George

GEORGE

G eo rge

was

the

boy

si de wa lk

and waved at

the

to

way

Fr id a ys.

a c ro s s

us ,

my f rie n d

Grandmother's r

house

good in

felt

chr o m e and the tire-viel1s, to p

w as down.

I d id n 't fo r

th o u g h t rt ga ve

he was rather wasn't

long

a party

ha ted ,

in n ic e

a pretty

of

one night

He did n 't

have a car

so m e wh ere we would

me e t .

ter r ib le

driver. screech

M y m other eithe r .

G eo r ge's fr om his

could

often

it

a lo t

and r both

p a re n t s ,

wh o k n e w h is

wh ic h

t h e e v e n in g ,

and that

wa s t h e

t h e riv e r

rig h t

I

t o my h o u s e s o m e

in t o to

the

of

chances.

c o rn e rs ,

liv in g

g o d a n c in g

He wo u ld d riv e ,

ro o m . or

o ut

a n d h e wa s a

He wo u ld ma k e t h e

and he

c o min g .

lo v e d

My d a d d id n ' t

to

s p e e d.

lik e

h im

b la me t h e m.

was t h a L

P eter

" f re s h "

b rid g e ,

a c ro s s

m y c a r.

see h im

hardly

problem

parents.

M ar y w ould

to

of

me .

T h e y p la y e d

so wh e n we wa n t e d

as he rounde d

hated I

bik e

He took

wh e n t h e

re la t io n s h ip .

he ro d e

take

t h e _ s h in y

we a t h e r

My f rie n d

on

thouqh.

serio u s

e ve n in g s.

Iunch

wit h

h e wa s k in d

my A u n t E t h e 1 ,

his

to

the

b y on

G e o rg e wo u ld wa v e a t

I thought

"cu t e "

so we could

on

a s we d ro v e

e s p e c ia liy that

stood

we we n t

e v e n k n o w me .

before

G eo r ge would ride

tir e s

wh e re

but somehow we got t h ro u g h

be g in n in g

a n d r,

ro a d s t e r

r was flatt e re d

when he didn't

wh o

riv e r

my g re e n

know who he was, b u t

w aving

the

h e d id n ' t

get

e n o u g h a t t e n t io n

wa s a lwa y s g o n e o n b u s in e s s

go along.

That

le f t

G e o rg re wit h o u t

t rip s ,

and

anyone to

com e h ome to. an d stay

He usually

with

tho u g h

g a ve

he thought

her

like

an d wa s terribly

of

tho se

would

wh a t

r'm

It

fathe r

give

Peter .

her

she went.

in

of

"ta11

was,

r

wa n t

lo ok

the

to

g o o d f e e lin g s

p le a s e

wit h

h e c o u ld

or

h is

father

His I ie s

peter

b e lie v e ,

had

a s k id s ,

h is

h im

T h e lo v e

h is

s la v e

r t h in k

that

t h e ma t e ria l the

best

in

t h e ir

it

b ro u g h t

wa s v e ry

c rit ic a l

a n d h e was wit h ,

fear

and

o f h im

t h in g s

d re s s e d

t h e wa y Ma ry I o o k e d ,

a n d p rid e

ma k e a

c o me t o .

and Iove.

h im.

b e in g

Mary lik e d .

wro n g

a n d G e o rg e wa s d o in g

t a le s " .

s h e iik e d

lik e d

was affection

wa s t o

a lwa y s

expecLed of us,

us,

o f h im.

Iine.

she

and that

wh ic h

He must h a v e b e e n v e ry h a rd t o I iv e

her.

There

or

wa s wh a t lif e

of 9 iv in 9

Mary

for

s ay

seem to know how to do the

c o n c lu s io n

she was frightene d

h o w he kept

w he r e ve r

h e s h o u ld

hi s

of,

He wo u ld

h im c o mp lime n t s

on ly

for

$ ra s a s

b o y wh o h a s d o n e s o me t h in g

expec t e d

s eemed incapable

r be lie ve

cou ld

p la c e .

and George need e d a t t e n t io n

Lo r d an d l'laster.

rt

He

He wo u ld a lwa y s

lo o k in g

we d o wh a t is

was the

a n d d o mineering.

is

wa s

h is

B ut th a t

is

G eo r qe was noted atte n ti on ,

come

boy.

a n d e mb a rra s s e d .

