Some time after I started high school I would hear a Gregorian Style chant frequently, "you must go to college to get a good man. If not, you must find a job. Or marry right after high school". This chant came from my parents. The day was coming. I was going to graduate from high school. It really was a miracle.
How did someone with no math aptitude, no drivers license, no PATH, nothing, graduate? I cared about none of that. I wanted out. Fortunately for me senior year I finally took courses I LOVED. Government was not scary it was awesome. Our class read the newspaper and debated the issues of the day. The structure of government was covered as well but I knew most of that as Walter Cronkite was always there in our house right before dinner telling us about the world. Humanities I knew I would ace when on one of the first days of class the teacher had written: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopan, on the board. I had this. I schooled him privately at his desk that the man's name was Chopin, with an i. Guitar was disappointing. First day the teacher, (same one who couldn't spell Chopin), welcomed the class and said he didn't actually play the instrument and we would be expected to play one song on our guitar to pass. Had that. Guitar became a free period where we could go to the student smoking area, (yes, kiddies, things were different then). This year was a cake walk.
At home things were different. I had expected that maybe dad would be forever in a wheelchair, drooling and we would have to feed him and maybe keep him in the attic. No. My dad came home like a man on fire. Desperate to make up for the time he lived in a pit. There was music to compose, a hydroponic greenhouse needed to be designed and built, (tomatoes. I was disappointed too). There was a music room to build. He slept like a baby. He had a personality. I didn't really like it, but he had one. And he realized I was qualified for nothing. This really worried him. He was going to fix it. HELP ME!
Oh, then there was just one small other thing. Ringo and I had decided to get married. It made sense. He was 22 or 23 ready to start a life. We had dated for almost 2 years. There had been some on and off times but he was my high school boyfriend. We could marry before Callie and Alan moved away so they could be in our wedding and we in theirs. Callie and Alan had a life plan. He was in the Navy, was going to be a Dentist, start his own practice, then they would have children. They were moving to North Carolina after they got married. The four of us always had a great time together. Ringo and I however didn't always have that "thing". We were by now having sex, he was a perfect gentleman, always, my parents adored him so it seemed perfect. Ringo wanted no children, he said. That was not happening in my life. I was having children and I would be MOTHER OF THE YEAR every year .In my heart I knew I would marry this man and die. He was just too old attitude wise. I wanted WILD not mild. Well, crap this all could be an issue. Paul and I were heavily involved in a romance via mail. OOPS, that was an issue too.
THE DAY I ALMOST KILLED MY MOTHER
My mother had several habits that drove me insane. For instance, she would prepare dinner, put the food in serving dishes on the table and then tell us what was in every dish. "We have meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and two different dressings, Italian or Bleu Cheese". She would point to every dish as she named it. This made me want to choke her after 18 years. Everyday when I came home from school she would hear the door and say, "Lillybell?". "Yes", I would snarl. "Are you home?" I began answering with, "no, kidnapped by a mad killer on my way here". GEEZ, this entire house is crazy.
My senior year, after dad was better then mother turned all her attention on me. Every day: "Are you smoking cigarettes?". "NO", I lied. "Are you smoking marijuana?". "NOOOO", I lied like I was insulted. "Are you and Ringo having sex?". "Of course not, mother, what kind of woman do you think you raised? I can't believe you would even ask me that!". One day I had heard the series of questions just once too often. I looked in my mom's worried blue eyes and said, "YES, ALL OF THE ABOVE".
Oh yeah, Ringo and I were definitely getting married whether I wanted to or not, SEX!!! YOU ARE HAVING SEX???? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Mom had to go to bed. She told my dad. He decided we should have, "the talk". I asked him if he had any questions about technique because otherwise I felt well versed, thank you.
I was the apple of his eye.
Graduation was going to be fun!
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