***The Roots Is The Toots- The Music That Got Them Through The Great Depression And World War II…

 

…she had not been home, back to her hometown, since he passed away. Passed away after some kind of hellish battle against the war wounds incurred in the Anzio beach landing where from all accounts he had acquitted himself with honor. Passed away after he had sent for her to come down to Walter Reed to be near him in his time of trial. It was only after he passed on that she realized that he had sent for her knowing that he was mortally wounded and that the hospital visits would be their last stance together. She smiled at that thought. And smiled a more forced smile now that she was back home, back to their young love hometown to honor his last request that she go by and throw a kiss to all of their “spots.” 

Since those spots were close together, within longish walking distance, she decided to do the whole thing in one trip to ease the pain of several separate trips that she might not be able to cope with. So there she stood before her first stop, the old high school, old blessed North Adamsville High, now that that war was over a busy beehive of kid activity once again, the scene of their first encounter senior year when he popped into her life after they danced and danced at the Fall Frolic and became an “item”, no, “the item” of the senior year. Scene too of many a Monday morning in the girls’ “lav” talking with her brethren classmates about what did or did not happen that previous weekend among the tribe (and all lying like crazy either because they had said they had “done it” when they hadn’t or hadn’t when they had). He and she had but she lied, lied like crazy because she was very concerned about her reputation, or that her parents, strict Baptists full of fire and brimstone, might get wind of that information and crush their young love.

As she passed the far end of the building she blew a kiss over her shoulder on her way to Adamsville Beach down the road to a scene of many a weekend tryst. He would get his father’s car and they would go down to the far end, the lovers’ lane end, Squaw Rock,  and steam up the windshield with their kisses (and other acts but you know what she meant, that “doing it” part that she lied about on Monday morning girls’ “lav” talk time). After she passed their spot on the beach she shed a tear knowing that she would never have his child, maybe anyone’s child the way she felt just then. Although he told her, made her promise, just before the end to go and live a happy full life, to do it for him.    

She then walked up Elm Street after a short rest on the beach-side  seawall  to Doc’s, Doc’s Drugstore the first place that she knew she loved him after they had blown the crowd at Doc’s away with their jitter-bugging, Benny, Tommy, Jimmy, Les, Duke, stuff.  Doc’s was the hang-out for all the Jacks and Jills after school (and weekends) because he had the best jukebox in town, and a soda fountain for the hungry and thirsty. Another blown kiss as she could hear some Andrews Sister song bellowing out into the street just then. Then on to their final spot, or rather his, his corner boy spot, Salducci’s Diner, where only girls guys were serious about were allowed to hang with a guy’s corner boys. She crossed the street just before she came upon the store-front because she could see the next generation of corner boys with their serious girls hanging in front and she did not think she could make it pass that scene without breaking down. Blew that last kiss from across the street and done. She was glad after all the trauma that she had done the task in one trip. Now she just had to go have a happy full life, for him…