All Roads Lead Home (Bellingwood) by Diane Greenwood Muir Read Free Book Online Page B

I do remember. It was my
freshman year in high school and it was on a band bus. We were coming back
after an out of town football game. I have no idea where we'd been, but it was
dark and chilly, we had our blankets and were all snuggled in. There had been a
lot of chattering until finally everyone was worn out. I suspect there was more
going on in the seats behind me, but Darrin, the boy I wanted to be dating at
the time, was sitting with me. He started out by holding my hand and I think when he
took my hand under the blanket,
everything in my stomach did a flip flop.
We were talking quietly because we didn't
want anyone to hear us. I doubt it was anything important, but all of a sudden,
he leaned over and kissed me. First it was a sweet kiss, and then all of a
sudden it got a little more passionate. We did a lot of kissing on that band
trip and on the rest of the trips that year. But, we broke up after the winter
dance. Y e ah. That's a sweet memory."
    Polly turned to Linda, "Ok ay , it's your
turn, I guess."
    Linda asked, "What's your favorite childhood
memory of your mother?"
    Polly stopped for a moment and thought. "You know
my mom died when I was twelve, right?" Both women nodded and then she giggled and went on. "Oh, this will work right in with tonight's theme. I
rode the bus to school every day. Mom always had questions for me before I
walked out the door. Did I brush my teeth, did I wash my hands, did I have my
school bag and one I could never figure
out. She asked me every day if I had my panties on.
    "Well, every day, when she went down the list, I
said yes, yes, yes, yes and trotted out to wait for the bus, but I think I must
have been showing my rebellious streak early, because one morning when I was in
first grade, I decided I wasn't going to do what she asked. I was going to lie
and tell her I'd done all of those things. I did have to take my bag with me,
because she would have noticed, but I didn't do anything else. I went skipping
out to the end of the lane to wait for the bus and all of a sudden I realized
how uncomfortable I was. What if my dress went up and the boys saw? I started
crying and crying. I could see the bus coming down the road and I knew I
couldn't get on it without my panties. I had to make a decision. Mom would be easier
to handle than the embarrassment facing me otherwise, so I ran back up the lane, sobbing. Mom
came out to meet me and waved off the bus. I fessed up to her and she smiled. We
went inside and I ran upstairs to my dresser to get some panties, then she came
up and I washed my hands and face and brushed my teeth.
    "She didn't say much to me, just knelt down and
put her arms around me and told me she loved me and was proud of me for making
the right decision. Then she drove me to school and dropped me off. She never
said anything to me about it again and she never again asked me if I was
wearing panties. I don't think she ever quit asking me about washing my hands
and brushing my teeth, though."
    Polly hadn't been paying much attention to her
surroundings with so many of the women stopping by to ask her questions and try
to get to know her. A s Angela Boehm sat
down beside her, she heard Beryl cough and say, "Excuse me, excuse
me!"
    Everyone stopped and looked up. “I thought you all
should see what embarrassed little Dougie Randall this
morning - well, yesterday morning, since it is already long after midnight.”
She stepped to one side as Andy and Lydia held up either end of Polly's bright
purple underwear with hot pink bows.
    Polly leaped off the couc h and ran at the women, who darted to the side. Andy
tossed the undies over Polly's head to Lydia who caught them and stuck them under
her shirt. "Are you going to come get them now, girlfriend?" she
taunted.
    "But, they're dirty!" Polly cried.
    "Oh, hell no they're not," said Beryl. "While you've been in here partying and drinking up all of
those ... how many has she had, Andy? Three ... martinis, we finished your
laundry for