~A Romance to Remember~

It was a beautiful, typically sunny weekday in San Bernardino, California.  Children were all in school learning their ABC’s.  The local high schools were buzzing with students struggling to figure out their future before the end of the school term.  It was mid April and close approaching Prom night for the juniors and seniors of Pacific High.  Committees were busy making preparations for decorations, music and food.

“I love you too Cindy, now get to English before you get another tardy.”  Alex knew that one more tardy and Cindy would be banned from Prom night.  He tapped her lightly on her bottom to get her going as she ran across the quad grounds towards her next class.

 The relationship between Cindy and Alex had grown over their four years together in high school.   Their eyes met for the first time at freshman orientation.  Cindy was signing the register when out of nowhere this clumsy foot came sliding under the table almost causing Cindy to loose her balance.

 “Ouch, you dummy!  I almost fell!” Cindy yelled.

 “I am so sorry,” Alex said breathless as he tried to gain his composure. “I thought I was going to miss registration and slipped as I came running in.  I am so sorry.  Are you ok?”

 “ Yes, duffas, I am fine, but my signature looks like dog poo poo thanks to you!”

 Alex slipped back in the line behind Cindy.  He couldn’t help but notice her soft brown curls cascading down her back.  He wanted to touch her hair, but knew if he did, she would probably deck him. 

 Cindy completed her registration and picked up her materials to leave.  She turned slightly and gave Alex an agonizing stare as she started to walk away.

 “ I hope your timing is better when classes start,” she said flipping her hair as she walked out the door.

 Alex let out a long sigh, “Man, what an idiot!  I  sure made a great first impression,” he thought to himself.  As Alex left the school his mind kept returning to the stupid stunt he pulled and hoped he could make it up to Cindy once school started.  With so many students in the school, how would he find her?  He made plans to surprise her once he located her, by offering to buy her lunch.  Maybe she would consent to a movie. 

 School started one week later and day after day Alex would sit in the quad on his lunch break hoping to get a glimpse of Cindy.  All he could see in his mind was that long dark curly hair.  After three weeks of alienating himself from his friends he decided to give up his watch.  They had no classes together so he resigned himself to the fact that their lunch breaks were different as well.  All of a sudden there was this light tap on his shoulder. “Hey klutz, Slipped on any floors lately?”  Alex looked up and had to take a double take.  There was Cindy but without her long curls.

 “You cut your hair…. I didn’t recognize you,” Alex said as he sat mesmerized by her new look.

 “No DUH!  I got tired of taking care of it, so I cut it off before the first day of school.  Where have YOU been? By the way, my name is Cindy Peterson, what’s yours?” Cindy asked with a smile on her face.

 “Alex Wilson, and I have been looking for you ever since school started.  I wanted to make up for the awful first meeting we had at registration.”

 “Well, that’s nice, then you can buy me lunch.” Cindy plopped her books down on the picnic table and sat beside Alex.

 “What would you like, your highness?” Alex stood and bowed. 

“Hmmm…let’s see…how about a cheeseburger, fries and Coca Cola?”

 “Your wish is my command.”  Alex walked to the lunch window and ordered Cindy’s lunch.  Pacific High not only had a hot lunchroom but a snack bar and burger bar as well. The hour went by faster than Alex would have wanted.  The two of them chatted and laughed; enjoying the short time they spent together.  They made plans to meet after school to finish their discussions and get to know each other better.

 Over the next few months, Alex and Cindy’s relationship grew.  They were always seen together at school, movie houses and snack bars.  They even spent their evenings together alternating between each other’s house for study time and quizzing for exams.

 During their sophomore year Alex joined the junior varsity football team.  He was placed as the running back his first year out and Cindy was very proud of him.  She never missed a game.  Due to their closeness, they had very few friends.  It was as if no one else existed.  Although their parents were concerned about their relationship, they didn’t try to spoil what they had.  To them, it was a phase that would pass one day.  As long as they met curfews and kept up with their studies, their parents didn’t protest.

 Toward the end of their sophomore year Cindy announced that she would be going to Florida for the summer to spend some time with her Grandparents.  Alex was upset, but knew there was nothing he could do about it.

 “Just remember Cindy, you have to come back to plain old me.” He said as he kissed her goodbye at the airport.

“Oh Alex, you are such a doofus.  You have nothing to worry about.  I love YOU.  I will be back before you know it.” Cindy kissed Alex tenderly and boarded her plane for her summer away knowing she would miss Alex terribly. 

 For Alex, the days and weeks passed slower than he ever thought possible.  He missed seeing Cindy’s smiling face and the glow in her eyes.  He missed their time together and without her he was totally lost. 

