Chapter 1

My parents were good people, Mum was a very strong old fashion type mother, lots of love, but kept it under lock and key. There were no arguments in our house, you did as you were told, first time every time. I have two older brothers that looked out for me growing up. Yes they could push me around and I got to do all their running around for them. But if you ever picked on me, look out.

I mixed well with everyone, mostly the girls in our neighborhood. Somehow I knew I was different to the other girls in the district, while they all talked about the boys and who looked cute and who they would let get to ‘first’ base, I, not once yearned for the touch of any boy. I did wonder what it would be like to kiss a certain girl and by the tender age of 13 I knew I was different. I had no idea what it all meant. In 1965 there was no ‘gay’ scene that I knew about. In fact being gay, meant you were happy. So, blissfully unaware, I entered pre adulthood.

Mum had ideas for her only daughter. Being married to a nice, hardworking, young man was top of her list for me. I really didn’t have a say in my future. How could I even tell her I wanted to kiss a girl, to feel her body next to mine? Oh how I longed for that to happen. As soon as I left high school, aged 15, I got a job in the local Deli, jobs were ten a penny (literally) back then.

For the first time in my life I was earning my own money, a whole Nine Dollars and seventy five cents a week. How on earth can a single girl spend so such money? No credit cards back then, you spent what money you had in your purse. I soon learnt to pay my own way. Mum took a third for board and keep, she told me to save a third for my wedding [say what] and I could spend the remaining, but if I was smart, I would be careful with my money. There was one thing I was and that was smart with money.

Just as Mum had planned by the time my 16th birthday came around, I was ‘dating’ a boy. An apprentice carpenter, he was strong, well built for a 19 year old male, his hair was long and scruffy for a boy back then, the only thing my Mum didn’t like about him. She made it clear he was a good catch, but I shouldn’t be in any hurry to settle down, if you know what I mean. And that was the only and closest thing to a ‘sex’ talk I got from my mother. Everything else I learnt from the older women at work and the many teenage girls who came in a chatted to us.

My boyfriend Paul, was always hanging around waiting for me to finish work and would walk me home. I remember the first time he nervously held my hand. I smiled and it felt good to me. But he would always keep his distance once my home came into view. Paul and I got on well, he was playful without being overly sexed up for a teenage boy, we held hands a lot and sat close next to each other on the couch when at home. Mum would never let me out after dark so Paul was always around our house.