In my few years on this old earth, I’ve seen my fair share of living. Not so long ago, I had my first taste of love. It started as a glance but I knew right away that she would be mine. The way she looked at me coyly, as if I wouldn’t notice. There were also the times she wore provocatively short dresses, even when the occasion didn’t call for it. Not to mention, the numerous incidences of bending over in that kind of attire, just to pick up something she would “drop”. Teasing soon became a part of the game for us and to say that I enjoyed it would be a gross understatement. But I am getting ahead of myself.
      I first noticed Katie in the early fall. A group of us gathered together; the way we normally did that time of year. It was a period of my life that being exposed to new experiences was exciting. We would swap stories when we all flocked together and it never failed that Katie would prefer my tall tales over everyone else’s. No matter how obscure the subject matter, her kind words showered me with loving praise. Enough so, that I never understood how others in our crew didn’t grow slightly envious or see our underlying connection.
Being young and somewhat unsophisticated didn’t seem to matter to the fair-hair maiden, as the lady was a few years older than me. She was tall and blonde with long straight hair that neared her waistline. To this day, I believe I could close my eyes and vividly paint every curvature of her voluptuous body on my mind’s canvas. Well beyond a beauty by any standards, I also craved her mind. Longing to grasp her vast knowledge and make it my own was something I found just as appealing.
      Fond remembrances of the hours we would spend together, still play in my head like a favorite movie on the cinema screen. We could spend hours just talking. And more to my credit, hours of listening to the sweet sounds of her voice resonating in my ears; Soaking up every word as if my life depended on it. Katie always told me I was a good listener and that it was one of my best traits.
      Memories come flowing back of the excursions we would take to various places to expand our minds and views on the world. I remember in particular, just such a trip to the Natural History Museum in October. We strolled hand-in-hand, gazing at the exhibits; studying the details and smiling at each other. Her deep blue eyes would shine and I would find myself lost in the gazes we’d share. To laugh, at how Katie mimicked the dinosaur’s stance and at one point almost losing her balance.
      The day when she decided to go on a faux ‘safari’ at the zoo was also entertaining. “Dressing the part was the most fun” she said. The most fun I remember was how those khaki shorts fit her bottom. The floppy hat and multi-pocketed shirt I wore got rave reviews and the day was a total success for her. Oh how those and so many more memories are sweet nectar to my soul.
      Our time was somewhat limited because of our busy schedules; but it was her policy to spend at least an hour together, first thing in the morning. We would talk and sometimes write our thoughts down to compare what had happened in our own respective worlds since we had last parted. Katie designed the plan and to this day I still retain many of those papers I scribbled during those glorious times. I truly believe it was her influence that led me to try and become a writer and for that I owe my first love a great deal of gratitude.
      As the days passed by, our relationship became strained. We often times found ourselves at odds; over what I realized later were the most trivial of things. When the apple-of- my-eye seemed to be giving another young man more attention, my green-eyed monster would appear out of nowhere. And though she seemed oblivious, I knew in my heart the act was strictly for my benefit.
      It was in mid-spring, as I recall, when we started to grow apart. When what to me was an eternity but in reality was only a span of a few weeks; Katie became absent from my life. Her father had become gravely ill and she left town to be by his side until the end. I wished to God that I could have gone with her; to give some well-needed comfort in her hour of greatest need. But due to circumstances at that time of my life made taking the trip impossible.
Upon her return, most of us who knew Katie best, found her to be more distant and solemn. Her countenance revealed a missing part, we had grown to love. The spunk and vigor that once was my dear lovelies’ best attributes had vanished. And try as I might, there was nothing I could do to bring it back. The flirtatious and suggestive looks I’d send out were returning null and void. The love and support I could give to her, didn’t strike me as being enough. Undoubtedly, the loss of a loved one can bring a person to their knees and in Katie’s case; she couldn’t find the strength inside for her to rise up afterwards.
      Though we still saw each other daily, our love affair was one-sided and grew colder as summer neared. No more could I count on the smile that would always brighten my hectic day. We were simply “going through the motions” and I felt as helpless as a young child to do anything about it. When I looked at Katie then, I saw a shell of the woman that once was and regretfully, it was time to move on.
      Today I found myself thinking about Katie again. Losing touch with her after school, I eventually married and was blessed with a fine family. I attended her funeral a few years ago and I was happy to see, she too was surrounded by the many people her life had touched. Hopefully with age comes maturity and with maturity, knowledge. In my case, it’s still up in the air. But for now, I am content in the fact that she was the first love for me and I wonder if______ ___ ______ ___ __
 
 
     “Code blue! Code blue! Room 341,” blared the speakers at the nurse’s desk.
      Encircling the hospital bed, three nurses and the doctor tried frantically to revive the patient in full cardiac arrest.
      “Clear!” As the paddles were placed on his chest.
      Writhing upwards as the voltage coursed through his worn-out body, there simply was no more life left to give. Looking up at the clock on the wall, the physician called his death at 2:40 p.m.
      All the attending personnel but one made their way out of the room. The remaining nurse paused when she noticed a bound journal that had fallen under the eighty-nine year old patient’s bed. Picking it up, she noticed it was full of handwritten pages that were all paper clipped together. As she opened it, she noticed the title page of the latest entry. It simply read: An Ode to Katie Logan, My Fifth Grade English Teacher.
      She gently closed the book and placed it on the sweet old gentleman’s chest. The everlasting grin he was wearing seemed to acknowledged that his last story had been told.
 

THE END

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Texte: all rights reserved Copyright © 2011 GlenMarcus
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 19.08.2011

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