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My Life 1967-1973 - Part Six
by
Michael D. Holcomb
1972
Final months of my Senior year... making passing grades and have more credits
than needed to graduate.
Vicky ******* from Laredo writes saying her dad was retiring from the Air Force
and moving to Orlando. This was drawing my interest so I kept in touch with her
as she moved to Florida. Once here I wasted no time going over there to be
re-united.
A lot had changed in the four years.since I'd seen her. She was quite a young
lady now. Her parents didn't exactly welcome me. Her dad retired as a Full Bird
Colonel and expected his daughter to marry an Officer some day and here I was
about to finish school with really no plans.
It was great to see Vicky again. She still had that wildness about her and had
become quite the Pot Head - if only her parents knew... We talked all the time
about the old days in Laredo. We shared her ever plentiful pot supply, getting
high and acting the fool. Occasionally I could drive over there and be alone
with Vicky but other times her friends would hang out too. Sometimes I took a
buddy with me to meet one of Vicky's girl friends. This went on for a couple of
months but it was starting to get old driving back to Leesburg stoned late at
night.
I eventually quit going over there all together. Later on I received a letter
from her saying they all got busted for drugs and her parents were on the verge
of kicking her out for good. The girl I had known since the age of 14 was once
again out of the picture and was not to be a part of my future life.
While hanging out at Jerry's house one day we both noticed this girl washing the
car across the street..We knew Glenn ***** lived there but he only had two
brothers. After a while Glenn came out of the house and joined us. He knew what
we were going to ask him - Who's the girl? He told us she was his new step
sister and she liked sex. That night, as Glenn had promised, the four of us
drove to the clay pitts, drew for the shortest straw and took turns as Glenn
watched...
Another Friday night dance at the Methodist Youth Hall - nothing special going
on. Tim and I were leaving when we noticed four girls standing outside their
car. It seemed the driver locked her keys inside. Tim, always prepared, took a
clothes hanger out of his car and we managed to unlock the door.
We agreed to meet at McDonalds for cokes. On the way there Tim and I were
thinking they might not show up but they did. All four were teasing about the
Wildwood boys being red necks and squatting to pee. Tim and I hit it off pretty
well with two of them and started making the trips to Wildwood on a regular
basis. We took the girls to their Basketball game and were lucky to get out
alive at the end of the game. The Wildwood boys wanted to fight anyone from
Leesburg. The two schools had a long rivalry between them. After that most of
the dating took place in Lake County.
It didn't take too long to figure out what these girls were all about. One day
she's putting out, the next time acting like she doesn't do things like that. My
long time friend Tim and I were even at each other's throats over these girls.
They would lie, cheat and steal. I guess there comes a time where even good sex
isn't worth the aggravation.
Finally graduated in June 1972 and started working at Sterchi's Furniture as a
summer job with full intentions of starting Lake Sumter in the fall. The money
from working full time was great with no expenses living at home. I guess I got
money hungry and continued my job at Sterchi's instead of going to Lake Sumter.
June 1972... Summer of 72 took on a new meaning for a young man who just
graduated from High School. After a short stay at Daytona Beach with fellow
Senior Buddies I returned home to start my full time job at Sterchi’s. My buddy
Jerry whose father headed up the Employment services in Leesburg got me this
job. I thought I had the world by the tail. Living at home with no expenses,
making good money, and off on weekends.
I would turn 18 next month. My girlfriend at the time was Michelle ******. She
was an upcoming Senior. My perspectives on things were changing when I became a
legal adult in July. Being 18 made me wonder if I really should be hanging
around with a school girl or maybe I should find an older woman. In any case the
thought left my mind as quickly as it entered.
One night Michelle and I arrived at the Crest Drive-in for the Saturday Night
ritual. While circling around for a place to park I spotted the car from Hell.
It was the Wildwood girls in the Vega GT. I called it the Bumble Bee because it
was yellow with a black stripe across the hood and trunk.
On purpose I parked in the row directly in front of them pretending I didn’t
know they were there. After a few minutes we got out of the car making the dome
light come on. I wanted them to see that I’d moved on and was doing fine without
them. Michelle and I proceeded to the Concession Stand when that all too
familiar voice rang out. It was Trina ******** saying hello and wanting to say a
few words like - Where have you been and who's your girlfriend?
I introduced Michelle to Trina and after a few meaningless words we excused
ourselves and continued on to the Consession Stand. Upon returning to my car we
noticed the Wildwood girls had moved over to the section where the Rednecks park
with their pickup trucks.
