Thursday, February 18, 2010

It's a Small World # 2

During the summer of my 19th year, one of my jobs was working as a handsome, buff and tanned lifeguard at a local man made lake. The lake was about the size of 2 football fields and had a fountain in the center. Surrounding the lake was sand, trees and picnic tables. It was a popular spot for spending a summers day. This was a great part time job and essentially there was little to do except girl watching and for this they paid me. What a concept !

One day in July, while I was working (well leaning up against the guard tower and catching the rays) a young lady caught my eye. She was sitting on a blanket on the sand wearing a small white sun hat to match her white bikini.

Now I've seen a lot of girls on the beach but this one kind of caught my attention. While I made a lap of the lake walking at the water's edge which was a required job duty (or maybe just to check out who's arrived at the lake today), I noticed that the white bikini girl had gone into the water, but didn't look like she was really there to swim.

When I got around the lake close enough to her, I approached her and asked how she liked the water. She was a little shy and I told her the water was great and she should go for a swim. She said she really did not want to, just cooling off for a minute.

I impulsively started to playfully grab at her to get her into the deeper water and she strongly resisted saying she could not swim. I thought she was joking and in an effort to get her to follow me into the water, I took her hat and put it on my head. I then swam out into the middle of lake, around the fountain and back to her and returned her hat without getting a drop of water on it. Maybe I was showing off just a bit.

Over the next couple of hours we chatted a little, exchanged first names only and enjoyed the day. She was the kind of girl that reminds me of the song - She don't know she's beautiful.

Maybe you can imagine the long blond hair, beautiful skin and the shy smile that grabbed my attention.

I asked her if I could give her a ride home, but she refused, saying she had come with a girlfriend and had to go back with her.

Then she was gone !

For the rest of the summer I kept and eye out for the white bikini, but she never returned. I thought of her often and was curious why she had not come back to the beach.

Later that fall, I think it was in September my second cousin was getting married and I was asked to be an usher at the church.

While ushering people into the church, I returned to the front of the church and there she was.

I immediately recognized her, while she had the I know you from somewhere look. I escorted her into the church and asked her why she was at this wedding. She said the bride was from a neighbourhood family that her family was friends with.

Whenever we had the opportunity we kept looking at each other.

Later, at the reception, when the dance started, I sought her out and asked why she had not returned to the lake that summer. She said the next day her family left to go to help a relative with the grain harvest in northern BC and they did not return until school started and the lake was closed for the season.

Of course I asked her to dance. We ended up dancing nearly every dance and she seemed impressed when I asked her mom to dance as well.

The very next morning I was knocking on her door, asking if she wanted to go for a motorcycle ride. This time she said yes. 

About 2 years later I escorted her out of the church because now the girl on the beach and the lifeguard were married. (I skipped a whole bunch of stuff between the two different churches, but you get the idea).

I still cannot get her into the deep water, but she always gets a ride home with me !


Today's Weather : Low - 3.1, High 7.4, a lot of sun but a little windy.

3 comments:

  1. Obviously, since you two are still together, it was meant to be. What a nice story to tell your kids and grandkids.

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  2. LOL I too was asked for a ride on a motorcycle and fell in love..now I know it's my genetics! Love you Mom and Dad!!

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  3. I don't know if I ever heard the whole story, so I'm glad I read it now. So love at first sight is possible!. Still honeymooning after all these years too! Impressive, big brother!

    Keep on keeping on! Leona :)

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