STORY PAGE
Cousins
Girls began to look pretty good to me. I became very aware of their
differences. At Sandy Pond there were a pair of cousins staying at their grandparents cottage. We discovered them while my friend and I were walking to the
mailbox. He, being more experienced than I, started a conversation. We exchanged pleasantries. We forgot the mail.
They were not allowed to go out in our boats, but we were invited to their
campfire that evening. We both went for the same girl. She enjoyed the attention. She and I ended up together and later, I received my first kiss. Honestly,
it was not what I expected. It was awkward, and not an experience I wished to continue. For the benefit of others I put up with it. I wished I had chosen the
other cousin. Maybe it would have been different.
Except for the kissing the girls were great fun. They would be there most of
the summer and during the day I was there frequently. It was also great that they liked us for being us and not because we each had a boat.
As time went by, I wondered if a kiss with her gangly cousin would be more
pleasant. It finally happened. I do not know if it was because she was better at it or I had thought so much about it. It was. It was also at the end of her
stay. There had been electricity there and we were looking forward to the following year and spending time together.
The following year I went to the mailbox often until someone returned. It was
the wrong girl. The gangly girl and her parents had moved and she would not be there that year. I walked by often going for mail. I asked about her until the
cottage was finally sold. She never did return. The first girl may have been my first kiss, but her gangly cousin with her one and only kiss, stole my heart.
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As a vacation area there were many opportunities for short “romances”.
Having access to a boat was a big help. Often it was the boat and not me that drew the girl. We met many new short time friends each summer. Most I do not
remember.
On one occasion, a friend and I invited two girls (cousins) to the boater’s
beach. We sunned, we swam, and we necked a little under a blanket. A wicked storm appeared. Before we had a chance, it was too dangerous to return to their
cottage. I might have tried alone, but with four in my small boat I was right in staying.
Then came a cold rain with the wind. We found an uninhabited cottage on the
leeward side of the dunes. We were able to get in. There was no heat, but there were blankets and towels. We also found candles, matches, and a deck of
cards. The girls went in another room and exchanged their suits for blankets. They informed us there were two more blankets. We did the same. We hung our
clothes to dry. We played cards for hours. The storm did not let up. We found beds to sleep on. The girl I was with woke me when she placed a sheet between
and both blankets over us. We cuddle for warmth and fell back asleep.
Note: The girl’s parents had
contacted my grand parents who assured them that I would not attempt to return in the storm. They explained that
the girls would be safe staying on the beach with my friend and me. Early the next morning we took the girls back to their rental. We told our story. (We
left out the part about removing our bathing suits.) We were innocent of any wrong, but why push it.
We spent a few more days together on the beach. They did not include storms. We
had a great time. At the end of the week their vacation was over. Not a summer love, but a lot of fun and an adventure that ended well.
After they left, we looked for two more. Hopefully cousins.
As I reflect on these memories, I wonder. Am I a nameless memory who was a fun
part of someone’s life? I hope so.
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