" I've started a nice new thread in the hope that you will continue your story. Perhaps I ought to have searched out the old one..."
Pen
I cannot disappoint you Pen, so I have found the old thread & will continue ;
Year 7 has come to an end & we are all enjoying our school holidays.
I mentioned previously, that after my father passed, Diane (big sister) dropped straight out of school & found herself a job at the local supermarket so she was able to pay board & help Mum pay the bills.
At the end of that year, Trevor ( eldest brother ) finished school & found himself a job in a sheet metal factory so he was also able to pay board & (supposedly) also help Mum pay the bills. ( He has always been a tight arse & still is to this day. )
Barry ( middle brother & the brains of the outfit ) got a job doing a paper run every morning before school, half of what he earned, was supposed to go to Mum & the rest was his pocket money. ( I am not sure how he managed it but there was some very clever accounting that ensured that he kept 90% of what he had earned. )
My contribution was to go around the neighbourhood offering to mow lawns, anything that I earned, I was allowed to keep as my pocket money.
Barry & I had always been very close, we were brothers, but we were also best mates, I followed him around everywhere, after all, he was a star athlete at " everything " , an A grade student & always had girls chasing after him.
Of course after Dad's passing, our bond became even stronger, as he tended to take me under his wing & for all of those questions that a young boy would normally ask of his father, I would always turn to Barry for advice.
It's the first week of school holidays & all I can think about is building up enough courage to ask Betty for an actual movie date at the flicks for the upcoming Saturday afternoon matinee.
I convinced Greg & Ross ( two mates that I had been with all through primary school ) to ask their sweethearts to the movies & we would all meet up at the cinema on Saturday afternoon.
As naïve as I was, I knew that if you asked a girl out then you were expected to pay for everything, how convenient, I barely have enough money to pay for my own ticket & can not possibly cover her expenses as well so my reasoning was that I haven't chickened out but have simply deferred the event until I could save up the required funds.
Ross had an older brother named Murray & Greg had an older brother named Peter & they were in the same class as & best mates with my older brother, Barry.
By pure coincidence , all of our surnames began with the letter " B " so we were known as the (the little bees).
Barry had heard from the big bees what the little bees were up to & asked me what time I was going to be meeting Betty on Saturday.
He saw right through my feeble excuse & as he handed me some cash, explained that all you have to do is go over to Betty's place & knock on the door.
If her parents answer the door, just be polite, introduce yourself & tell them that you would like to speak to Betty as you wish to ask her to the movies on Saturday.
I can not ever remember being so nervous, as I tentatively knock on the front door of Betty's house.
Betty's mother answers the door, I remember my script & recite it perfectly.
Of course Les, come in & take a seat while I go and get Betty.
I can faintly here a conversation, " Betty, there is a boy here to see you, oh no it's not Bruce again is it, no, your father has spoken to his parents & he will not be bothering you any more, this boys name is Les , ok, I'm coming straight away.
As Betty sits next to me on the lounge chair, her father suddenly appears, what is going on in here & who in the hell are you?
As I stand up & start mumbling about who I am, Betty's Mum comes in & ushers Betty's father away.
As we chat about the previous school year & in particular what a great time we both had the school dance, my confidence builds & I ask her the question.
She responds with an immediate " yes " but I just have to check with mum first.
Then after an intense " grilling " from both mother & father , approval is finally given.
Betty walks me out to the front gate to say goodbye but there are eyes on us so it is just a kiss on the cheek until I see you on Saturday....