 In August, football practice began.  Alex was now on the Varsity squad and had gained a reputation while on the JV squad as an outstanding player.   He knew that Cindy would be home soon so he worked extra hard at practice to allow the time to go by faster.

 Two weeks before she was due to return, Alex received a phone call from Cindy, “Alex, I have met someone here.  He’s a really nice guy, but…….”

 Alex didn’t allow Cindy to say another word.  He slammed down the phone and began pacing back and forth, slamming his fist through his bedroom wall.

 “Alex.” His mother screamed.  “Are you alright up there.”

 “No Mom, I am not.”  His mother ran up the stairs to Alex’s room.  She shrieked as she saw her son sitting on his bed with a bloody arm.

 “What happened here?” She asked.

 “Cindy and I broke up.  She met some stupid boy in Florida.”  Tears streaming down his face.  His mother ran to the bathroom to get wet cloths to clean up Alex’s cut hand and arm. 

“Son, what is the matter with you?  No girl is worth this. You are young.  There are plenty of girls out there that would love to be a part of your life.  Don’t let this experience ruin your life.”

 “Mom, you don’t understand.  I LOVE Cindy.  She is all I have known since starting high school.  I can’t live without her.  She promised me that she would come back to me.”

 “It’s all right son, you just cry and get it all out.  You will see you are better off.”

 Alex jumped up from the bed and ran out of the house amid the protests of his mother.  He walked for what seemed like hours before returning home and heading to bed.  He had a hard time understanding how Cindy could go away and meet someone else.  How could she do this to him after all they had been through?

 When Cindy arrived at the airport, she was looking for Alex.  Her parents were there to greet her as she came walking out of the airline tunnel. “Where is Alex?” she asked.

 “I don’t know darling.  We haven’t heard from him since you left,” her mother answered.

 Bewildered, Cindy ran to the phone to call Alex as soon as she arrived home.  His parents said he was not at home and even if he were that he would not want to speak with her.  Cindy didn’t try again.  She assumed that since Alex hung up on her that he had probably found someone else and the relationship was at an end.

 They were juniors now, and the first week of school was very hard for Alex.  He avoided Cindy like the plague, as he feared a confrontation between them.  Cindy on the other hand was desperate to speak with Alex.  She wanted to know for sure that their relationship was finished.  School had been in session or almost two months when Cindy devised a plan to corner Alex during lunch.  She wore a wig to school one day and was able to walk right up to his table.  Alex was eating with some members of the football team when Cindy walked up behind him.

 “Alex, please don’t leave, I want to talk to you.”  Alex rolled his eyes and motioned for his friends to leave them alone.

 “What the hell do you want?  You promised you would come back to me.  Instead, you go down there and find someone else.”

 “Alex, you hung up on me before I could finish.  When you did that, I figured that was an easy out for you so I didn’t try to call back.  Then when I got home, I tried to call and you wouldn’t speak to me.”

 “Why should I?  I never stopped loving you.  You are the one who went out and found someone else.”

 “I DIDN’T find someone else.  He found me, but that was as far as it went.  I went to the movies with him once and that is all.  What I was going to tell you when I called was that I didn’t look for this to happen, but it did.  Alex, I love you and I stopped it because I didn’t want to loose you.”

 Alex turned to stare at her.  “Yeah, right.   For all I know, he got tired of you and left you cold turkey.  Is that what happened?  So now you are free to come back to me?”

 “No Alex, that is not it at all.  You believe what you want, but it went nowhere.  Yes, I want us to get back together, but I am not going to beg you.”  Cindy got up to walk away.

 “Cindy, wait…. let’s start over and work this out.  I still care for you and I  missed you very much.  I don’t want us to break up.”  Cindy hugged Alex and vowed to work on mending the rip in their relationship.

 The rest of their junior year they became closer than ever.  They started making plans for college and made a pact to not think about marriage until they both had their degrees.  Alex wanted to study to become a teacher and Cindy had her heart set on nursing.  They decided on UCLA as their college.  With each having a “B” average they were pretty sure they could pass the entrance exam and be accepted.

 Alex continued with football during his senior year and Cindy was elected to the student council.  It was hard for them to be apart so consequently Cindy had four tardies to contend with.  Since they decided not to go to the prom in their junior year, they wanted to go this year for sure.

 Listening to her lecture in English, Cindy couldn’t take her mind off the prom.  She had picked out her dress and made an appointment to have her hair done right after school.  Her dress was a powder blue sleeveless gown with silver piping.  She knew Alex would love the dress she had picked out.   Prom was only two days away and the excitement was building for her as well as Alex.

 On the night of the prom, Alex picked her up in his navy blue VW Beetle.  When Cindy answered the door, his mouth dropped to his chest.

