The First Time
I will always remember the first time I fell in love. It was like the sky opened up and a beam of sunshine broke through radiating my entire being with brilliance. Even the birds seemed to be singing their songs only for me as if time was suspended and this moment would be recorded in the annals of history forever.
The day began simple enough with me eating the breakfast my mother had prepared. I tried to remain calm as she rubbed my face and hands with the dreaded Vaseline that I had to endure whenever we went out in public. I never understood the importance of the ritual but she always insisted it kept us from being ashy; something all Black mothers seemed to dread.
My mother told me that I needed to be good and not make her ashamed. I had no idea what she could be ashamed of but it seemed a good idea to take heed of her warning. As she packed my sister and little brother into the car, her excitement seemed to increase. When we arrived at our destination, everything seemed normal enough as we walked into this large building bustling with activity. My mother hurried me down the long hallway until we met a lady she seemed to know. She let go of my hand and I was led into a room filled with other children. After being seated at a round table and handed my first book, we were told “See Tip run. Run Tip run.”
I didn’t have any idea who Tip was but I knew my mother was gone and I was ready to go too. I got up from the table, walked out of the room, and exited the building. In those days the exit doors were left open because the buildings weren’t air-conditioned so there wasn’t a barrier to overcome. Times were different back then and there was scarcely any concern about a child being harmed while being in school.
As I reached the end of the sidewalk leading to the street, I heard a voice call my name. When I turned around, I saw the prettiest girl I had ever met. “Roscoe, Miss Levine told me to bring you back in.” She then took me by the hand and I floated back into the school on wings of love. I found out later, her name was Demetria and that was the beginning of a bond that has endured for 62 years.