Valentine's Day Date

The folded piece of paper flew across the classroom. Alerted to its arrival by its sender, I easily caught it. The note read, “Will you go out with me? Love, Randy” I smiled nervously and quickly wrote back. “Yes, but let’s not get too serious!” I tossed the note back. There was a short break in class instruction. Our teacher was looking for some papers on his desk, and not paying much attention to us right now. It was unlikely that we were going to get in trouble for our love note throwing. So, with an accepted offer, our sixth-grade romance began.

He was no ordinary boy. He was the very first boy I would see each morning and at the end of each school day. I only had eyes for him, but he was literally the first boy from class that I saw each day at school. One of only two junior crossing guards, Randy assisted our adult Crossing Guard. Randy wore a neon green vest with a shiny silver badge attached. His attire made him stand out, even more so than his above average height. Bertie, our Crossing Guard, wore an impeccably pressed dark blue uniform with a square white hat. The hat lay atop her bright red hair, which was visible from a block away. Bertie was kind, friendly, and almost always had a big smile and pleasantries for all. (Just like Randy.) That is unless, of course, a student did not listen to her directions to stop or walk as told. Then, all bets were off. Bernie’s demeanor could change in an instant. She got close to the errant crosser, and in no uncertain terms, told them never to disobey her instructions again. After all, crossing a busy street was serious business. Rarely, was there a second offense by anyone.  

Our heights, the calendar, brains, and chess club, (more on chess later), had brought Randy and I together. It was inevitable that the tallest girl in the class would gravitate toward the tallest boy in the class. It was the early 70's and an unwritten rule that a boy should be at least the same size as a girl in a relationship. My dating height options among sixth-grade boys were few. I was the tallest girl in our class. Sonny and Cher may have done okay with their height difference, but it didn’t work that way at our school. There might be exceptions for celebrities, but not for us. Randy’s birthday was August 1st and mine was August 10^th . Only a few students didn’t get to have school birthday parties, so that was another important thing that we had in common. 

Randy was the smartest boy in our class. I may have won the height contest among the girls, and almost all the boys for that matter, but I was not the smartest girl in the class. I was in the top five, though. There was a lot of competition at the top to be the smartest girl in class, but among the boys, not so much. Randy was clearly number the number one boy in class in both height and brains. Adults and kids alike said he was destined for great things, even though we were only in sixth grade in a little community school located in an outer borough of NYC.

School was the setting, the epicenter, and the totality of our romance. Randy lived in the projects and my family had inherited a modest house a few blocks from school. Our school zone included an equal number of students from the projects, private homes, and bussed students. It was quite a diverse crowd. Home was still the center of all our social lives at eleven years old. The neighborhood park was as far as we usually ventured. Randy’s path and mine did not cross in the park after school since it was too far from his home. We mainly kept to our backyards and played with kids on our block. We spent weekends with family and church activities. The thought of getting together outside of school didn’t even seem like an option for us.

It had been a mild winter so far with a decent amount of rain. It was quiet and peaceful in our little world. Some adults said we were due for some nasty storms and snow. Most of us were safely able to walk to school in the early morning, and home for lunch. Both Randy and I were both popular among our teachers and classmates. Based on our Fifth-Grade teacher’s recommendations, Andy got the coveted position of junior crossing guard. I was a class monitor for the younger kids at lunch time lineup. I had a shiny round white button that said “Monitor” in big blue letters. I was just as proud of my button as Randy was of his vest and badge. In fact, I was even prouder, since I was the only girl from my class recommended that year by my teacher.

Our fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Watts, was a tough teacher and difficult to get along with. She spent most of her time yelling at students for minor infractions, like whispering or looking out the window. By some stroke of luck, Mrs. Watts had taken a liking to me. I was by all accounts, the Teacher’s Pet. Even when I was talking, or goofing off, she never noticed. If she did, she never called me out for my misbehaviors. She would even blame other kids around me, but never scolded me. Looking back, perhaps she felt sorry for me. I was very tall and thin. My arms and legs were long. My curly hair went every which way. I pushed my bangs to one side, where they covered my right eye most of the time. I slouched with rounded shoulders. Despite my height and physical awkwardness, I was a fast runner. I also loved to laugh and have fun, especially in school. Mrs. Watts overlooked my bad behaviors, otherwise I most certainly would have ended up in the Principal’s office like so many of my classmates.

We went about our daily lives without much care or interest in the larger world around us. We would enjoy silly shows on tv, walking to the local library, reading books, and playing in the park. We had no real worries. It seemed as if New Year’s had just passed and now February was in full force. Valentine’s Day was coming up very soon. It was on a Wednesday this year, right in the middle of the week. That meant we could see our friends and have a party. Wednesdays were already fun at school because we had gym in the morning and early release for religious classes in the afternoon. Valentine’s Day would make this week in February even more special, especially for those couples “going out” with each other – like Randy and me. 

Elementary school was grand. We had not a care in the world. That’s the way it felt most days. The most important thing I had to remember on Wednesdays was to bring sneakers to school for gym class. Girls had to wear or bring pants to change for gym class. We needed to be wearing comfortable clothes that we could run and exercise in. On Mondays we had Art class, Tuesdays were for special library time. On Fridays, which were almost as fun as Wednesdays, we had Assembly in the morning in the auditorium. Thursdays were regular instruction days and kind of boring. On Fridays, everyone had to wear a white shirt. Boys had to wear a tie, dress pants and girls wore skirts. We would sing, play recorders, and sometimes watch a movie about natural resources or industries in the United States. The best thing about Fridays was that in the afternoons we could choose a club to attend. In fifth grade, I was in the Nature Club. We walked around the neighborhood and explored a vacant lot across the street. In the lot we examined plants, rocks, and trees. We searched for hard-to-find fossils. It was great fun to be outside, and the weather was usually mild. This year, Randy and I were in the chess club together on Friday afternoons.

