Chapter 1

February 1960

It was Monday evening with my sister, Shelly, who was following me around after cleaning up supper dishes, telling me that I'd better get a date for Saturday. She knew who my choice would be and also knew that I would rather stay home than have to ask someone out.

"Stop nagging me," I yelled at my sister, who had been harassing me about not having a date for the Valentine's Day dance at the VFW hall for a couple of weeks. She didn't have a date either, for all I knew. The only people I knew who really had a date for the dance were Mom and Dad. They always went to the dance, always had almost too much firewater, and always made a spectacle of themselves by the way they so suggestively danced by the end of the evening.

I really wanted to ask a neighbor girl who really flipped my switch, but I figured she was probably being asked by half the male population in the county. Janet really had it all as far as I was concerned. Nice build, great smile, and beautiful fire red hair, but she always complained that she was covered with what I thought were some of the sweetest freckles there could be.

Shelly, my sister, was right back in my face, "Call her; you know who I mean, ask her out to the dance. I'll bet you'll get a date. Don't be afraid. You've been sweet on her all your life. You're the talk of the girls because you're good looking, a good student, you dress nice, you have a job, and you have your own car that you earned yourself. I'm sure glad you have your own car so that I get to drive the old one all the time now. Anyway, call her."

I had to use the phone that was on the wall in the kitchen to make a call if I did that. I probably should drive over there and ask her, but doing it over the phone would be easier except that Dad was reading the paper at the table, and Mom was making a cake. We didn't hide anything from each other anyway, so I went to the phone, lifted the receiver, listened to make sure no one was on the party line, and then turned the crank to ring the operator. I could just use the crank to ring the right cadence if I knew the Kennedys' ring because they were on our party line.

The lady from the telephone company said, "Number, please?" I said, "I want to call the Kennedys, Shirley."

Shirley was in my class at school and worked at the telephone company three nights a week, the same place I worked three times a week on one of my jobs.

Shirley asked, "Is that you, Tommy? Are you going to ask Janet to the Valentine dance? I'll bet she's waiting for you to call. Let me ring their phone for you."

There are no secrets in a small community. You called one of the neighbors that spend all their time listening to others talk on the phone if you don't know something. The girls at school talked a lot too, of course.

Janet's older sister, June, answered the phone and asked, "Is that you, Harold? I've been waiting for you to call."

"Hate to disappoint you, June, but this is Tom Martin; I want to talk to Janet please."

The Kennedys had a pile of kids who could be anywhere in their big old house. The easiest way to find someone was to yell, but Mr. Kennedy didn't like the yelling. June didn't think and yelled, "Come to the phone, Janet; Tommy Martin is on the phone for you."

I heard Mr. Kennedy ask 'Why didn't the boy just drive over here? He has his own car.'

Someone answered him, but I couldn't make out what was said.

Janet's voice said, "Hi, Tommy, it's nice that you called."

I was in full terror mode now. "Ah, ah, Janet."

"Yes, Tommy?"

"I'd like to take you to the Valentine dance at the VFW Saturday night. Will you go with me?"

There was long pause before Janet said, "Let me ask Mom and Dad. I heard her address her parents who were like mine and in the kitchen, probably drinking coffee and chatting like my mom and dad."

Janet's voice said, "Daddy wants to know why you didn't drive over here to ask me. He wants to know if you're afraid of him."

Mr. Kennedy was someone to be afraid of as he was a giant of a man. I knew he was a gentle person because none of the kids ever talked about him smacking his wife or any of the kids around.

My answer to Janet was, "No, I'm afraid to talk in front of people sometimes. I can do that if you want me to come ask you in person."

"Do that and I'll bet he'll let me go, Tommy."

This was silly because Janet and I were both seniors at the high school, and most of the girls already had steady boyfriends and considered that the same as being engaged. I probably knew that half the class, if not more, would be married by August. I'm almost surprised he didn't have Janet standing at the court house doors with a sign that says 'marrying age'. The Kennedy girls were slow at getting married. June had been out of school since last year, had a town job, but was really engaged with a ring and all to Harold Burlew who was working his folks' and grandparents' farms. Their wedding was planned for April so that they would beat all the school graduates to the church.

I told my Dad, "I'm going to the Kennedys to ask Janet to the Valentine dance. Want to go with me to visit?"

