David

I was 16 in the summer of 1977. His name was David and he was 19. Some of the most beautiful music ever written was on repeat in my cassette player. I fell in love that summer. I fell in love with his look, his smell and the kind, gentle person he was. He had beautiful golden brown eyes, long eyelashes, soft black hair, a wispy mustache, and he smelled of British Sterling. I longed to be with him every minute of every day.

I saw him mostly on weekends and holidays that summer. When I wasn’t with him, I carried a piece of cloth saturated in that cologne and kept it near to remind me of him. I put it on my pillow. He wrote me letters. They were always signed the same way. “Keep the peace and spread the faith”. I loved that.

In late August school would start again. David, of course had graduated. I wouldn’t see him until the following Spring for break. Sadness was beginning.

The last time I saw him was a big end of the season party. David was there, arriving fashionably late. He looked amazing and we danced together in the big barn under the stars.

It was there where he lifted my chin, looked into my eyes with all of his glory and said “I know how you feel about me. Because of our age difference, it would be wrong of me to let this go any further”. He gently kissed me on the cheek, turned and left. I never saw him again.

I never forgot David. My heart hurt for so long after that and for a long time it was he whom I compared all other men. That loss was crushing and all encompassing. It was he who filled my thoughts and dreams. I carried a small bottle of his cologne in my bag for years.

The day I met him on a tennis court, the song Butterflies are Free to Fly by Elton John was playing on the boom box. I still think of him 40 years later when I hear that song. He taught me what a true gentleman was. How eloquent he was.

Keep the peace and spread the faith.