Michelle didn’t bother me with a lot of questions or anything. She was a self
confident person who could hold her own. The next day while cleaning out the
Mosquito Coil from the back shelf of my car I found a pair of panties in the
rear floorboard. I knew Trina must of put them there hoping to cause me trouble.
I did the right thing... I kept them as a souvenier.
During the Fall every year I start thinking of Sharon. It’s just one of those
things when you only lived up North one time in your life and enjoyed the change
of Seasons and spent it with the girl that continues to pull me toward her like
a magnet. I telephoned the ol’ girl up in South Carolina and it was good to hear
her voice again. She had just started the Community College there and was living
at home. I told her I wanted to come up and see her and enjoy the change of
seasons with the cooler weather. She hesitated at first but what are old friends
for? Sometimes boyfriends and girlfriends have to move aside to let old friends
see each other.
I met up with Sharon over the weekend at the nearby town of Greenville. It sure
was good to be with her again. This was the first time together as adults.
Before I knew it Sunday afternoon was here and I had to make tracks back to the
house. The 10 hour trip was worth it but I told her next time she needed to come
down and see me.
While traveling home my mind was on her. Could this be the girl for me? Right
now 600 miles separates us but we’re both adults. I could move up there and find
a job.
Anyway I continued home and called Michelle when I got there. She asked me how
was my visit with cousin Jack in Atlanta... I hated to lie but told her we had
fun.
Early November 72 Sharon and I had another rendevous. This time at Daytona
Beach. She and her girlfriend was staying at a hotel there. I took a few days
off from work and joined them... The
more time I spend with her the more of a wreck I become.
I guess I was falling off the deep end. Walking hand in hand on the beach at two
or three in the morning, doing what lovers do. I could tell she had deep
feelings for me but had it under control better than I did.
After a spectacular two days at Daytona the girls went to see Orlando and I came
home. I invited Sharon and her friend to join me at the Leesburg High football
game this Friday night. This is something I wanted real bad two years ago when
we were just kids in the 10th grade. Finally Sharon and I were together at my
old High School. Now maybe my buddies would see the girl I had told them about
over the years.
I felt like a crowned Prince arriving at the game with two girls. My buddy Tim
was suppose to join us but came down with the flu. He missed out on a good time.
We ran into a few friends at the game and I introduced Sharon and Mandy to them.
One of my buddies hammed it up by telling Sharon she looked even better now than
in the picture he had seen of her. Robert and Mandy hooked up and the four of us
had a blast. After the game we took a wild ride in Robert’s Camaro at Sunnyside.
Then we took the girls over 'Thrill Hill' in Lady Lake. It totally scared the
Hell out of them. Me too for that matter. I don’t know exactly how fast Robert
was driving going over that hill but all four tires left the payment and the
Camaro bottomed out forcing all four of our heads into the roof. All you could
see cresting the hill was Lake Griffin in front of us illuminated by the rising
full moon. I’ve driven my own car over this hill many times before but not at
that speed. Someone with good sense wouldn’t.
The four of us stayed up all night just drifting through Leesburg showing the
girls my adopted home town. After breakfast the girls headed back to Orlando to
get a few hours sleep before heading back to Easley, South Carolina.
Over the weekend Michelle gets wind of me being with another girl at the game.
She thought it
must have been one of those Wildwood girls. She wouldn’t listen to reason that I
was only showing an old friend around. Michelle dumped me.
Only an occasional phone call was placed between Sharon and I after that. We
agreed to stay good friends and to try to make the effort every now and then to
drop in on the other. Although we were both adults now and distance in miles was
no excuse I guess neither one wanted to leave their home town to join the other
to become a couple.
The year 1972 closed out as one of my best years yet. I hated living at home but
in doing so managed to save up some money - and my parents didn’t tie me down
with restrictions. I could come and go as I pleased and they never asked for
rent money.
In March 1973 I met the girl who became my wife of 29 years and counting.
I met Kathy at the usual hangout McDonalds in Leesburg on a Saturday night. She
was a Senior at South Sumter High School. She graduated in June and immediately
started working for Florida Telephone. I proposed marriage to her in July and
were married September 21, 1973, six days
before her 18th birthday. We had our first child in 1978 and the second child
born was in 1980.
Sharon married a guy named Mike in July 73 in her adopted home town.
How fitting... she married someone with the name Michael.
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