In the mid sixties Ft Buchanan Puerto Rico began transitioning from an Army post to a Naval base.
I was ten, and had never known any Navy kids. I enjoyed the Army brats, though. One never had to worry about a history. You could reinvent yourself to some extent with each new duty station. It was nice not having your sins follow you from post to post. Everyone started with a new slate. There was no one to snicker as they reminded you about that unfortunate incident when you peed on the floor during Mrs Thompson’s story back in Kindergarden. Not that that ever happened to me, of course. Pure fiction, you understand. Pure fiction. Just an example, just a hypothetical situation. That’s all.
When the first Navy family moved in across the street from us, I didn’t give it much thought. All I knew was that Dale’s dad wore a white uniform to work. The kids warned me not to play with Dale because he was “Navy.” They said it like it was, well, a four letter word. Oh, you know what I mean.
No one would hang out with Dale. So I thought, “He must be lonely. I’ll ask him to play marbles.” I was very big on playing marbles, and I don’t mean to brag but…. Well, okay, maybe a little, but bear with me because this detail is germane to my story. Not really. But I want to tell you anyway.
I was a really good marble player. The boys in the neighborhoods we lived in over the years tired of playing with me real quick-like because I had the annoying habit of winning all their marbles. It’s a terrible thing to see a boy three years older than you crying as he runs away just because you won his lucky aqua snake eye boulder. I offered to give it back to him the next day but his pride was already wounded. He just slapped me upside the head and called me a sissy.
I decided maybe Dale would like to play marbles with me. No one else was playing with him, and while no one refused to play with me in general, they did refuse to play marbles with me. And I liked to play marbles.
Dale smiled a sort of cocky smirk and said, “I don’t know about playing with a girl. That seems too easy.”
“We don’t have to play for keepsies,” I countered.
“Nah, that’s okay,” Dale snorted after considering the matter. “I don’t mind taking marbles from a girl.”
We drew a circle in the dirt and started shooting. Fifteen minutes later I owned everything he had in his pocket.
Dale frowned and stood up. I offered to give him his marbles back. I didn’t really care about keeping the marbles, I just enjoyed playing. He said a few words I had never heard before and stomped back to his house.
A few weeks later the NCO club sponsored a children’s dance contest. It was a contrived mixer to encourage the Navy and Army families who were having to coexist with one another. At school, among the kids, everyone was more interested in whether or not a Navy couple or an Army couple would win.
The day of the dance arrived. For about an hour or two, before the contest was to begin, we just danced with one another. Most of my friends at Ft Buchanan were boys my age. So I danced every dance. I danced with John, my next door neighbor. I danced with a couple of other kids in my class. Mostly I danced with my best friend Randy.
Randy and I were getting something to drink during the short intermission just before the contest was to begin. He handed me a cup of soda and said, “Did you notice Dale?”
“No,” I said. “Why?”
“He’s almost as good a dancer as you are,” Randy replied.
“Really?” I perked up.
“Yeah,” Randy said. “You ought to dance with him in the contest.”
“I was going to dance with you,” I said.
“Oh,” Randy looked down at his feet. “I’m not a good dancer. I’ll go ask him for you.”
Before I could object, Randy was across the room. He said something to Dale, Dale looked over at me and frowned, then back at Randy, and I saw him nod his head.
Randy was smiling when he returned to me. “It’s all arranged!”
I didn’t say anything. I gulped down the rest of my soda, and then a woman stood up at the microphone and announced it was time to grab our partners for the contest. The music began playing.
I set my empty cup on the table and when I turned around Dale was standing in front of me.
“I understand you’re a good dancer,” he snarled at me.
“I am,” I snarled back.
“Well.”
“Well.”
Dale grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. I glanced over my shoulder and shot Randy an irritated frown, but he just motioned me to go along.
Dale and I danced through four numbers. Randy was right. He was an excellent dancer.
The music died, and the lady returned to the microphone. “We have a winning couple!” she announced. “Dale and Kit!”
Randy and I walked home from the club together. Just as we rounded the corner to our houses, he giggled and said, “Guess we showed the Navy kids, huh!”