He d id n ' t

think

sure.

we think

p e r fectl y .

she

him in

brinq

on.

a lit t 1 e

p u n is h me n t . .

a litt I e

one would

d o n e to him,

o wn a g e t o

m y mo t h e r wo u ld d is a p p ro v e

ashamed.

go o d im pression

or

put

him or

lhat

s c o ld e d

opportunity

sheepish,

thin g s

h is

He wa s I ik e

he deserv e d

he thought

the

cr iti ci ze ver y

k id .

welcome being

or do things

a f rie n d

him.

G eo rge was a lonely se e m e d to

in v it e d

he

wo man

a n d s o d id

re la t io n s h ip ,

a n d a great m o n e y and like d

deal things

having

of

loyalt y

that

kept

an attractive

ho m e s before Peter he r

wanted

m an. Wh a t

elo se n e ss im p o ssib le

acq u a in t e d the

everything

iu s t

I guess she did George

experienced expectations

r t h in k

r

t h re e

of

an d me t o g e t h e r

by t h o s e of

out because

h o me s L re re we l I of

t h e ir

wa s ma rrie d

s o a n d l{ a ry

a g o o d . jo b

it

was p e t er

t o g e t h e r.

T h e ir

wit h

t ime

it

t h is .

h o u s e k e e p e r.

and during

brought

but

ma rria g e

a c c o mp iis h

M ar y was a meticulous r was well

t h e ir

s id e s ,

wo ma n , a n d s h e s t u c k

h e h a d the means to help

fu r n ish e d.

on both

v a ri. o u s

to

wa s t h e re

to

G e o rg e . p le a s e

that. wa s ,

wh o h a v e f o rc e d

I

I

b e lie v e

the

upon them the

o n e o r t wo p e rf e c t io n is t

p a re n t s .

THE GET4WAY

The plans G eo r g e 's ju st

for

christmas

a rrived

in

afte r n o on. fa the r

our

elo p e me n t

vacation

in

Maumee, wh e re

a few days.

to

feeling

an swe r . at

b e p e r formed It

dan c e

quickly

pa cke d my large w as g e tting

to

the

be

dr o p ped

winter

suitcase

colder.

at

by

p r a cti cally

new.

ho m e town during crossed drove

to

the

oId

p e rry s b u rg ,

a nd

schoo l

before Perrysburg

at

for

a

f rie n d ,

It

wa s

days. going High

to

next

G e o rg e . and g re e n

la t e

to

I

ro a d in

It

on the f ro n t

G e o rg e wa s t o

then

we we re

p ly mo u t h

to

Co u pe

a s u s u a l. to

p e rry s b u rg ,

wa s t h e s a me b rid g e

Grandfather's

building,

had

go.

etched

on the

a

day

c o u ld

d a rk .

a n d re a d y

b rid g e It

the

t u rn in g

in t e n t ly

the

a lc o h o lic

a mo me n t ' s n o t ic e .

we re b e in g

a rriv e d ,

at

p la y e d

wh e re ma rria g e s

ju s t

wa t c h e d by

Ho t e l

o rc h e s t ra

rn d ia n a

p la c e

p ic t u re s

We cro s s e d

many times

a nd

r c h o s e t h e a f f irma t iv e

A n g o la ,

the

my g la n c e

house

high

that

mo t h e r

a n d in my e x a lt e d

a n d wa s d re s s e d

He finally

drove.

h is

in

the

As

e v e n in g ,

(my car).

car

He h ad

c o mmo d o re p e rry

the

for

Fros t y

our

wa s

my mo t h e r,

me e t

f rie n d s

t h a n p a in ,

b e in g

house and nervously

G eo r ge

wit h

and c o n v e n ie n t ly ,

win d o w pane as r fixed of

It

u n iv e rs it y .

to

f lo o r.

