Some Good Memories...

     After we broke up back in 7th grade, well, after Kim broke up with me for an 8th grader, we stayed friends.  I'd carry Kim's books home for her.  She'd come to my soccer practices and games.  We'd call each other up now and again.  Sometimes we get together at a dance or at the mall.  In 8th grade, we went to a weekend camp together, Camp Brenard (did I spell that right Terri?), where, Terri alluded to a frozen pair of underwear that appeared in place of the flag way up on top of the flagpole one morning - I don't think they were mine, or Kim's!  It was a beautiful camp, with little cabins set in a circle around a large grassy area.  There was a little lake, with row boats.  We did Bible reading twice a day and there were a lot of activities throughout the rest of the day.  Kim and I were not going steady, but enjoyed each other's company a lot...
   Sometimes we'd get back together in between girlfriend/boyfriends and sometimes the situation couldn't wait until we were both in between...I fondly recall one such time, it was the spring of 1982, we were juniors at Liberty High School together...there was a swim party at a girl's house, I think her name was Abby - she lived right next to the 7-11 where me and my friends enjoyed playing pinball - and Jimmy Durner could last like an hour on one quarter playing Asteroids.  I was there so often, my mom would actually call there if she wanted me home for dinner.
    We swam and ate food at Abby's until around 11:00 p.m., Kim and I had a great time.  When Kim said she needed to leave, I, like a gentleman, offered to walk her the mile or so home.  It was a beautiful night, I remember holding hands with Kim and walking as slowly as possible to make the night last.  I remember how many stars were in the sky - Kim pointed out the Big Dipper and we made the constellation ours - often referring to it over the years, calling each other when we were apart to say we had just seen the Big Dipper and were just calling to let the other know...even to this summer, when we happened to be in our yard and she pointed it out to me and we shared a warm embrace and a kiss...
    When we got to her house, we kissed and said goodnight, not knowing when we'd get together again, but feeling happy, having had a nice night together...
    That Monday, when I got home from school, my Dad told me that my friend David Edwards had called me...I felt my stomach trying to come up through my throat - my Dad must have noticed me turning several shades of pale, because he asked 'Have I ever met David? Is he your friend?'...I told him, no, David Edwards was Kim's current boyfriend.  He was not only a senior, but on the football team.  I can't remember how big he was, but I was so little, he seemed Incredible Hulk-ish to me.  I kept as low a profile as I could the next few days, worriedly telling Kim in school that David was looking for me to 'talk' to me...it seems one of the girls at the party inadvertently told David about how much fun Kim and I had at the swim party.  How nice.  Anyway, David did finally catch up to me, I remember the terror I felt as he interrogated me that night.  Kim had told him that we were just good friends and that he had nothing to worry about and I avoided being beaten to a pulp!  David and I actually remained friendly after that episode over the years. Ahhh, it would have been worth the beating, having such a memory with Kim!
    
        Thanks for all of the well wishes and prayers for me and the bambini's...we have struggled, as we miss our Kimmy terribly.  It still seems like a bad dream that I cannot wake up from.  The bambini's won't leave my side, choosing to come with me on boring errands - but we make them fun, stopping for breakfast burritos, sharing our favorite 'mom' stories, etc...when we went to church today, to pass on a thank you to Father Harry for all of the support he gave our family, and the comfort he provided Kim, I remarked that I was taking some more time off from work (thank you my Barnes & Noble family!!), and we could make the 10 a.m. Mass regularly until I had to go back to work...little Antonio worriedly piped up 'who will watch us then Dad'...hopefully, by then these guys will know that I am here for them and that their southwest family will watch out for them, love them and care for them...they are such good kids, my tether to sanity right now...I love them so much...
         Thanks for letting me share these memories I have of Kimmy, too...I think it helps me keep her alive - and I know I tried to be a better person today, then I was yesterday...for her...
        Love,
                 Dave