First Kiss
[St. Paul Minnesota, 1963]

"What'd ya-think Lee, she's ready to give you a big kiss" ?know!"? said Roger.

"I've never kissed a girl before,"? answered Lee, with hesitation.

"Does she agree, without you making her?"?

"Yes, yes, yes, of course, she said its ok, but the offer is not going to last forever. If youre afraid just pass it up, it's your loss. Sherry is waiting with warm-lips, make up your mind man."?

"No, I'm not afraid"? said Lee, taking in a deep breathe, looking at Sherry, her beautiful blond hair, silk-like hair, long shapely legs, dark blue eyes, thin waist.

"How old's your brother Mike?"? asked Rodger.

"Thirteen, right,"? Mike looking at me.

"Yaw, thirteen."? I affirmed.

"Well, here you go, she's seventeen,"? said Rodger whom was nineteen.

I said in my mind, boy he gets the re good looking babe's.

Several of the neighborhood kids were standing about waiting for the event to take place, it all started as a practical joke when they found out I had never kissed a girl.

The gang was watching impatiently, making gestures to one another as if to say: let's get this on the road, or forget it, it's getting old news.

I decided at that moment as the gestures were being thrown back and forth, to make my move, glancing over at Rodger as he looked here and there, with a grin, being the man of the hour with his girlfriend,

"Ok, I'm ready!"?

Rodger was one of the main members of the unofficial neighborhood gang, or if you will, group-members, otherwise known as the 'The Cayuga Street-Donkeyland Gang,' so nick-named by a police officer that patrolled the area, and for the most part was partial to the kids. He had said once, and Lee overheard it,

"You kids down here are a bunch of Dinkies...ya-all live in Donkeyland, just a bunch of hard-headed kids."?

I guess when he went to the St. Paul, Police Station where he worked; he referred to the location [Cayuga Street by Oakland Cemetery] as Donkeyland. Whatever, I picked up on it and it never left my mind, and I told the guys.

As Sherry approached Lee, standing at one time several feet to his side by Rodger, now approached him, she was within two feet. She smiled that soft, reserved smile; put her hand on his shoulders,

"You ready, Lee?"? she asked.

"Yup,"? he commented. And then she touched his lips gently, softly positioning them, and a little harder, she had already moved in to within a foot of him, now she moved the other foot closer, and her body was touching his, and the kiss became long and wet. Then slowly she withdrew from him. Rodger was staring, somewhat surprised; everyone looking at Lee for a response.

"Well,"? Rodger said, "Did you like it?"? Sherry still looking with a smile at Lee,

"I want another one,"? said Lee with his eyebrows almost touching the top of his forehead, opening up his eyes wider as if to absorb every little piece of warmth the kiss gave. Everyone started laughing: " ?that is, everyone but Rodger, who said immediately,

"I shared enough; you've got to get your own girlfriend."? For Lee the kiss would last a long, long time. Sherry seemed willing to go for seconds but for the sake of preventing a war, she remained silent, as the several members stood in Lormer's yard, two houses away from Lee's; -- Lormer's was where many of the kids went to play pool in his basement. His father was a top chef, and he was related to Frankie Yank Vic. Lee and he were best of friends, Lormer being a year older, a few inches taller, had a hook for a nose which the guys made fun of, sometimes calling him "Eagle Beak."?

He had a professional pool table in his basement, and his mother and daughter played the piano often, and when possible preached the Jehovah Witness's Gospel to whoever would listen. Lormer had several brothers, all older. One who just got out of prison, one that hung occasionally around with the gang, and one that was older and was hardly ever seen. The daughter was but seven years old in l963, and was as spoiled as a cat with five dead mice, wanting more.

The yard was huge; they not only had a front yard, but two sections to the back. At times it was hard for either parents of Lormer's to see what was happening in his backyard. Lee's yard was also long in the back, but their house being on a hill, and the garage being below it, with a little land, and an empty lot next to it, it became a turn-around for the cars on Cayuga Street, especially when they went dragging.

The summer was warm, and by the looks of things may other things were in store for Lee, not just this first kiss, but it was the catalyst to a long running play in his life. He would measure all kisses according to this one. Sherry, her father being the Cemetery Custodian, and living in the Cemetery, would never be forgotten; her charm, beauty, and her kind approach (this story is a testimony to that).