Dad smiled and said, "I'm good. Say hi to Bev and Clint for us."

The weather was mild as it usually was by February, so I didn't even bother with a jean jacket. I sat in my prized procession, a '47 Chevrolet 4-door Town Sedan. It had been Mr. Juengels car, but his widow couldn't drive when he passed, so I made her a deal that I would keep her garden ready for the seasons and do the heavy chores around the house, as well as drive her to the grocery store a couple of times a month. They had an old Ford pickup too, but that needed to stay in their barn to haul stuff. She had a lot of chickens that she sold for fryers and also sold eggs. I think she had enough money, but it made her feel good to bring in a little extra money for the house. She liked young beef, so she always had a young steer that she butchered at just over a year old, long before most people would. She sold half the meat to the butcher and kept the good parts in her big chest freezer. She would bring me a couple of hamburgers on homemade bread if I worked at her place all day. She loved to dress the burgers up with onions, cheese, pickles, and dripping with catsup. The woman was a sweetheart, but was a very lonely lady. I called every Sunday morning to see if she would go to church with us or me, and she always declined. There were always several widowers at church who would have shown some interest if she had gone.

Anyway, I drove my car to the Kennedys' and parked right up under the bright as day electric lamp of the big yard light they had. I wasn't even out of the car before Janet came running out to the car to greet me. She surprised me and hugged me. Now that's pretty forward. I must have blushed as she said, "Your face matches my hair. Wait till we get inside and ask me to the dance in front of Mom and Dad."

I'd do just that if my mouth and vocal cords coordinated enough to get it out. My first problem was looking past Mrs. Kennedy. That would be Beverly Kennedy, who was a strikingly beautiful, full-bodied, and full-breasted redhead. You just had to know that Janet was going to look just like her after a few kids and some years.

Clint was sitting with an amused smile on his face when we walked into the typical farm kitchen with the big table. He had a newspaper folded around so he could read what he wanted, but sat ready for the entertainment. Bev was busily making bread dough and putting chunks of it into baking pans to rise. A half-dozen kids had to come in to see what was going on and to tease Janet. Clint shooed them all out and they went back to books and games while listening to the radio in the living room.

I was still standing as was Janet, but she had the biggest grin you'll ever see. My mouth and brain had to make a deal to get it out once again. "Ah, ah, Janet, will you go to the Valentine's Day Dance with me this next Saturday?"

Right on cue, Janet said, "I'll have to ask my mom and dad." Keep in mind this was right in front of both parents.

Big ole' Clint rustled his paper and said, "That ought to be alright as long as you follow some rules."

Uh oh! Now there are rules.

"You show up here dressed nice. Your car has to be clean and full of gas; I'll check. You two don't go off with any of those town kids. You can go all the way to the Junction for something to eat after the dance. No drinking liquor. Come home here and pour out of my jug if you two want to do that. Be sure to watch the time because you have to do chores in the morning, Tom. Stay out of the back seat of that big car and be careful while you're smooching when you get here."

Who would believe this guy's rules? Mrs. Kennedy said, "I think my dad said about the same thing to Clint almost twenty years ago. Janet knows all about the rules, so you two have fun and enjoy yourselves. Clint and I don't want any rushed weddings when you graduate."

Janet and I blushed, but Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy were smiling at each other while lost in their memories.

We went out to my car and were standing facing each other. Janet said, "I've been waiting for you to ask me. Mom knew I wanted you to ask, and she said Dad was the same when they began dating and was embarrassed to come to her house and ask in front of Grandpa. It worked out as you can see."

Janet moved against me and kissed me lips to lips. This shy girl wasn't acting shy and held my hips to her as she pushed me harder against my car. I was ready to faint dead away by the time we finished kissing, and I think I had a wet dream right there and then. Janet took a step back and licked her lips as she ran her hand across the front of my jeans. She grinned real big and asked, "Do you know how to dance?"

Oops. "Not really. My sister and I try to dance to some of our mom's records and Mom shows us some dance steps. I'll make her teach me more this week so it will at least look like we know what we're doing. We'll have a good time anyway."

Janet looked at me with her coy, kittenish look and said, "We'll go for a ride in your car and do what I know we'll be good at if we don't dance well."

Did my dream girl and dream date just say that to me?

