On August 11, 1971 I was sitting on the steps of an old wooden building down a little alley type road in the middle of all the rat trail streets and parking lots and buildings that is UBC. It was five o'clock in the afternoon and I was waiting for an ex boyfriend to meet me and give me all my earthly belongings I had left in his care one month before. He never showed up. But I kept sitting there, way past the time when I knew he was not coming.
About 1 1/2 hours later a motorcycle, Kawasaki 500, pulled up near my steps and parked. A tall good looking fellow got off and pulled off his helmut. He had a hawkish chiselled face and long long dark red hair, flowing down his back past his shoulders. He casually strolled past me and up the street and disappeared. For some reason I still did not leave my post. Soon, the biker strolled back and he stopped in front of me. He asked me what time it was. And before you could say Bob's your uncle, I was on the back of that bike heading off into the sunset. Jeez!! If my kids did that I would freak.
I ended up marrying that guy, and he ended up being a sad little damaged soul. But....two very unhappy years later, I was back on my own with two beautiful children. So even though there have been times in the last forty years I have wanted to hate the man, I can't. Without him I would not have Kevin and Aryn. Every August 11 I remember.
Now I am packing to beat heck. We are leaving today for the north. Another visit to the past. I am so excited to be seeing my old homestead. I can't wait to see Smithers again and go to Hazleton. We used to go to Hazleton quite a lot. During the first twelve years of my life my family belonged to a pretty extreme religion. There were sunday and wednesday meetings in an elder's home, gospel meetings 2 or 3 times a year and two giant conventions we attended each year. Women do not cut their hair or wear makeup, no tv, no movies, no dancing...very much like the Quakers.
Some of the gospel meetings were held in the Hazleton Hall. Back in those days our health care was still pretty rustic, so, when you were in a group of 30 or more people, some rather fascinating body problems would be present and visible. These things mesmerized me. You would see huge giant goitres on people's necks, huge hernias on their tummies, crossed eyes, hair lips, and, the one I was most fascinated by, ticks. One fellow that attended would suddenly violently shake his head to the right. It would happen every 30 seconds or so and I would try to predict and shake my head at exactly the same time Orville did. That is until my mom caught me I got into horrible trouble! Now all these interesting body anomalies are fixed and are no longer present.
Anyway, I can't wait to walk down memory lane. I hope Oscar's, the local general store in Smithers is still there! The only time in my whole life I consciously chose to steal something. I palmed and pocketed a piece of double bubble bubble gum. I was ten yrs old and knew better. I felt so guilty, but not enough to confess or to not thoroughly enjoy chewing it in private later. I shall be posting as we go! TTYL
