Without a log, I mostly reminisce. On Monday, November 8, we certainly travelled from Greece, west across the Mediterranean towards Italy. No doubt we did the usual things: breakfast, classes, lunch, deck games, dinner, dancing, hot chocolate and cookies before going to bed at 9:30. I must’ve met a few boys by then and spoken to at least one because he (Colin?) made his way to my home in Winchester about a month later to ask me out. I was aghast! He arrived by train early one Saturday morning from a town called Andover. He had my address; at least, he made the 7-minute walk from Winchester Railway Station and found our house. My 13 year-old sister opened the door and told him to wait on the front steps. She woke me up to say,
“There a boy called Colin to see you.”
“Who? Where?”
“Colin. At the front door. What shall I tell him?”
I didn’t know any Colins. Wait…from the cruise? Visiting me?! I didn’t want to see him.
“I don’t want to see him,” I said, thoroughly panicked. “Make him go away.”
“What do you mean, make him go away! How do I make him go away?”
“Tell him I’m not here.”
“He knows you’re here. I told him you were here. You’ll have to think of something else.”
“Tell him I’m asleep. No…wait…say I’m sick. Get his phone number; say I’ll call him.”
So that’s what happened. As soon as she closed the door on him, I ran to the front window; watched him walk back towards the railway station and out of my life. Poor Colin! I felt truly sorry for him. I was grateful on the one hand that he was keen on me, terrified on the other because I’d no idea how to behave with a boy who was keen on me. I couldn’t have rung him even if I’d wanted to because we didn’t have a telephone. And I wouldn’t have rung him even if I could’ve…because, after all, what on earth would I have done with him?
I'm thinking that didn't turn out how he'd pictured it… heh. Thanks for a great series.
I wasn't really a horrible person; it never occurred to me that any boy would be upset by not going out with me. Very low self esteem in those days!
Thanks for reading, Karen. I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Just two more to go in the cruise series…