As he walked into the party with a buddy in tow, he scanned the room for anyone he knew. He always did this. Looking for a familiar face to ease his initial shyness in a new setting. His eyes landed on her. As his heart did a jump and he caught his breath, his hand involuntarily grasped his buddie's arm as he stopped in his shiny shoes.
"What?" his friend said, looking at him quizically.
"That's her." replied the young sailor.
"Who?"
"The woman I am going to marry."
"Do you know her?"
"Not yet," he replied with a sly smile on his face, feeling his pulse even out again and the color return to his face.
She was 16. Never been kissed, just as the saying goes. Wavy brown hair with natural streaks of blond, ice blue eyes and skin as pure as porceline, she was certainly a vision of fragile beauty. This was her first party her parents had let her attend without them. She was wearing her best party dress and had fussed over her hair for nearly two hours. However, all she had done since arriving was stand in the corner and giggled with her girlfriends from school. She had been sheltered most of her life, which had left her painfully shy in social situations like this.
She felt his eyes on her before she saw him. When she looked up, he was in front of her with his hand out and a warm smile on his face. While she looked into his warm and sparkling eyes, feeling the laughter within them, he introduced himself. She looked down quickly, her face flushing. She mumbled her name to him and then quickly glanced up again. He was definitely laughing at her, barely concealing it. If she wasn't so embarrassed, she would be angry. At herself or at him, she wasn't sure.
She decided she wouldn't stand there and be mocked, so she turned and excused herself to the powder room. Her skirt twirled around her legs as she spun away and wiped the smile from his face. He had never longed for someone so much in his life. How could a perfect stranger make his heart beat so wildly? He fought the urge to run after her and pull her into his arms.
Is this what they meant by "love at first sight?"
He could certainly believe it.
She found herself breathing heavily and flushed looking at herself in the bathroom mirror. Who was this boy? Or should she say, Who was this MAN? He was different from the other boys she knew, that took only one look to know. He felt wildly out of her league, barely out of childhood herself. But there was something strangely magnetic about him. Something that made her want to run into his arms and lay her head on his chest to breath in his scent.
What a shocking thought! Her mother would be appalled knowing such things were going through her head. But she couldn't help it. From the minute she looked into those deep blue eyes, she wanted to drown in them. That's why she had to run away. She never felt anything like that before. It was involuntary impulse and she was afraid to leave the bathroom in case she saw him again and was unable to control herself. What kind of fool would she look if she were to do the things running through her mind?
Her breathing leveled out and she decided she better rejoin the party. She slowly opened the door and as soon as she did she saw him standing there. She caught her breath, suprised. He was leaning casually against the wall waiting for her, his legs crossed and a cigarette in his mouth. Upon seeing her, he put the cigarette out on a nearby table and swiftly went to her and pushed her into the bathroom and shut the door, before she had a chance to protest or for anyone to see them.
Once she caught her breath, she slapped him. Eyes wide, he grabbed her arm and lifted the palm of her hand to his lips and kissed it. Her heart skipped a beat at the feel of his soft lips on her skin. No one had ever kissed her in such a way, and she felt tingles from that spot run through the rest of her body and her knees went weak.
They stood there for what seemed forever just staring at each other, no words exchanged. Slowly his arm wrapped around her waist until he had her pulled against him. She didn't protest this time. Just kept staring at him.
He put his other hand on her face and said "I have to see you again. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?" She slowly nodded her head in agreement. He kissed her forehead and let her go and walked out of the bathroom.
She let her knees go weak and sat on the toilet to let her heart slow to a decent pace, her hand on her heart. She didn't know who he was, but she knew she had to see him again.
Somewhere deep inside of her she knew that he was the missing part of her and that she would love him for the rest of her life. And at that same moment, he was walking home with his buddy, telling him the same exact thing.
It was 1957, by the end of the year they would be married and by 1960 she would be pregnant with their third child, my stepdad Don. A beautiful love story told to me since I was a child by my "Uncle Marvin" who lost the love of his life when she was only 29 to Emphazima. She left 4 children and a legendary love to the man that swept her off her feet. Not a day went by that he didn't miss or love her. And it was this story that made me believe in love at first sight and soulmates.
He was the glue of our family and was always the one to keep the conflicts to a minimum and to mend broken bridges that happen in a family as large as ours. He believed in our country and fighting to keep it free. He worshipped God and second only to that was John Wayne. He treated his wife like a treasure that God gave him. And he was quick to discipline his children, but they also knew that his pride for them ran deep and true. And even though I wasn't "blood" related, I never felt it because he loved me as much as any of his other grandkids. And I loved him like a grandfather.
Marvin passed away a couple years ago and I know that he and his child bride are in heaven now with two of thier four children that have already passed on as well. I feel them here watching over us and I thank God that their love blessed so many lives, including mine.
Rest in peace Uncle Marvin... your blue eyes are always sparkling in my memories.
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