(Disclaimer: I’m one of those folks who remembers nearly everything that happened to me since I was a wee. Thank goodness some of those memories are fond ones.)
I attended a private school Kindergarten, while living in Garland Texas.
There I was, an extremely shy child minding my own business on the playground at recess, when all of a sudden…
Without warning, another kindergartner named Roy ran over to me, told me he loved me, bent me backwards in his arms, and landed a long, wet kiss on my mouth. Texas is the origin of the motto “Come and Take It”, but I don’t think I was giving out that kind of signal at 5 years old. I think Roy was really in love with me. I’ve heard of this happening between schoolchildren and in rare cases, pair-bonding all the way into adulthood.
The Rudolf Valentino film screen quality kiss Roy planted on me lasted so long, I was struggling to breathe. In retrospect, did the other little boys dare him to do this, were nickels going to be exchanged after settling up on the bet? If so, Roy was going way beyond carrying out a mere dare. Roy made certain I was good and kissed to the point I saw stars and felt my whole spine warm up.
In the midst of this, I heard shrieking and the panicked playground monitors broke us apart. But as I ran away embarrassed and hid behind the slide, peeking out to see what was to happen to little Roy, I realized that I didn’t mind the whole kissing thing that much. It looked like Roy just got a stern talking to by a teacher. Then he was made to apologize to me, which I found meddlesome by the adults since I was never a tattletale and I started crying. Roy stayed away from me from then on, and soon I would move away to another school district.
This incident has had me perplexed ever since.
Hope I didn’t miss my chance for Happily Ever After when I was 5.
Universe, sometimes your timing really sucks.
Roy Reese, wherever you are…thanks alot for setting the bar really high.
