What If

   One: I Lied

I lied!

On that day;

on December 8, 1951

in Evanston, Illinois

upon meeting,

upon meeting and instantly falling in love

with the girl on the kitty-corner stool

I lied.

Not immediately

but later.

I lied later.

Upon meeting Susan’s parents

I lied.

Upon discovering that college,

–for the wellbeing of their daughter –

upon discovering that a superior college education

was of the upmost importance

within the minds of Susan’s parents…

and in the mind of Susan.

Until this moment college not a consideration,

what else could I do?

I lied.

When one is young

when this then seventeen year old boy

met and instantly fell in love

with this then sixteen year old girl

who’s love was somehow,

who’s love was instantly reciprocal

considering this girl,

considering this girl’s reciprocal love

as a gift from God,

praying the past eleven years of laziness

could be overcome,

would,

with the help of God,

be overcome.

When one is young

when one has met the girl

the girl he knows,

the girl the young man simply knew

is the girl that one day

he would marry

and if all that stood in the way

was a college education…

was a superior college education,

then being a young man

then being a very young man

that felt…

that truly believed

if he worked hard enough,

this gift from God,

with the help of God,

those past years would be overcome.

But for then,

upon meeting the girl’s parents

what more could this

– far from studious –

young man do but lie?

To be continued

©January  15, 2012 / Mark M. Lichterman