My first kiss
Early Lore
A confessions supplement
Keisha Boyington
It was the time in between getting out of school and summer. Those few weeks are filled with bravado to untold ends. This is the time when the nerd finally makes a move on the cheerleader only to have his dreams dashed on the pavement. It takes bravery for someone to do something like that. Or, foolhardy. Anyhoo, it was the 11th grade, I was well on my way to graduating high school and college dreams were still far in the distance. We had just recently moved into a neighborhood that wasn’t too unfamiliar. But it was new to me. The squire to the order was yet to learn the very basics of romanticism. Although I had went through a few one-sided romances and I was just getting over Marsha and had just started working at my first job when I heard that Keisha liked me.
I didn’t have the slightest of who Keisha was. All I remember was a few times when I came home from work I’d stop over Darlene’s house and sometimes there was this girl that was over there. I had no clue that would be the one who was crushing on me. Who would like someone who looks like a jerk covered in pizza grease? Love is blind I tell you! When Darlene first told me that her cousin liked me, I swore she was a liar. I could only remember me looking like a bum, But her mom confirmed it. I was filled with elation and revulsion. Like I stated earlier, I didn’t exactly look like Don Juan, and whoa, you have admirers! This was the first documentation of an unchecked ego that was –df-. What was I to do? I had no real experience at this. Lets see, I only had Moochie, which only lasted what maybe a week. And Marsha, which lasted maybe 4 hours. I think this apprehension lasted until I got home. Then it was politely forgotten until the next day when I was walking to work. On the way to work were 2 girls that lived in Sunset Homes on 15th street. (Now, Darlene lived in Sunset also, but she lived on a street perpendicular to 15th street) These 2 women were cousins I think. Or told everyone they were, but I digress. Allison and EJ. Allison was a pretty dark skinned young lady that had yet to figure out what she wanted in a guy, And EJ, somewhat older than Allison, provocative and thought invoker. I liked these girls secretly of course. But EJ told me of her other cousin Rosalyn that thought I looked good. Really! I thought. I'm thinking these women only see a Pizza Hut uniform walking down the street. They don’t see me. But, ok, lets see if this Rosalyn really has something for me. EJ calls her on the phone; I talk to her for a few mins. Rosalyn kept everything on the baser level. All I can accurately remember about the phone call is that i was left blushing. And she was coming to see me that weekend. Which was bad, because Keisha was coming that weekend too!
I had 2 days to come up with a plan. Either blow one off to be with the other, or be a player and do both. The player mentality won out. On my way home from work, I stopped over at EJ’s and lo and be hold, there was Rosalyn. I think I need to come up with an evil nickname for her. Rosalyn the Corrupt. Yeah, sounds good for me. Once I get around to writing her story you may discover why the name fits so well. Well anyway, I went home on fire. She made me forget all about whatsherface for a minute. Once I got home though, Darlene reminded me that Keisha was there waiting for me. Disclosed that she’d been patiently waiting for me all day long, and that her moms was to pick her up in a few minutes to take her home to Aiken, SC. Well I felt like a heel. So I rushed back out to spend the last 10 minutes of her visit with her. The only thing that happened was that I attained her phone number. And this would be the beginning of a 200 dollar phone bill that my moms raised cane about. It was this first phone call in which we watched Detroit win the NBA finals and somewhere during all the excitement we called each other lovers. So you know what this meant. Forsaking all others. And that brought attention to Rosalyn the Corrupt. What to do about her? I think she wants to do unmentionable things to me, and the bad thing is that I would let her! But I cant now. So I go and tell Allison and EJ the good news. I had a girlfriend. I saw them over Allison’s house this time. And they are somewhat underwhelmed. So we called up Rosalyn, and shes upset that she was not the #1 choice, but she seemed to take everything in stride. So I went on to work happy that this thing was settled.
