A boy I once knew...part one

Okay, maybe technically it should be a man I once knew, but I was but 17, and now that I am 43, I sorta feel like he was a boy, even though at the time I think he was about 25.

His name? That's sort of the reason for this post, it totally escapes me. It truly feels like an Oldzheimer's (spelling courtesy Arnold)moment because I can remember every minute detail surrounding this boyman...except his fucking name. Perhaps it will come to me by the end of this post, but, umm, no...not likely.

It all started with my friend Wendy, who wasn't really my friend at all. I knew her from riding the same school bus. I think she graduated high school when I was in 8th grade, so we shared a bus for three years, but really, I never really was friends with her. She had a brother who was a year ahead of me, Doug, and I was somewhat friendly with him, but more in a we had common friends sort of way. When your graduating class is 69 kids (and considered a big class), you sort of know everyone in the school. This is especially true of those who live outside of the town the school is actually in and have to ride the same bus half an hour each way daily.

Add to the mix that my father, is the town justice. This means everyone knows who I am, moreso than I know who they are. Also add to the mix that I am going to beauty school! And, hey, Max can cut your hair for practice! She's good! Look at my hair!

It's true, I was always good at cutting hair from the very first time I picked up my scissors. I have natural talent. My beauty school class took a field trip to a working salon in the city and had a sort of hands on seminar type of day. We got goody bags stuffed full of samples and industry literature, and frankly, we couldn't get enough of it. It was a glorious day.

About a week later, I had occasion to go to the dump with my father on a Thursday. Thursday was always the day he would go target shooting (at the dump) with Bill. Bill is Wendy's father. Wendy went shooting with her dad on this particular day and after we both ceremoniously out shot our fathers, we all went for coffee at the corner restaurant(think local pub sans beer, nowhere else to hang out in WaySmallTown, USA). Conversation came around to my dad needing a hair cut and we all went back to our place and Bill and Wendy both got hair cuts, too. My dad and Bill? Short men's hair cuts. Wendy? Long, curly, unruly hair that I had never before experienced with scissors in my hand. Fake it til you make it. Even back then, that was my motto concerning the unknown.

About a week later, I saw Wendy again at the shooting range. She had asked my dad if I could go with her, she had a friend who wanted a hair cut. More long curly hair. That was all I knew, but I always had my scissors with me back in the day, so away with Wendy I went.

Amazingly enough, we were at her friend's house in about two minutes. We went around the corner and before crossing the bridge, hung a left that nearly had us up on two wheels. Wendy was fast becoming what I can only refer to as one of the cool people you can't believe live in your way small town. Remember I was 17 and Wendy was about 21. The drinking age at the time was 18, and by way small town standards, Wendy, who had already been away to college, was rather worldly and mysterious.

As we approached said friend's house, all I could smell was weed. There was a fridge out on the screened in porch and as we passed it, Wendy opened it and passed me a beer. LaBatt's Blue. Ice cold and sweating the instant it was cracked open. I think it was about 10:30 in the morning. Damn, but that beer was good.

When we walked into the living room, we could hear the shower running because the bathroom door, directly opposite us, was wide open. Wemdy walked over to the bathroom doorway and leaned in for what seemed a kiss. All I heard was the shower and a mumbled "It's just us," from Wendy.

For some reason, it seems to me at this point that her friend's name might have been Jamie. I am not sure why that just popped into my head, but it did, and I think for the sake of ease in continuing, we'll go with it. If it wasn't Jamie, I apologize in advance. But the liklihood of him or Wendy ever reading this to correct me is mighty slim. And if his name wasn't Jamie, it is entirely likely that it is another name that could be presumed belongs to a girl friend and not a boy friend, because until he walked out with a towel barely concealing his ass, I thought Jamie was a girl friend.

His face was totally obscured by dripping wet hair. Long curly hair. Think Slash. Or John Oates. Long. Curly. Hair. Way sexy for a WaySmallTown girl of 17. And let's not forget, he was dripping wet from the shower with a towel barely covering anything.

"Oh. You must be the hair dresser." As he said this, Wendy handed him a beer and he dropped his towel to shake my hand. Ahem. Never one for formalities, Wendy handed him the towel and asked him where the weed was. Jamie gave her the I thought you said she was the judge's daughter look to which Wendy replied, "Hey, she's cool."

I think that was the last thing Wendy said that night.

The house I was in was interesting to me. Many years later, my mother referred to it as "That hippie commune house that Sue and Jon know someone from."