Janet leaned into me with the full body press again, and said, "We probably shouldn't get crazy, but I think the two of us are a good fit. We've been friends all our lives. We sit on the bus together every day when you ride, and always sit together in church. We're both hard workers and both know how to farm. We won't get caught, but I'd love to be your wife if we did."

Well, what the heck. I kissed Janet one more time and sent her inside. It took me a minute or so to settle down before I could start the car and head home. It was late enough that Dad had gone to bed and the kids were upstairs, probably in bed too, when I got home. Mom told me to get some milk or some of the old coffee and sit with her. The matriarch of the family settled in her chair and patted me on the arm, "You're just about to be out on your own making your way in our society, Son, working and playing in the big world that's out there."

My mom smiled, and said, "Janet is ready for something you might not have thought about. She's ready for you two to connect like lovers, like husband and wife. She wants to feel that love and feel those emotions. I have to tell you that all those things feel wonderful to a woman, Tommy. I still feel them with your father, but we shouldn't have more kids. We just get those feelings now and know that it's our love that gives us those great goosebumps. Janet's been waiting for you for a lot of years, but you're always busy. She knows you will be a good provider and wants to stake her claim. She's willing to do whatever is necessary to keep you two together. You be careful and know what you should and shouldn't do. There's a lot you can do that won't get her pregnant. I hope her mom has been teaching her."

I told my mother, "It shouldn't be all for me. I want to give her pleasure too if she is going to give me pleasure. Can you tell me how to do that?"

Mom grinned and said, "Follow me and I'll let your father show you."

We spent over an hour with Dad showing me how he pleasures Mom without pushing into her. Mom demonstrated how she makes Dad have those great feelings using her hands and mouth. I used my hand to relieve the pressure three times when I finally went to bed. Watching your parents give each other pleasure should be required as part of a life preparation class.

I had to drive my car to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays as those were evenings I worked the telephone company switchboard. I only worked until ten and then the night person came on. Two people alternated from ten PM until six AM every night. The two dayshift people began at six and worked until three. There were two people on week days and only one on weekend days. My weekend shift was usually from noon to ten at night either Saturday or Sunday. Mrs. Burk was going to work the day shift Saturday and Sunday this week, because of Valentine's Day and the dance.

I wouldn't have to work, but I wouldn't get paid either.

Mom made me put on my Sunday suit to make sure I wasn't outgrowing it on Wednesday evening. Everything fit. Shelly had to try the dress Mom had bought at the thrift shop on so that she could take it up in the waist and give it some more room for Shelly's growing chest. I found out that she was going to the dance with one of my classmates. It wasn't unusual for a senior to go out with a junior girl. What was unusual was the senior was a town kid, and Shelly was a farm girl. There was usually catty talk about that kind of arrangement. The senior Shelly was going with had a fifty-five Oldsmobile that was a very slick car. His family was one of the wealthier families in town. He seemed okay since I knew him around school, but you do look at him different if a guy like that is going to date your sister. He was the son of the local telephone company owner who was Mrs. Burk's brother and Morris was Mrs. Burk's nephew. The telephone lines were burning up Thursday night with the kids calling each other to see who was going to the dance with whom, and which girls the others thought would end up pregnant. I heard how the consensus was that Shelly would end up pregnant, but the guy wouldn't be around because he was going to college. I was also surprised that it seemed like the consensus was that Janet would get pregnant and us marrying on Memorial Day. I knew better, and felt like a lot of people would be surprised.

I even talked to Janet about what I had heard when I drove her home from school on Friday. We agreed that we were not going to let our interest in each other get out of hand. I wondered if I could resist if we were to get that far.

I knew I needed some things for Saturday and the Valentine's dance, so I was making excuses to go to town. Dad wanted to ride with me so the two of us went to the five and dime store to get Valentine cards and a couple of those small heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. The grocery store had some fresh flowers, so I got some for Janet and some for Shelly. I made Dad get chocolates for Mom, and I got some for Shelly when I bought Janet's.

It was time, and I was dressed in my suit with shined shoes, tie straight, flowers, card, and chocolates ready.

Clint and Bev met me upon my arrival at the Kennedy farm, all dressed up and ready to go to one of the big dances of the year. Clint said, "Your dad is coming by to pick us up so we can all ride to the dance together." I tried to remember, and it did seem like the two couples went to the dances together all the time anyway.