“Showed them what?”
“That Army dances better than Navy!”
“But Navy won, too!”
“Nah,” Randy skipped a rock and chased it. He yelled over his shoulder, “He was good, but he wasn’t as good as you are!” He flashed me a warm smile and added, “I love you, Kit!”
“Hey, Randy!” I called to him just as he opened his front door. “Wanna play some marbles?”
He laughed real loud and said, “Nah! I don’t love you that much!”
I grinned and skipped the rest of the home.
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Comments
Excellent!
Mime - I'll pass the word along - you know how she does EVERYTHING I suggest!
Pavanne - REALLY??? I didn't play tiddly winks in PR but I did play jacks. Somehow I never got the hang of jacks, though. But marbles, yeah. THAT'S good stuff!!!
This reminded me of the Twist Contest I won at age 10::)
Keep on Dancin..:)
Rated with hugs
bethybug - Yeah, I wasn't born into it (adoptive mother married a GI after her divorce when I was 8). It's an interesting world for a kid!
Linda - Oh, I LOVE that word! I'm pretty sure we did the twist that day - and the jerk, too. I remember I was dynamite with the jerk. And, ummm, no - I don't dance no more - these knees act like they're about 20 years older than the rest of me. Oh, I TRY to dance every now and then, but I look - well - peculiar. I mean, when I dance.
irishwolfhound - Thanks!
CC - LOL!! "gradeless" - now THAT's PRICELESS!!!! Thanks!
Sophie - Yeah, I've been wanting to tell this story for awhile. Glad you enjoyed it!
LOVE to dance... (not so great with marbles)
Anna - Thanks - and me, too! This is a pretty fun story.
BR - I know EXACTLY what you mean - I got one at home, too!!!!
Amanda - an OFFICER'S kid??? You gotta be kidding me! I KNEW there was something about you! Say! Wanna play a little marbles???? (insert evil laughter)
She and I both collect marbles, but she won't play with me!!
Rated!
So you are a marbles/dance shark?
Bernadine - You are so correct!
Caroline - Thanks!
lemon - Yep. It's all in the wrist, huh! Well, and the thumb, maybe. I tell you what, I LOVE marbles!!!
H-J - Nah, I never saw any of the kids I went to school with in the military get into fights. Well, I mean there was that one little incident in 7th grade when I got pounded on by a bunch of 8th graders in the girls' locker room. But honestly, I sorta had that coming. But other than that, we mostly all got along real well....
Cranky - LOL! I'm not so interested in boys versus girls per se, but I do like to take the mug out of the smug.
Walter - Ain't it the Truth!!!! It was a different world, huh! Heck, back then we didn't dare get in trouble at school because the principal wouldn't call your parents - they'd call your dad's CO! That's THAT'S a heap of pain coming down on your bottom parts!
Grateful - Glad to meet you! I never did get the whole Army-Navy thing. Dale's the only Navy kid I ever knew well at all and I didn't dislike him because his dad wore white - I disliked him because he was a brat!
RP - Thanks! And umm, no. I AM a marbles shark, I have to admit that, I guess. But I haven't been able to dance for about 15 or more years. I can barely walk, and keep a cane in the car and in different rooms of the house. Which is why you seldom see me moving much in my videos. But yep, which I actually owned a set of knee caps I could shake my bootie with the best of 'em!!!!
Cool story, I love when girls win the game! I still have male friends that can deal with losing to a guy, but HATE losing to a "girl." Which makes it all the more glorious when the "girl" wins.
suzie - Yeah, I got that memo, too. I glanced at it, frowned, made a paper airplane out of it.
Persistent Muse - a "mystical KD series" - now, that's just SPOOKY! Actually, contrary to what some believe, I do still have most of my, er, marbles.... I'm not sure where they are, but I've got them!
Fay. Yes. Yes it does. It means you and scanner are the same person!
Say - now THAT would be cool - if a mess of us marble players got together and had an OS marble tournament! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
This old doc took care of all you skating gruntlets and kept the marbles.
Bohica, chica.
lol