Memory Triggers

Brothers of Briar

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RSteve

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As I noted in another thread, my younger daughter asked me to make some guacamole for tonight's supper. I went to the grocery and picked up four fairly ripe avocados. As I approached my car in the grocery's lot, I saw an elderly nun slowly get out of her car. She was small, quite bent, and certainly in her early to mid 80s. She wasn't wearing the full nun's habit of years ago, but did have the head covering and had a large cross hanging around her neck.
It instantly brought a memory to mind that gave me a bit of a laugh.

When I was in the Graduate School of Journalism and Mass communication, there was a small MassCom library. The librarian was a graduate student in the School of Library Science. She was a couple, perhaps a few, years older than me, but I was determined to date her.
One day, around noon, I asked her if she had lunch plans, and if not, would she join me. Bingo, she said she'd be happy to join me. We had a nice lunch, talked about graduate school; nothing really serious. I thought I'd set the hook and a few days later asked her if she'd accompany me to a University theater production and, of course, dinner prior to the performance. I was thrilled when she immediately said, yes.
The dinner and performance went well and when I walked her to her nearby apartment, I gave her a good night kiss. She smiled and said, "That is the first kiss a man has ever given me. Please come in my apartment for a cup of tea and some conversation."

Something was going awry. "I am a sister in the order of Car*******. My parents gave me to the Church when I was fourteen. I went to the convent high school and graduated from Saint Scholastica college. I've been teaching in the Duluth Catholic schools for several years and now am studying to be a college librarian at my alma mater. (I thought a mental oops.)

After we had our tea, she walked me to her door, and leaned forward to be kissed again before I left.

I spoke with her often, casually in the library, but we only had that one date.

A few months later, I noticed she was wearing a diamond engagement ring. Huh?

"Steve, after our date, I knew my life would be unfulfilled if I returned to the order. I needed a husband and family. I left the order, am finishing my M.S. in Library Science, but will be starting law school in the fall."

While I was officially a groomsman at her wedding, I actually felt like a bride's maid.

When I saw the little old nun get out of her car, I thought to myself, what if I hadn't given Annie that first kiss?
 
What if you'd asked her for another date? Oh well. A fork in the road.
I was about 25, Annie, close to 30. She never told me she was leaving her order. If she'd wanted another date with me, I think she'd have told me. Later, I learned that after she'd decided to leave her order, she'd set her sites on one of my classmates, whom she did marry.
 
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