I was so shocked and fascinated when Janet made her appearance that I just stood in front of her with my mouth open. I finally got out, "You're beautiful, Janet. Here are some flowers to make you even more beautiful, and a card. There's some candy for you to enjoy too."

Janet didn't kiss me because she had some bright red lipstick on that may not have been blotted enough. I was okay with that. She wore an emerald green dress with red hearts sewn to the skirt. I couldn't get over that this was a girl who wanted us to get together for the big time. I was smiling as I realized Janet wanted me to be her husband and father of her children. Wow, that was a lot to think about.

I escorted Janet out to my car and put her in the passenger seat, where she scooted over to sit next to me. I couldn't get completely behind the wheel when I got in, because of where Janet was sitting. Who cares, because the car had a column shift and I had a steering wheel knob to make the heavy turns with one hand.

We drove slowly, talking about school and the last few months we had left. We talked about going on to college, but it was just talk. We knew that we were destined to be farmers with a city job to help to make ends meet until we had property that was supporting us. I asked Janet, "You're thinking way ahead. Am I being slow to not think the way you do?"

Janet said, "I want to get married tomorrow, but I know we need to wait. I want to wait until all those who have to get married get it done. We'll do it later and enjoy each other for a while before we begin making babies. Is this scaring you, Tommy?"

"Sure, but not really. I've always somehow thought we might get together. I guess you did too. We'll make a good couple."

The dance was everything the two of us wanted it to be. I checked on Shelly a couple of times and she seemed okay, but her guy was always gone talking to the bunch of braggarts he hung out with. I danced with my sister, Mom, and Bev, Janet's mom. Dad danced with Sis, Janet, and Bev, while Clint danced with all the girls.

The parents decided to go there too when I said I thought Janet and I would go for some breakfast at the Junction. We couldn't find Shelly, so Janet, June, Bev, and Mom went on the hunt inside, while Dad, Clint, Harold, and I went around looking in the cars in the parking area.

We heard a muffled scream toward the edge of the parking area, and went that way fast. Morris Betterman, the guy Shelly went to the dance with was standing over her face with his pecker out of his pants jerking on it. Two guys were holding her arms and two guys were holding her legs. Jimmy Crown was trying to get her pink panties off her for a sixth guy, John Mosely, who was standing there stroking his hardon to stab her.

The sight of what was happening was enough to turn four farmers into a very enraged group. Clint grabbed two of the guys and slammed them together. I hit Shelly's date so hard that I broke a finger, but he lost most of his upper teeth, along with a broken nose. Dad and Harold accounted for the other three. We were standing over the boys when the county Sheriff rolled up and began hollering that we men were beating up on six of the bigger high school boys.

Dad pointed to Shelly, whose dress was torn and one of her eyes was swollen, and asked, "So these boys who were going to rape Shelly don't have to stand for what they did?"

"Oh, shit," the Chief said, as he herded the six big boys into the back of his Ford police car. Dad warned the Chief, "Don't let those boys go, because I want them charged with assault and attempted rape."

Mom, Bev, June, and Janet came out to the parking lot and saw what was happening about this time. Mom wanted to use the Chief's gun to even the score for Shelly. The Chief left with the boys in his car when the yelling stopped, and Mom, Dad, Clint, and Bev were ready to take Shelly home. I looked at Shelly and realized she could repair her dress enough to go eat, and asked, "Come on, Everyone. Let's go to the Junction for breakfast and then get home at a reasonable hour."

That's what we did. We all had a great breakfast with a lot of laughter and happy talk. Shelly was over her scare, thankful that the problem didn't get more out of hand before Dad and the rest of us found her. Janet and I took Shelly home, and then I took Janet toward her house. We stopped at the edge of an empty pumpkin and melon field, and sat looking at each other. We kissed for a long while and then I decided to take Janet home. We parked in her yard, but the big light wasn't on. We began kissing again and did a lot of whispering of what we might want to do. Our holding each other and kissing put us to sleep. The two of us were wrapped in each other's arms when Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy knocked on the side window. Janet and I woke with a start, blushing although our clothes were all where they should be. Janet got out of the car and Clint shook my hand when I got out. Bev hugged me, and Janet came back around the car and whispered, "Today is now the fourteenth, so we have all day to enjoy lover's day."