 “Oh My God, you look like a princess,” Alex said as he stood there frozen to the spot.

 “Thanks Alex, and you look pretty spiffy too.”

 Alex entered Cindy’s house memorized by his beautiful date.  Cindy’s parents were watching the two lovebirds with smiles on their faces as Alex pinned the roses corsage on Cindy’s chest and she returned the gesture with a rose boutonniere for Alex.  Cindy’s parents made them pose for pictures before leaving for their dream evening together.

 “Where are we going for dinner, Alex?” Cindy asked as they drove away.

 “I want to take you to the most romantic restaurant I know in Lake Arrowhead,” Alex answered.

 “WOW, that’s a long way up there.  Do we have time to get there and back in time for the prom?” Cindy chuckled.

 “For you, only the best…and yes, we will make it in time.”

 The trip to Lake Arrowhead is straight up into the San Bernardino Mountains.  The view along the way is beautiful during the day and foreboding by night.  As Alex drove up the winding road he couldn’t help but glance at how beautiful Cindy was.  The air became crisper as they got higher and higher.  Snow was still covering the roadways on either side of them.  The drive ended thirty minutes later as Alex pulled into the Arrowhead Resort Restaurant parking lot.  He walked around and opened the door for Cindy and offered his hand. 

 “Do you know how proud I am tonight?  You are so beautiful Cindy.”

“ Aw Alex, you are too sweet.  I picked out this dress just for you.”

 “Well, you did a good job because I am all jelly inside.”  They both laughed as they were taken to their seat.  Alex had called ahead to ensure a seat by the window in order to see the beautiful night-lights of the mountains.

 “Are you happy?” Alex asked as he held her hand tight.

 “Yes, I am very happy Alex.  I love you very, very much.  With that, Alex leaned over and kissed Cindy.

 “Cindy, you have been my sweetheart all through high school.  We have been through a lot together.  I know we promised to wait until after college for this, but,”  Alex got off his chair and knelt beside her, “When we finish college, will you marry me?”

 Tears started streaming from Cindy’s face.  Her mascara began running down her cheek.

“Yes, Alex I will marry you.”  Alex opened a blue velvet box he had stashed in his pocket and opened it to reveal a beautiful teardrop diamond ring.  He took the ring and placed it on her finger and stood to hug his new fiancé.   The guests around them cheered them on with congratulations.  They proceeded to finish their meal and prepare to leave for the prom.  Everyone was smiling as they left the restaurant. 

 Once in the solace of Alex’s car, he leaned over and kissed Cindy tenderly. “You have made me the happiest guy in the whole world.  I love you Cindy Peterson and I will be a good husband to you.  We will have a good future together.”

 “I feel the same way Alex.  I promise my life to you and we will be able to look on the past and smile and tell our kids about the goofy things we did as kids.”

 Alex headed back down the mountain smiling all the way.  Cindy sat close to him with her head on his shoulder.  Alex turned to kiss Cindy on the forehead….he hit a patch of black ice and started to swerve “ALEX LOOK OUT!” Cindy screamed.  The car began swerve back and forth.  Alex couldn’t get control of the car.  Panic set in and he gripped the wheel with both hands.  He was going too fast to stop.  Cindy screamed again and grabbed the hand guard above her head.  Alex let out a yell as the car went over the embankment and began to tumble again and again.  The blue VW came to a stop throwing Alex out the door onto some new wet snow.  He scrambled to his feet yelling “Cindy, Cindy”.  He rushed around the car and saw his beloved lying there on her back with one leg still in the car.  “Cindy,” Alex cried. 

 Cindy opened her eyes slowly and with a weak voice said “Alex, where is your jacket, you must be cold.”  She closed her eyes slowly, “Cindy! Cindy!  Don’t you leave me! Cindy! Cindy!.” He shook her and held her to his chest and cried loudly.  Car lights shined down on them as three men scrambled down the hillside toward them.  One man held onto Cindy as the other two tried to pry her from Alex’s arms.  Her lifeless body was picked up and carried up to a waiting car. 

 With Cindy gone, Alex had no reason to live.  He blamed himself for her death and never returned to school.  Therapy was useless and at one point his parents considered having him committed to a mental hospital for treatment.  With her death, his entire life changed.  In one fleeting moment he lost the love of his life, never to return. 

Ten years passed before Alex finally met Regina who helped to heal the wounds and cross he bore.  After a long courtship Regina and Alex were married.  Two years later Cynthia Lynn Wilson was born.  Regina gave Alex the gift of life and little Cindy was the tribute he gave to his lost love.  As he smiles at the beautiful little girl, he remembers only the happy times he had with Cindy Peterson and the blame he had at her death has been buried forever.

 copyright ©2002 Lady Kree

 

 

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