ACT TWO Scene One Begins * April 1980

Mama PC

This strange man, by the name of John, started attending our church again, and each time a service was over, he would be one of the last to leave, after visiting with folks in the auditorium. I usually stood in the foyer to say goodbye to everyone, so when he came toward the door, he would smile...I would smile...we would shake hands (after he sat his briefcase down on the floor) and stay in that hand-shaking position for entirely too long after EVERY service for weeks! And we had three services per week! We didn't know what to say to one another. He would usually say something like "we need to get together sometime" in the musical way he usually talks with a twinkle in his eye.

I was smitten by this man. I still couldn't tell anyone.

In early May, I rode with some college friends to a wedding, and I thought of JC the whole day.

Memorial Day 1980 came around, and I (smartly) attended an airmen's swimming party at a friend's house. She and I were the only young girls at the party with 20-ish 18-24 year old young men! How stupid could we get!?! I stayed away from the guys, climbed up on the top of a storm cellar, and dreamed of JC all afternoon. I burned to a pulp! Got my shower, and drove to the church where my brother-in-law the youth pastor was showing the CHRONICLES OF NARNIA to the youth group. I was supposed to be there to chaperone. I found myself in the office of the day care, wanting to call JC on the phone...

Misery. I was sunburned from head to toe... but worse than that... I was wanting to talk to this strange and mysterious man! But, it wasn't proper to call a man, was it? He was much older than me, and from a different generation where propriety was held in high esteem. Should I call him? The answer was "no". But, I COULD call his sister, though, couldn't I???

I looked up the phone number, dialed it before I chickened out, and Susie answered the phone. She and I talked about 10 minutes about who knows what. I had known her in the past. She actually had been in a pseudo relationship with BILL several years prior (while he and I were supposedly together!) She's the one that sent me off to college with a bon voyage party...possibly celebrating the fact that BILL would be all hers now... (Susie and I are actually very close friends now and laugh about our young years.)

Finally, Susie asked me... "would you like to talk to John?" Don't ask me how she knew this, but I guess perceptive people perceive, so my prayer was answered, without me having to ask to speak to John. This was May 26, 1980. I said, "SURE!"...