Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

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To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

In addition I asked the girl next door at the first home they had out to dinner and the movies. I told Doris and she thought it was wonderful. And gave me pointers. She thought that Betty was a wonderful girl. And she was. Blonde Scottish ethnicity. Before I asked her I played catch with her brother. Spoke to her. She had an older sister and both worked for New England Telephone and Telegraph.

Doris suggested that I buy a small corsage. Nothing expensive and to make sure that I held the doors open for her [ed: Betty] and not to let the waiter seat her. That I should do this. Her parents had no objections. The Arnolds had said I was ok and that was it. Charlie explained his hopes for me in learning to become a social worker and the time it would take. Their curiosity arose from the experience of their elder daughter. She was in her twenties and had a steady fellow with the right intentions and I never found out or asked but either he dumped the girl or she dumped him. Anyway Betty was at that stage where girls married young.

Our first date went very well. We walked from downtown as we left our homes. I took her to the door and then went next door to my pad. Doris was up. Charlie was an early to bed guy. She would stay up in the late hours. Except when promises were made. So I suspected. In the nights she was up she would have coffee and pie or ice cream.

On the nights she went to bed early there would be a note on the kitchen chair that there would be ice cream, or pie, or some goodies. Whatever they had they always had some for me.

Also as soon as I could I bought myself some clothes. To look more presentable and when I went to East Boston I took my laundry with me.

I must have amazed Doris. We got to be good friends. When I first met her she was very cool to me. At the time she though me a hellion and when her children were getting their history from her. They also asked about me. And she answered, "He was a hellion.!!" This is registered on one of the tapes they gave me. Its' in my cabinet down my section of downstairs I call my music room that your mother calls the cellar. It has a picture of a young Doris. Beautiful.