First kiss

Sunday 7 January, 2007.

Prompt for sunday scribblings:

#41 - Kissing

"rel, do you remember your first kiss?"

"No Art, no, not really. I'm guessing, but I was probably kissed plenty of times, from the time I was born, that I don't really remember."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Well, say what you meant!"

"Ok Mr. Literal. Do you remember the first time you kissed a girl cuz you'd taken a shine to her?"

"Yes I do! I was five years old. No wait. I musta been six, cuz I started school when I was five, and then turned six three weeks later. Yup, I was six. You know, I don't remember alot of things that happened to me back then, but I remember that kiss like it was yesterday."

"Six is kinda young for a romantic kiss."

"I don't remember it as a romantic kiss per-se. Don't get me wrong. I kissed her cuz I thought she was pretty an' all, but I don't recall feelin' much more, 'cept proud of myself for pullin' it off."

"Pullin' it off?"

"Here's the story Art. Her name was Jo-Ella, Jo-Ella Downey. Everybody called her Jo. We used to walk to school together on the days after she'd spent the night at her grandmother's. Her own house was just one block from the school, but her gram's place was up close to mine, like seven blocks from the school. So I used to meet her at her gram's and we'd walk together. I was like her guardian-protector."

"So you kissed her while you were walking to school?"

"No, no, here's how it happened. We were in kindergarden, Miss Bovard's class. There was a bunch of us sitting around this big table in the back of the room just in front of the sand box. Musta been five or six of us. The table was lower than a regular table, you know, like the legs were only half as long as a normal table.
That day I had brung my Hop-a-Long Cassidy coloring book to school with me. We must have been in a free time, or somethin', I've forgotten, but it was just before band."

"Band! In kindergarden?"

"Ya. I played the triangle.
Anyway, I was colorin' in my book and Jo, who was sittin' right across from me, was colorin' on a hand-out sheet. I remember looking across the table and thinkin' "boy, she sure is cute. She's as cute as a bugs ear.
I hatched a quick plan in my head. I looked over at her and said, "Jo, look at my colorin' on Hop-a-Long." She looked up, but she couldn't see it very well, so she stood up on her chair and leaned over the table to look, and when she did, I stood up and kissed her right on the mouth."

"Oh boy. What did she do?"

"She ran up to Miss Bovard's desk, hollerin';" Miss Bovard, Miss Bovard---rel kissed me, he kissed me right on the lips!""

"What happened then? Did you get your butt blistered?"

"Nope. Miss Bovard said;"well, isn't that cute, what a little devil that rel is.
Ok class, time for band. Come and get the instruments and take your places around the piano.""

"rel, that's a cute story an' all, but that's not what I meant."

"Art, how many times do I have to tell you. Say what you meant."

"OK! Do you remember your first romantic kiss?"

"Do you mean that heart thumping, sweaty hands, I wonder if I'll get it right kinda kiss? The one where you want your hands to go to all them places marked DO NOT TOUCH, and ya can't talk 'cause you know your voice'll crack, or you'll say somethin' stupid and blow the whole deal, kinda kiss? You mean the I wonder if we'll be goin' steady after this, kinda kiss? Is that what you want to know Art?"

"Yes."

"Well, why didn't you say so?

Anyway, to answer your question.....
Yes, I do. I was thirteen years old. I remember that kiss like it was yesterday.
Her name was Judy, Judy smith."

****************

Rocky and Judy

age 12

***************

Francesco Hayez painting