Bleeding Perseverance - Episode 25

Autobiography Fridays

CHAPTER 10a

Love: The Greatest Joy

One of the new inmate friend’s Fred had introduced us to was a Mexican-American guy named Mike. He and his wife Mary had three daughters and one son. Angie, seventeen, Lupe, fifteen, and Lydia, around eight or nine years old. Their son, also named Mike, was about thirteen years old.

The day we met the family a light joke was made about Lupe and I being the same age and the possibility of becoming boyfriend/girlfriend. Sounds like a repeat of the past with Renata, huh? But oh how this would prove to be so much different.

Upon first meeting Lupe, not only did I think she wasn’t my type, but I actually tried to avoid her. You see, we’d see them every weekend at prison visits, and the adults wouldn’t let up on how the two of us should be together. Because of this I decided to skip a few visits. But even though I wasn’t there such talk still went on. Mom ended up giving them our phone number, and a few days later Lupe called.

Our first conversation lasted for a couple of hours. We talked about everything from school to visiting the prison. Turns out I enjoyed talking to her, and we made plans to talk again the next day.

One day turned into another, and before long a week of daily talking had passed. She told me her address and said I should come see her. It was also around this time that Mom and I met a few of Fred’s relatives from his Mexican side of the family. Most of them didn’t show much interest in getting to know us, but we took a special liking to one of his nieces. She was about seven years old and enjoyed spending time with us as well, so she’d stay over at our place sometimes.

The day I was to go visit Lupe, Fred’s niece was at the apartment. Mom was going to do something, so I took the niece with me and we set out to Lupe’s house.

She lived in the same part of town as we did, so I thought it wouldn’t be that hard to find the place. We found our way to the beginning of Arcade Street, then started walking, keeping an eye on the addresses. We were in the triple digits and her house had double digits. By the time we found it a couple of hours had passed and Fred’s niece was about to drop.

Angie was the only one home. She said Lupe and the others had left for a while, but should be back shortly, and asked if I wanted any crap. Thinking I might have heard her wrong, I asked, “some what?” “Crab.” Ok, I understood that time. Not being a seafood eater other than shrimp and fish sticks, I politely declined and waited for Lupe to arrive. While sitting there Angie told me about a much shorter way of getting to the house. If only I had known beforehand. Soon Mom called and said she needed to pick up Fred’s niece and get her home. We had recently gotten another used car after the Datsun died. It was one of those basic station wagons, White with a brown stripe in the middle.

I decided to wait for Lupe, so Mom took Fred’s niece and said she’d be back for me later. Eventually Lupe showed up. She seemed different now. Cuter. I guess speaking to her on the phone all those hours changed my perception. Talk about beauty lying in the eyes of the beholder.

Since it was about a week before Christmas I had bought along a gift for her. A crystal rose. When I gave it to her she gave me a hug, then we sat and talked for a few hours.

When Mom arrived to pick me up she stayed in the car and honked the horn. I said goodbye to everyone, then Lupe walked me out. About a couple of yards before the car it was like something magical took over. We both turned to each other at the same exact time and started to kiss. Not only was this my first real kiss, but it was a French kiss at that! It was just something that happened so naturally. It was like we didn’t have a care in the world.

During the ride home my mind was on nothing but her. After so many years of waiting for such a special moment I was in awe, and wanted more. Mom joked, saying, “I saw what you did to that girl.” I didn’t care if the whole world saw! What I had sought after for what seemed a lifetime had now arrived. And man was I intoxicated!