It sure did get better. I don't ever
remember feeling quite this way about a guy before...not like this. He was so
attentive to me...so agreeable...easy going....generous. And in the coming weeks
we went to clubs and on long drives through the country, just to talk. Ron was
such a 'romantic'....he loved sweeping me up in his arms and just carrying me to
the pick-up truck, or to the front door of my parent's house. He often surprised
me by doing that...kissing me the entire time I was in his arms. Ron was
wonderful in EVERY area of our relationship.
On August 13th, 1982, Friday night, Robin
agreed to come pick me up and take me to the Lighthouse Inn to meet Ron. See,
back then I did not drive and I had arranged to go spend the weekend with Robin,
but she worked the night shift and had to work that night. She wouldn't be able
to go to the club with me, but she said she'd come give me a ride there. I was
going to be with Ron all evening and spend the night with her...you know. So,
before she went to work, she and Johnny came to Rising Sun to get me for the
weekend.
I was so excited and couldn't wait to see
Ron later that night. I was falling soooo in love with him. I made a special
outfit to wear and was just dying to show it off to him.
Well, the three of us piled into the front
of Robin's big ol' green Monte Carlo and off we went. We didn't get too very far
up the road....I just remember lighting a cigarette (I was
a smoker back then, too) and *BANG*....my head hit the
passenger side window and then I went forward and all I know was...I'm hurting.
I didn't realize what had happened...I
thought I fell! Then I remembered being in a car...and we had an accident. I
remember reaching up and feeling where I hurt and I just knew I'd be placing my
hand into my head....but I didn't. I was already getting a huge knot on my
head...and then I was stunned to see long strands of my hair hanging right down
in front of me from around the windshield. Oh, great...now I have a bald spot on
the side of my head. At least my hair was long then, too, and it covered it
pretty well.
Robin was upset, to say the least.
Now...you have to know Robin to know what I mean...if she is upset, you've had
it....and someone done 'messed up her beautiful car'....and they were in
trouble. She checked to see if Johnny and I were alright, then she stormed out
of the car to scream and cry at the guy who hit us broadside. I don't think I
can repeat any of what she said....not on here.
The next thing I knew, people were
surrounding us and helping us out onto the side of the road and the embankment.
The police and an ambulance arrived and my head had been hurting so bad. They
strapped me on a back-board and neck brace and all kinds of things of that
nature, and off to the hospital we all went.
And I can tell you, we made the best of it.
We were basically fine, but getting checked out and having to go through all of
that red tape. All I could think of was Ron. I'd be less than honest if I told
you I was fretting more over the loss of my friend's car. But, remember, I was
in love...and all I could think of was how worried Ron would be if I didn't show
up.
When we knew we would be alright, I got to
a pay phone in the hospital and called home to let my parents know what
happened. My sister Christy (the princess)
got on the phone and said Ron had been calling...worried. I told her to tell
him, if he called again, what had happened and that I would still be
spending the night with Robin...and for him to meet me there. I knew my dad was
drunk at home and I didn't want him to come get me ...no way I was getting in
the car with a drunk driver, and especially not after this night.
The doctor finally came in to check us
over....the three of us were placed in the same room...and we were having a ball
laughing about how Robin cussed that man out. The doctor checked me first and
the first thing he wanted to do was check my knee reflexes. Well, he grabbed my
leg before I could explain to him that it would not be necessary. Boy, where is
a camera when you need one? You just can't imagine the look on the doctor's face
when he discovered, the hard way, that my leg was not real...(remember,
I'm a double amputee)...so then he reaches out for the
other one....no, sorry, that one isn't real either. Bet he had some good 'dinner
conversation' with someone that night.
Then, what really had us nearly dying
laughing was when he approached Robin...and just before going for her knees, he
asked her if HER legs were real. We got such a great laugh from that. And here
was Johnny, already trying to heal from his last accident. What a mess we were.
We were given pain pills and released as being 'two contusions and a head
trauma'.
We got Robin's sister to take us to the
Lighthouse Inn so I could see if Ron had arrived.... I was already so late. I
didn't know if he had called home again or not. He was not there. Finally, we
went to Robin's apartment and she called in to work and told them she wouldn't
be there. I was looking out of their living room window and saw Robin's cousin's
van pulling up. Great! Maybe Ron knows where my Ron is. We had passed the
van just up the road...at a nearby bar and had thought about walking over and
seeing if Ron knew where my Ron was.
Lo and behold, my Ron got out of the
driver's side. He and Ron were out, had been looking for us, and my Ron borrowed
the van to come try to find us. He found me! My knight in a huge van found me!!
And he was limping. He had injured his knee earlier.
But when we saw each other we just fell
into each other's arms and into a long, wonderful 'I
missed you' kiss. We were safe now. And we took note that it seemed as though
when Ron and I were together everything went wonderful...and when we were apart
we ended up with all kinds of 'bad stuff' happening. We were safe in each
other's arms.
We stayed at Robin's for hours...talking
and snuggling on the couch talking to Robin and Johnny's other sister Darlene.
Ron fell asleep and I didn't realize it, until he woke up and he was
kissing my arm where his head had been resting.....he was biting little kisses
up and down my arm.
He offered to take me home, since he had to
go to work later that day. Then, as soon as we reached the door to her
apartment, he swept me up in his arms, injured knee and all, and carried me down
all of those steps....bless his heart. He continued carrying me to his friend's
van and placed me in the seat....and then he took me home, where he spent the
next several hours messaging my aching muscles and bones and kissing my little
bald spot from where my hair had been ripped out in the wreck. We were in
pitiful shape, the both of us...and so happy to be together. Nothing ever went
wrong when we were together...only when we were apart...and now we were just
kissing our boo-boos. (I know, I know.......sickening,
isn't it?)
He finally went home after while. We saw
each other several times during the week. On Tuesday he called my mom's beauty
shop and made an appointment for me to trim his hair for him. I was so surprised
to learn that my next customer was him. He kept it a secret from me until he
walked in the door. I worked part time in my mom's shop for some extra money. I
trimmed his hair, and even his moustache ....giggling the entire time...(couldn't
do anything with me....I was in love)
