It was right after school had let out for the summer. It was 1971 and I remember this day and many more to follow as my sister Cathy had a couple of her friends over to the house and this one girl really caught my eye. I couldn’t wait to meet her. I watched her move, she looked real good. She had long hair, slim body, with big breast. Did I ever want to meet her. My sister introduced us. Her name was Darlene. All I know was that I was going to make her my darling Darlene.
Though I had many girlfriends, I found that they were just conquest for me. I wanted to add Darlene to my list. There was something about her that held my interest more than the others. She rode her bike over to our house a lot that summer. I kept looking for an angle to make her mine. She was fun to be around and when she would get ready to leave for home I’d see her home.
One night we kissed, I knew that I would be in charge then, just like when I was with the other girls. One kiss and the rest would be history. Now I can say this, Darlene was special. She wasn’t going to be an easy one for me. I could tell that she really liked me though. I just wasn’t going to get any further with her. I tried all the selling I could, she just wasn’t buying. My testosterone was going to get the best of me. I was going to be leaving soon for the Corps. I made a stop at one of my old girlfriends and went to a movie and then to the park for the evening.
The next day was the day to remember for ever. This was the day I left for boot camp. August 8th. 1971. I told everyone in my family that I was leaving. I asked my father for a ride to the bus station. I think he still didn’t believe me. I then showed him the papers. He stood there and just stared out the window into the backyard. Darlene had come over to see me off. She and my family all came down to the bus station to see me off. A few minutes before the bus was to pull away my father came onto the bus and sat next to me. He said that he sorry to see me go but that he knew just as I did that this was the best thing for me. I looked up at him and he had tears in his eyes. In all my life I had never seen my father cry. He had always told me that men don’t cry, and so I didn’t. I shook his hand and he wished me good luck. As the bus pulled away I saw my mother, Cathy and Darlene standing together and they were crying. I waved goodbye and I was off.
