FRIENDSHIPS

I mentioned Connie and Carolyn in yesterday’s episode. We had such a good time together, just hanging out. By the time I reached high school, Mother began to work outside the home, and Carolyn’s mother worked, also. So that left Connie’s house whose mother was still at home all day.

I don’t remember much what we did; girly things like trying out new makeup or hairdos. And it was at Connie’s house that she and I sneaked a smoke now and then. Carolyn was not a part of that; I’m happy to say that we didn’t talk her into that one.

Connie had a little brother, Louis, who was quite a bit younger than we were. When he was two years old, he thought it was fun to slip up on one of us girls and try to sneak a peek up our skirts. That usually happened only once to each of us; we were onto him after that.

And one thing I do remember that happened often. Connie’s mother would pop us up some really buttery popcorn (and not the microwave stuff either) --- it was the best I ever had. And she would also make what she called orangeade, made out of fresh squeezed oranges with a little sugar and water added. I can’t begin to describe how that drink and popcorn tasted together. I have tried to duplicate them, but can’t get it quite right.

She also made a white cake (from scratch, of course) and then while it was still warm, poured white icing (that kind that was cooked on top of the stove, not the butter cream type) hot from the pan on top of the cake. It is definitely my all time favorite cake.

One summer Connie and I took a biology class at Peabody Demonstration School. We thought it would be smart to get it out of the way and not have to take a whole year of it at Hillsboro. One day we decided to skip class and ride the bus to town. I don’t remember what we did once we got there, probably went to a movie or shopped. Then we were back in time to ride home with my mother.

The next morning we appeared in class and handed our teacher a note that we had each written for the other that was supposedly written by our mothers. At the end of class he told us he wanted to see us and said that he knew we had just skipped class and not been sick or whatever we had said in the note. Then he told me that he hadn’t meant to get me into trouble, but that morning he had seen my mother who was helping the principal that week with some task. The conversation had gone like this:

Teacher: “We missed your daughter yesterday; is she all right?”

Mother after a pause: “Why, that little dickens just cut class!”

So I knew I was in trouble. And I was right. My punishment was instead of getting to take a few days off the next week to go early to Mississippi to see my relatives, I had to wait and go later. I can’t think of a more effective way to teach me a lesson. I only wish it had taken. That was definitely not the last time that I cut classes, either in high school or college

And here’s what really got me --- Connie’s mother never found out!