TCC: The Sixth Crumb, Part I

Her name was Sam (Samantha); and she was perfection personified. An angel straight from Heaven. A goddess amongst mere mortals. Need I say more?

Yes, it sounds like just the musing of a boy caught-up in the enthrallment of young love; but if you could see what my eyes beheld: you would know that what I felt for her went way beyond anything associated with puppy love. For just one look at that angelic face of her's made everything else meaningless unto me.

Besides: she did not seem to mind spending time with me; and that had to count for something. For it was not like I had a long line of ladies impatiently waiting for their turn to have a little "slap and tickle" time with me.

No, it did not start-out that way. That is, at least not on my part. For I found Sam to be a little too skinny for my taste.

Furthermore: I could not see her fitting into the plans that I had made for my future. For I was going to be a great lawyer; and I envisioned myself being with a lady of distinction: well-grounded in the social graces.

Nonetheless: my parents persisted; and I was soon on-board: albeit only for the sake of appearances. For it was better to be uncomfortable around a girl they liked than to face their wrath.

Much unto my parents chagrin: the relationship got way out-of-hand in a hurry (in their opinion). For taking things slow and easy is not in my nature.

No, I did not get her pregnant; and my school-work, Scouting, and other activities were not adversely effected. My parents still wanted to keep me on a very short leash, however; and this greatly added unto the tension between them and myself.

Yes, I suppose that I should elaborate a little upon how it all got started before the window of opportunity closes. For it was rather unusual.

Perhaps not for everybody; but if you consider finding the light of your life (even if only at the time) at a C.B. Break being held in a hay field in front of her parent's house way down in the depths of Gaddis Holler to be something that does not happen everyday: then we are in agreement. For a chance encounter in a hallway of the high school that we both attended would be much more typical.

Now, for those who do not already know: a C.B. Break is a gathering of people in a given area who are Citizens Band (C.B.) radio enthusiasts. Many are held as a sponsored event of a particular C.B. Club; but the ones that we went to were not so formal. For everyone was welcome to attend: regardless of whether they had a C.B. or not.

Oh my, what fun was had by all (usually). For Sam's father (Mandolin on the radio) and mother (Hummingbird on the radio) worked really hard at being good hosts (food and drink was always served and bluegrass music was often played); and many came from miles away.

Suffice to say: C.B. radios were quite popular back then; and not just in the truck-driving community, neither. For the advent of the age of cell phones was yet to come; and many families used them to keep in touch with their loved ones when they were out and about.

A lot of communication between different families also took place. In fact: much more of that could be heard on Channel 11 than anything else. For this was the frequency that almost everybody in the area monitored whenever they were not on another channel talking to somebody in order to keep Channel 11 clear for others to use; and with the right equipment: you could reach out and touch somebody 20 miles or so away when the skip was down.

To the best of my knowledge: skip on a C.B. radio is caused by an atmospheric phenomenon that will carry radio signals long distances; and there are times when you can even have a conversation with someone far away. For I have heard my father talking to people who lived near Atlanta, GA and Albany, NY; but for the most part: you can only hear one side of a conversation that someone is having with someone else.

This is also happens while mobile. For there was one night when I was traveling west on I-40, somewhere in New Mexico (NM), that I heard someone give a bear report (giving locations of highway patrol cars in an area); and when I asked him where he was: he told me that he was just north of Medford, OR headed for Seattle, WA (well over a thousand miles northwest of where I was)!!!

Anyway: it was soon after we made our move from the Eagle Rock area unto the Bates Corner area in 1972 that my father got bitten by the C.B. bug; and the virus quickly spread throughout the family. For a mobile unit was installed in all of our vehicles; and the base unit was constantly on during waking hours.

Since that was before the days of deregulation: everyone who wanted to use their C.B.'s as a means of communication had to apply for a F.C.C. (Federal Communications Commission) license in order to legally do so. My father was assigned: KFS-6407; and I am absolutely amazed that I can still remember that.

In the beginning: I was very enthusiastic about talking on the radio; but the thrill was soon gone after I was finally allowed to drive by myself. For I had to be in almost constant contact with either Buddy B (my father) or Cherokee (my mother) while driving.

It was a lot worse when Sam and I were out on a date. For I had no idea what embarrassment really was until I could hear my voice over the speakers at the drive-in movie theater when I had to answer my father.

No, just turning the thing off was not an option. For my father told me (in no uncertain terms) that he would come up there if I ever tried it; and I believed that he really would.

Even worse: my father also told me that my days of driving by myself would be over if I ever failed to answer him over the radio; and that was not a risk that I was willing to take. For I had already suffered through not being allowed to even take my driving test until I was almost 17.

No, the reason for the delay was not because of not being ready. For I had already purchased (with my parent's permission) a 1961 Chevrolet Apache 10 pick-up truck with money that I had saved from working at Johnson's during the summer months while school was not in session; and as for the drivers license test: I scored a 100% on the written part, and a 98% on the road skills part (the evaluator told my father that he took-off 2 points for general control because he never gives a 100% score unto new drivers).

Yes, it could be said that I probably brought it all upon myself. For it was not like I had always been the epitome of responsibility; and that D- certainly did not bode well for my cause.

Despite all of that: be assured that the real reason for the delay was another outbreak of Rheumatic Feveritis. For my parents just could not shake the great fear that they felt for my safety.

No, I had no appreciation for their concern at the time. For it was putting a major crimp in my style: especially in regards unto my burgeoning love life; but Sam hung in there with me.

Perhaps she really was an angel who was hidden from all others just for me to find. For one of her classmates came up to me one day at school and asked me where I had found such a knock-out; and after I told him her name: the look of shock on his face was one for the ages. For he realized that they had been going to school together for over 7 years!

Just a late bloomer? Perhaps; but what a sight to behold. For she looked a lot like Jaclyn Smith (one of the original "Charlie's Angels", along with Kate Jackson and Farrah Fawcett) unto me; and she certainly turned-heads wherever she went.

Yes, I had it bad for her; and that sure put a damper on my enthusiasm for going on a very special trip with the Vaughn's (my Scoutmaster and his family) during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. For I did not want to spend a minute more away from her than I had to.

By then: my parents were starting to regret the part they had played in getting us together. So: they were all for me spending a month away from Sam; and after making another one of their patented offers that I could not refuse unto me: away I went.

Yes, I wound-up having a lot of fun on the trip. For I got to see Chimney Rock (a National Monument near Scottsbluff, NE) up close and personal, a July snow flurry in Casper, WY, and the rain forest around Forks, WA. We also went deep-sea fishing in the Pacific Ocean (five miles out of La Push, WA); and who could forget the wall of mosquitoes that came upon us at a KOA Campground in Laramie, WY. For I passed Steven (Charlie's son, a year younger than me) like he was standing still; and he could run a 100 yard dash in 10 seconds flat!

Nonetheless: I still could not wait until I was back in my baby's arms; and I was being as serious as I could be when I swore that we would never be apart that long again. Hmm, I seem to remember reading something or another in the Bible about not boasting about tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1); and a little more than a year later I discovered why. For I found myself facing an even longer time away from her.