Chapter 5: New Scenes, New Issues

I picked her up at her apartment to take her to Sunday school and church. As usual, she looked dazzling. Tommy was there to pick up Sheila also. He said, “You could have saved gas and just have met her at the church.”

I grinned. “Not a chance. Do you want to save gas?”

“No.”

We went to the door grinning. Claudette looked at us and asked, “What’s going on?”

“We’ll tell you in the cars.”

We each walked our girl to our car. It was getting funnier every moment though silly at the same time. I opened the door for Claudette who slipped into her seat. I went around and sat in the seat and just started laughing.

“Eric, what’s going on?”

“It’s silly and only funny for that reason. Tommy and I drove up together. He said that I could have saved gas by meeting you at the church. I told him, ‘No way.’ I then asked if he wanted to save gas and he answered no. It just got funnier and funnier.”

She looked at me though I was perhaps stranger than most men as I drove us to the church. I added, “You had to be there. It was male humor.”

I pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. “I love you, Claudette.”

She smiled back at me. “I love you, Eric.”

I said, “Claudette, it’s going to take some effort starting tomorrow but you’re worth it to me. I hope I am worth the trouble to you.”

“You are, Eric. Let’s go inside.”

I smiled at her, exited the car, and went around to hand her out. We went inside to a young adults’ class and sat through an interesting lesson. Between Sunday school’s ending and the beginning of church, we met her parents, all four of us walking into the sanctuary together.

We followed behind them holding hands and walking close enough to rub shoulders gently as we walked.

We sat together still holding hands only letting loose to hold a hymn book together. I think it was obvious to others that we had made some decisions. We left to go with her parents to eat lunch. Once seated and our orders taken, Missus Gaines said, “Okay, you two. Talk!”

I said, “Missus Gaines, Mister Gaines, I love your daughter. I want to marry her. We know there will be challenges because of my profession but we will just have to work through those challenges.” I could feel Claudette lean into my shoulder with a warm smile.

Mister Gaines said, “Claudette, how do you feel? Have you thought about some of the difficulties inherent in this situation?”

Claudette gave me a squeeze and then said, “Yes, father. However, we have found a genuine caring for one another. We know that life will be difficult in the future as Eric starts playing and then faces more future possible moves into the majors. We will deal with those situations as they appear and do it together. We are both very aware that the world will harshly intrude upon us starting tomorrow morning. Once our decision was made, we knew we just had to tell you and will talk to Eric’s parents this evening. Either they will be flying to see us here or we will fly to see them. We will maintain our separate living situations.” She looked at her father sharply. “We aren’t ‘shacking up’ nor will we be in the future. On the other hand, marriage will probably not be reasonable until after the season ends.”