt's cabin by the lake. Maybe something really big would happen!
On the Thursday morning before the prom on Saturday the phone rang. It was Janet. I could tell she had been crying. She said that her grandmother had had a severe stroke and had been taken to the hospital in Charlotte. Her family was leaving right away to go as the doctors said her grandmother may not live through the night. She said that she would call soon. I told her that I understood and would be praying for her grandmother. She then said a quiet "Goodbye." Now I hated the news about Janet's grandmother but I also hated that she would not be back in time for prom. I know it was a little selfish but it was my senior year and I had high hopes for afterward! Besides all of the money I had spent.
My mom asked what the call was about and I told her. Mom was concerned about Janet's grandmother but also was sad for me too. She asked if there were any other girls that I could ask, or if any of the guys were going stag as she called it. My silence gave all the answer that she needed. She walked out the door saying that she was going to her sewing bee and that she would try to figure something out, and she was gone. The only thing I wanted to do was to wallow in self pity.
After school on Friday I drug into the house and slumped down on the couch still in a pouting mood, when the phone rang. My mom answered in the other room. I was startled when mom called me to the phone. In no hurry to be bothered, I slowly made my way to the phone.
Placing the receiver to my ear I made a weak "Hello." I was surprised to hear Aunt Teresa's voice on the phone. "Andy, I heard about your problem about the prom. I'm sorry and I hope your girlfriend's grandma does well."
Even when she was trying to be sympathetic she sounded cheerful! "I have an offer for you. I know this girl who is just a little older than you. Because she was home schooled, she didn't get to attend a prom. I know she would be happy, no thrilled, to go with such a great guy."
"I don't know Aunt T." I whined, "I don't know her. What if we don't even like one another?"
"She's a lot like me. You'll be fine. Don't miss your senior prom!" was her response. "By the way, her name is Reese."
I nearly dropped the phone as I realized it was she that was offering to go with me! A chance to go to the prom with the most beautiful woman I knew, and was a college junior to boot! I went from moping to ecstatic in a millisecond. I got no sleep at all that night, and was up early washing and waxing the Jag! I was more anxious than I could ever remember.
Finally, it was late enough for me to go pick up my "date" from my grandparents. With great anticipation I knocked on my grandparent's door. I had never had to knock before, but tonight this was Aunt Teresa's or "Reese" house. The senior Mr. Quinn, my grandpa, opened the door and invited me in explaining that Teresa would be a few minutes yet. Grandpa invited me to take a seat and wait. It was during that little wait that he reminded me that I was expected to remain the consummate gentleman all evening, opening doors etc., and then he slipped me a twenty dollar bill to help with diner while shaking my hand.
As I caught a glimpse of Aunt T at the head of the stairs I nearly dropped the twenty. She was wearing a modest black off the shoulder gown that was snug enough to accentuate her awesome body with flat stomach, narrow hips, curvy backside, and pert breast. It was a good thing mom thought to buy a wrist corsage as there was no way I could pin one to her gown without passing out. With the pictures taken Aunt Teresa and I made our way to the car. After a mile or so in complete silence, Teresa asked me to find a side street and pull over. Being a little confused, I cautiously complied with her request.