Iea v e

A nqola

was a cold

pr o ce e d

in

more euphoria

o'c1ock.

ma k in g .

and p le a s u re .

the

we decided

fi ve

I iv e d

he popped the q u e s L io n ,

"star d u st" sta te,

I

Th e y h a d o ld

business

next

the

f ro m s y ra c u s e

G eo rge and r were sitti n g ta b le

in

He had made a rra n g e me n t s

we r e m ixing

a

we re

house.

d 9loomy

h is I h ad we

structure

tha t I

a p p eared

wa ited

what

seemed like

h o u rs .

co ld e r .

There

was no hea t

ke ys with

him).

My fingers

i na fr o m

s ! , ! , e {a

I had thought

9Ie d r ove tha n

Il

w i th

I

him

we re

the

t u rn in g

in h is

p la n s

lie .

t ime

a rriv in g

la t e r

t o a c c o mmo d a t e u s .

wh o me t u s a t

twe lv e .

s o me mo n e y

e la b o ra t e

f ro m t h e re , the

to

me e t h im t h e re ,

the

b e a n e la b o ra t e

the

door

we d d in g a t t ire ,

in

a n d d ra g g in g

by phone

h is

b u t q u ic k ly

He lo o k e d s le e p y ,

he summoned a f rie n d

away was a succes s !

m uch joy

or

se e m e d just wo u ld

l ea ve

pleasure.

h is

a n d we h a d o u r

be ma rrie d ,

co m m o n , and felt

W e bo t h

braver

fac in g

lo o k e d

d u rin g

to be gotten

would, have had u s b e iie v e together.

I never

s h o o k a li

We were p a rt n e rs

h o me alone.

cl ose r

to

But I

an experience

have chosen

ou r pa r e n ts us

dressed

had taken

party.

l 4y g e t w i th

those

a minis t e r

was almost

r elu ctantly,

we d d in g

It

found

and

we re g ra d u a ily

wh o wa s t o

an yone seemed to want t o t a k e

ba lh r o b e .

wife

f rie n d

lea s t

miqht

(G e o rg e

car

on to A ngola ma n y mile s

We eve n tually

if

at

the

and

d a rk e r

He h a d g o n e t . o b o rro w

vu

did,

wa s g e t t in g

It

and feet

school-teacher

an d a p p arently w hich

in

E'ina] 1y he appeared. a n old

G e o rg e p a rk e d t h e c a r,

even more so a t d u s t .

beLter

in

c rime .

and that

had a need for t h e wo rld

the

t h ro u g h ;

but

back

c e re mo n y .

not

than That

o n it

t h e wa y

h a v in g

to

wa s wh a t

wa s wh a t b ro u g h t in d e p e n d e n c e

in

a n d t h o s e wh o s e a n g e r

w e dr e a d e d. A te le gram r e tur n

telegram

to

my mother telling

h e ra ld e d

the

us t o me e t h e r

b iS

next

event, mo rn in g

and 1o, for

a

b r e a kfast

the

at

o u r b r e a kfast

hotel

wh e re we h a d s p e n t

which in

our n e rv o u s n e s s

Ge o r g e 's

nervousness

she e p ish

embarrassment.

a bla ck

and white

would

not

a llo w

negative

it

agreed

the bridal to

give

Th e bridal b o wl

of

suite

h im

eat.

He s a t

t o b e lo s t .

o n my min d

at t h e Co mmo d o re P e rry

in

L ik e

f o re v e r.

father

had

wh e re we f irs t

f re e d o ms .

suite

was flowe r

bedecked.

It

was qu it e

I u x u rio u s .

fruit.

to

t o T o I e d o wh e re h is

up our sepa ra t e

We h a d

and I "gobbIed".

p rin t e d

is

n ig h t .

mo t h e r

wa s a s c e n e n e v e r

It

Ge o r g e and I agreed to r e t u rn r ese r ve d

the

T h e re rrra s a ls o

a huge

G e o rg e wa s v is ib ly

e m b a r r a ssed. Sh o r tl y IE

our

arrival

w as my dad who came to

w hich th e

after

he pointed

fa m iIy",

then,

at

wis h

George, in

the

t h e re

u s we l 1 .

s a y in g ,

next

wa s a k n o c k

the

He c a rrie d

" G 1a d t o

b re a t h ,

at

d o o r. a cane

we lc o me y o u in t o

"You son of

a b it c h ! "