That weekend I get to spend more time with Keisha. It was the stuff romance… wait we just watched tv, and watched Darlene and George fight. I had to go home. I had a curfew. But before I left, she had disclosed she wanted to go to a Salt and Pepa concert (Lord, i'm showing my age). And asked would I go, I said I would do better than that, I’d pay. And true to my word I did pay. But I had to work that night, and ended up giving my ticket to Darlene. But no worries I got to see her that night after work. Everything would be ok. If she could get by with me wearing this monkey suit…
9:45 I arrive over Darlene’s house and they are unusually festive. Turns out, they have gotten a hold of some alkeyhol! They were prancing around the house and (Darlene’s mom wasn’t home) ! I was feeling uncomfortable at first, since I was still in my work uniform. Keisha was thanking me for allowing her to go to the concert. She was sitting in my lap. I was thinking,…oh…my,….what…is,….happening here,…crap,…I gotta …go…home…..soon.
10:20 The girls were tired of dancing. Darlene had called George over, they had made up and were busy smooching it up. Keisha kept looking at me but I was clueless. I was busy trying to get an excuse to go home. And still look cool. Everything I was thinking of looked paltry against what was happening. The whole situation pointed to something totally new to me. But yet was I willing to go through with it?
10:45 George and Darlene call me outside and ask what is the matter with me. They are wondering why I haven’t made a move on Keisha yet. That she was willing but was afraid to ask. They didn’t know that I was terrified and refused to ask. I had 15 minutes to get to the house. They had no idea that my moms was Cra-zee. I feigned anger. I went up to tell Keisha that I was out. I didn’t hafta take that. She said she understood and I began to walk home.
11:15 I was back over Darlene’s house. How do you ask? Well it was one of those “ I took a chance” episodes. Something I would pay for later on in life. Or at least later on that night. But I made it back over and apologized. Darlene was cool with it. But she said she wasn’t the one to apologize to. It was Keisha. So I walked upstairs and found her, and we talked and we talked. Then we went downstairs for some noise. We danced slow, and time passed. Next thing I know we were kissing. Kissing?! Whoa! I was kissing,.. this was my first real kiss,. And she was someone other than family!! Somehow or another we ended up in the kitchen, with my back over the kitchen sink. Then she proceeded to give me the longest kiss on record. That kiss began a thirst in my soul that still is prevalent today. Darlene wanted us to go upstairs and claim a bedroom. But, the cowardice in me prevented all of that from happening. I still feel the shocks run down my spine as I think of that soul-draining kiss. Well since we wasn’t going upstairs, I was truly ready to go home. I felt like a champion. A true lover. Master of my domain. I’d forgotten one thing: Mom. Now, I have to reflect on “I took a chance”. On my way home from Darlene’s house, I saw mom going to work. And I made sure mom saw me going home.. or at least heading that way. My mind reasoned that I don’t have to go home. I could go over Darlene’s house and see how drunk women act! This is what I done. Mom on the other hand, called home to see if I was home. And since I had not answered the phone, she got off work, and came home to wait for me. I walked in the house at 4 am, Master of his domain, and feeling like a true champion, all until I heard an angry voice say,. where have you been?! All I remember after this is a sore behind, but the damage was done.
Once summer came Keisha told me that she was going to Florida. This pretty much would ruin a perfectly good summer. I didn’t know it at the time, but Keisha was really looking for something more than I had. She wouldn’t need that timid squire she wanted the full fledged Knight in her stable. So she was off to brighter vistas to see if she could find it. My summer had intrigue in it also, it was the summer of the gold connection and Felicia Scarboro. But It wasn’t until December’s Christmas classic that I would see Keisha Boyington for the last time. We had yet to officially break up, and we both admitted to infidelities during the time we were away from each other. So, I figured everything would be fine. Well, a phone call from Darlene told me Keisha was in town. And I made my way down to see her at the civic center. We haven’t seen each other in over 6 months, I gazed into her eyes and remembered the passion we had one late spring night. And then I heard, you didn’t buy me a present? You didn’t bring me anything?! I don’t want to see you unless you bought me a sweater. I thought a Hey, glad to see you were more the thing to say. So I made up a paltry excuse and left. Keisha called one last time on New Year’s Eve to say something. We never said anything worth saying, and it would be the last time I heard Keisha’s voice.
Darlene told me she moved to New Jersey, and had a few kids… I wonder if she ever found what she was looking for.
