JUST A HIPPIE GYPSY

ADDICTED TO LOVE (Part Three)

The summer I was sixteen, everything changed. The possession of drivers license was introduced. The summer was spent in a totally new envirornment, that of the moving vehicle! This was our newsport, one of us to fanagle our parents car,usually a station wagon or something equally as muddane, go around to everybody's house and pick them up, then head to the Main Drag.

You would begin anywhere on Main Street then head North or South. North took you to the Dairy Queen, where you would cruises into the parking lot, loop behind the building and head back out the entrance. You of course were checking out who was at Dairy Queen.

Then you would head South, through town and arrive at the Convenient Food Store at the other end, make the turn into the area in front of the old elementary, cruise through the bus drop off area, then head back towards the North of town.

The time spent cruising town was vitally important. Because everyone did it! It was crucial to be seen. Looking back, it was such innocent fun. The town's young teenage population moving at a leisurely, fluid pace. The sport was to honk at those you knew. What a acrimonious symphony we created those hot summer nights. Young hot blooded men, and sweet southern belles poised on the threshold of womanhood.

That is howI met J. A transplant to our small community from somewhere very foreign, Brazil. His father was an American who met his mother while teaching in South America. J. Was one of four brother each one dark,with black hair and beautiful brown eyes.

I fell so hard for J. The pattern was qucikly being established for the rest of my life, I was a sucker for a pretty face.

After weeks of flirting with each other communicated with varies types of car honks (each type of honk having different meaninds....Short sharp honk, means "In hurry, headed 'fill-in-the-blank. Long,leaning on the steering wheel means, "look at me, I want you to pull over!" A couple of quick toots in succession means, "Hey cut!" and so on) He finally decided to ask me out.

He called my house, the phone line was busy. He called later, the phone line still busy. My Mother always took the phone off the hook when the babies were napping! He did not know this since he really did not know me...Yet. So he tries again. Line busy.

One of my best pals came running up to the back door of our house and fell through in a panting, gasping for breath collaspe. She was always slightly over weight, and running was mother thing. She came from her house, on the other side of Broadway, at least 3/4 of a mile to yell atme, "Put your phone on the hook! J is trying to call you to ask you out!!!!!!!!!"

He called her house to see if I happened to be over there.

The two of us, with our heads pressed together, listened to him finally stumble through the words of asking me out to the movies!

Thank goodness for the best friend a girl could ever have!