Before He Wakes by Jerry Bledsoe Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jerry Bledsoe
kept most problems to himself, but when he was so deeply troubled that he had to talk to somebody, he always turned to his mother.
Doris and her son went upstairs to his old room and sat on the bed. Larry was nervous and ashamed, and it was hard for him to tell his mother what he had to say. He’d met a girl. Her name was Barbara Terry. They had been going together for several months. There was a pause. The next words seemed not to want to come. She had … become pregnant. She was about two months along now. She had told him that he didn’t have to marry her, but he wanted to do the right thing.
Doris reached out and touched her son’s hand. For long moments there was silence.
“Do you love her?” Doris asked.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
What about college? she asked him. She knew how much he wanted his degree. He would try to go on and finish, he said. Barbara had agreed to that. They both knew it wouldn’t be easy. They would get by the best they could.
“Well,” Doris said after another long pause, “if you love her, then you should marry her.”
Barbara had become pregnant only a couple of weeks after Larry had tried to break off their relationship, but if he thought that she had allowed herself to get pregnant to entrap him, he never mentioned it. Larry’s father had that feeling, though, and soon afterward Larry told him, “Dad, I wish you had told me about women like that.” It was too late for him to say anything now, Henry knew, for Larry had accepted his responsibility and was facing up to it with stout resolve.
The wedding was not announced. Their parents would not learn about it until later. It was held on May 21, 1968, at First Presbyterian Church in Boone, near the campus. Laura and Steve were among the small group of friends quickly assembled for the informal ceremony.
Larry had confided in Steve about Barbara’s pregnancy, but Laura didn’t know. Barbara never mentioned it, and Steve didn’t tell her until later. Laura suspected it, though, because of the suddenness of the whole affair and the lack of joy in it. Barbara was very determined about it. Larry seemed subdued, almost reluctant. Something had to be wrong, Laura knew, because Barbara’s grades had been dropping that spring, and she had taken to skipping classes.
Only a week of classes remained when Larry and Barbara were married, and both remained in their dorm rooms afterward. But Barbara stopped going to classes altogether. She was going to drop out of college and get a job, she told Laura, stirring her concern. Laura had thought that Barbara really wanted to get an education and become a teacher. She hoped that she wasn’t messing up her life.
Larry and Barbara drove to Colfax soon after the wedding, Larry again driving a borrowed car, to tell his family about the marriage. Although they had never met their new daughter-in-law, the Fords went out of their way to make her feel welcome and part of their family. Still, the situation was strained. Barbara was anxious and didn’t talk much. And the Fords thought that she was too openly affectionate with Larry. When she started kissing him passionately in front of them, they were shocked.
“I never had seen anything in my life that came close to that,” Doris later recalled. Did Barbara have no modesty or sense of proper behavior? Or was she showing her new in-laws that she would do whatever she wished?
Doris wanted to like her new daughter-in-law. She always gave everybody the benefit of the doubt, but there was something about Barbara that bothered her, although she couldn’t put a finger on it. “You know, you get a feeling sometimes when you meet people,” she said years later. “You’re going to keep both eyes open.”
That feeling soon would be confirmed for Doris. In becoming pregnant, marrying Larry and dropping out of college, acts that seemed calculated to bring grievous disappointment to her mother, Barbara had broken sharply with the
Doris and her son went upstairs to his old room and sat on the bed. Larry was nervous and ashamed, and it was hard for him to tell his mother what he had to say. He’d met a girl. Her name was Barbara Terry. They had been going together for several months. There was a pause. The next words seemed not to want to come. She had … become pregnant. She was about two months along now. She had told him that he didn’t have to marry her, but he wanted to do the right thing.
Doris reached out and touched her son’s hand. For long moments there was silence.
“Do you love her?” Doris asked.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
What about college? she asked him. She knew how much he wanted his degree. He would try to go on and finish, he said. Barbara had agreed to that. They both knew it wouldn’t be easy. They would get by the best they could.
“Well,” Doris said after another long pause, “if you love her, then you should marry her.”
Barbara had become pregnant only a couple of weeks after Larry had tried to break off their relationship, but if he thought that she had allowed herself to get pregnant to entrap him, he never mentioned it. Larry’s father had that feeling, though, and soon afterward Larry told him, “Dad, I wish you had told me about women like that.” It was too late for him to say anything now, Henry knew, for Larry had accepted his responsibility and was facing up to it with stout resolve.
The wedding was not announced. Their parents would not learn about it until later. It was held on May 21, 1968, at First Presbyterian Church in Boone, near the campus. Laura and Steve were among the small group of friends quickly assembled for the informal ceremony.
Larry had confided in Steve about Barbara’s pregnancy, but Laura didn’t know. Barbara never mentioned it, and Steve didn’t tell her until later. Laura suspected it, though, because of the suddenness of the whole affair and the lack of joy in it. Barbara was very determined about it. Larry seemed subdued, almost reluctant. Something had to be wrong, Laura knew, because Barbara’s grades had been dropping that spring, and she had taken to skipping classes.
Only a week of classes remained when Larry and Barbara were married, and both remained in their dorm rooms afterward. But Barbara stopped going to classes altogether. She was going to drop out of college and get a job, she told Laura, stirring her concern. Laura had thought that Barbara really wanted to get an education and become a teacher. She hoped that she wasn’t messing up her life.
Larry and Barbara drove to Colfax soon after the wedding, Larry again driving a borrowed car, to tell his family about the marriage. Although they had never met their new daughter-in-law, the Fords went out of their way to make her feel welcome and part of their family. Still, the situation was strained. Barbara was anxious and didn’t talk much. And the Fords thought that she was too openly affectionate with Larry. When she started kissing him passionately in front of them, they were shocked.
“I never had seen anything in my life that came close to that,” Doris later recalled. Did Barbara have no modesty or sense of proper behavior? Or was she showing her new in-laws that she would do whatever she wished?
Doris wanted to like her new daughter-in-law. She always gave everybody the benefit of the doubt, but there was something about Barbara that bothered her, although she couldn’t put a finger on it. “You know, you get a feeling sometimes when you meet people,” she said years later. “You’re going to keep both eyes open.”
That feeling soon would be confirmed for Doris. In becoming pregnant, marrying Larry and dropping out of college, acts that seemed calculated to bring grievous disappointment to her mother, Barbara had broken sharply with the