First Love

Aw, that would be Bobby B.  I was 13 years old, and we lived at McGuire AFB in New Jersey.  I don't remember exactly how we met.  A group of us hung out together in the neighborhood, and Bobby lived across the street with his large family.  He was one of 8 kids, and I  prided myself on being able to name them all.  Let me see, Janie, Bobby, Edward, Danny, Sylvia, hmmmm, that's about as far as I can go.   Janie was his older sister, but they were in the same grade because she had been held back at some point, and she and I were friends first.  Bobby had jet black hair, deep brown eyes  and dark skin.  I thought he was really cute, but I never imagined he would become my boyfriend.  I don't think I was really even thinking about having a boyfriend yet.  Our group consisted of my best friend, Kathy, who lived next door, Janie, David, and a boy named Joey, who both lived across from us, Bobbie, who lived on the other side of us, and probably a few others I've forgotten.  We'd all go to the movies together or gather outside.  The first time we were actually alone was at the movie-Psycho of all things.  I think I had my eyes covered for most of it, and to this day, I'm nervous about showers if I'm alone in the house. I hated that show,  but at some point, Bobby put his arm around me and after the movie asked me to "go steady."  Maybe the fact that he asked me after Psycho should have been my clue as to how that relationship would end up!  No, he didn't try to murder me in the bathroom, and things were actually fun and sort of wonderful for awhile.  He gave me an ID bracelet with his name on it, which back then meant I "belonged" to him.  ICK!  I remember other girls coming up to me and saying, "You're going steady with Bobby B.?  Why would he pick you of all people?"  Seriously, that's what they said, and truthfully, I wondered the same thing because I didn't feel worthy of such a stud muffin.  Haha- just kidding- he was not a stud muffin-just cute.  He was very sweet, and we were inseparable for about 3 months. He even went canoeing with our family.  There's a picture somewhere around here…

Bobby was my first kiss, too-well other than Bruce Lesko in Germany, who I played Spin the Bottle with once, but that didn't really count.  Bobby walked me home one night and at the door, he put his arms around me, pushed my hair off my shoulders and leaned in for a nice tightly closed lip maneuver.  I thought I'd pass out right there, but I managed to gather myself together and go into the house.  Bobby, though, like most boys, wanted more after awhile, and I just wasn't ready to go anywhere else.  

One afternoon after school, I knocked on Kathy's door because we watched "Dark Shadows" together most days.  One of her brothers, answered, and told me Kathy was upstairs and I should go on up.  When I got there, what did I see but Kathy and Bobby making out on the floor!  My heart shattered, I turned and ran.  She was supposed to be my best friend, dammit!  The funny thing is none of us ever talked about it.  Kathy and I didn't speak at all for the rest of the time we lived there, and Bobby moved not too long after that.  I made new friends-real friends, can you say "loyal friends"?  You know friends who didn't go around stealing boyfriends and boyfriends who didn't go around stealing best friends.  Am I bitter?  Haha.

Years later, Jane ran into Bobby in San Marcos where we were both going to SWTSU, and he recognized her and asked about me.  I met him one day at the Whataburger where he was working.  He must have weighed over 200 pounds and was missing a front tooth.  I was 8 months pregnant with Kristinn, and he hinted that he was going to be divorced soon.  I wasn't about to be his wife's Kathy Maloney, so I said, "Buh bye," and never saw him again.  :)