Sometimes, he let me win a game, but he was by far the better chess player of the two of us. We had so much fun. We laughed easily while making our moves. Many times, Randy would look at the move I was about to make and say, “are you sure about that?” It felt natural, comfortable to hang out with him. We smiled at each other easily and often. There was no pressure to win, and we both enjoyed time away from regular school lessons. 

On the Friday before Valentine’s Day, I casually asked Randy if he was going to the afterschool party at Betty’s. Betty had invited eight kids, consisting of four couples. Her mom worked every day until five, so we had the whole place to ourselves. Betty was an only child, so there were no pesky siblings to worry about. It sounded ideal. Randy said, ”of course I’m going! I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” I smiled and blushed. The party plan was to play games like Spin the Bottle and Seven Minutes in Heaven. Someone would spin the bottle and then kiss the person it stopped on and pointed at. Seven minutes in Heaven meant that a couple would go into a room together and make-out for seven minutes. Of course, the rest of the party goers kept track of the time.

I had never kissed a boy. Although, I had thought about it for hours. So far, it had never happened. I would think about meeting up with Randy and kissing him on the lips. I imagined going through the doors in the back of the gym, among the lockers, and kissing him in there, far from everyone else. Students did not use the locker rooms behind the gym. The locker room doors were closed and locked. In my fantasy, I never figured out how we would get through the locked doors. Perhaps, we would find them mysteriously left open.

Sure, I had had crushes on boys through the years. The most recent crush was on Dom. We walked home from school together every day in third grade, before my family moved to the new house. On our last walk home, Dom gave me a book about dolphins as a going away gift. We were sad to say goodbye, but we did it quickly and nonchalantly. I treasure that book even today and wonder how Dom is doing. I loved Dom and cried when I got home that day. Don was lots of fun and a loyal walking companion. That Friday, I knew I would never see him again.

But now on this Friday, all I could think of was the upcoming Valentine’s Day party. Afterschool, I went with some friends to shop at the local stationery store. I bought a cute statue for Randy. It had a girl holding a big heart that said, “I Love You”. They wrapped if for free at the store and it was within my budget, five dollars, including tax. I hid it in my book bag and then afterwards under my bed. I didn’t talk to my parents about boys and didn’t want them to know about Randy. I figured they would not approve of going out with a boy in sixth grade. They certainly would not approve of my party plans.

I could barely sleep on Tuesday night, nor eat much during supper that night. I was so excited. All the cool kids would be there. There would be snacks, music, and making out. We would exchange gifts and have a blast. Most importantly, and finally, Randy and I would get to kiss! My heart literally fluttered in anticipation of the upcoming events.

When the big day arrived, I retrieved the present from under my bed, and stashed it into my book bag. I wore my favorite purple and pink sweater, the one that showed off my growing chest. I also wore a bright red headband in my hair for the special day. I could barely finish my tea and toast at breakfast. I was in a hurry to leave the house. I tried to look my best, whatever that was. Mom said to wear a heavy jacket. She had heard there might be some snow later in the day. I reminded my mom that after religious instruction, I was going directly to Betty’s for a pizza party. I would be home by six because it was a school night. Mom said she remembered and said to have a good time. Oh yes, mom, I was going to have a good time!

Everyone at school seemed happy and was wearing something red. Even Mr. Luger, our teacher, was wearing a very stylish red tie. He passed around a large box of chocolates in the morning. He was so thoughtful and kind, so long as you paid attention to his lessons. He read some silly love poems to us and we laughed. I glanced at Randy and he winked at me. During gym, we lined up for square dancing, and had some more laughs. The record was old and scratchy, and we giggled as we do-si-doed around the gym in pairs. We wondered why the school had this curriculum for gym, laughing all the while. Later, at lunchtime, I ate in the lunchroom, because it was an early release day. Plus, there was so much to talk about because of the upcoming party.

Finally, at two o’clock, two nonparty friends and I, ran to catch the city bus that went to church school. After a ten-minute ride, we stopped on our walk to have hot chocolate at the local diner. It was a tasty treat that we had each week. Unfortunately, our class dragged, and I was very bored. My mind was full of thoughts of all the fun and kissing that was going to take place at the party. Finally, the bell rang, and class was over. Thank God!

We walked quickly back to the bus and it arrived just as we got to the stop. It had been snowing and the roads were a bit slippery. Getting on, we flashed our pink bus passes, for February, and moved to seats in the middle. The bus was very crowded, and full of high school students. They were large, loud, and intimidating. We tried not to look at them and hoped that they would ignore us as well. I said goodbye to my friends and got off at a different stop, one that was closer to Betty’s place. I walked quickly, careful not to fall or slip on the freshly fallen snow. I rang the bell and quickly put a hand through my hair and wet my lips. It was barely four-fifteen, and the party had started about three-thirty. I hoped I hadn’t missed anything. I rang the doorbell.

Betty answered the door and looked terrible and was crying. She said, “you can’t come in and there is no party”. I was shocked and couldn’t believe my ears. She continued, “I have some bad news. There was an accident at school. A car plowed into some kids and Bertie at the crosswalk in front of the school. The driver couldn’t stop on the slippery road. An ambulance took them to the nearest hospital”. My mouth went dry, and tears came to my eyes. “Was Randy hit?”, I asked. “Yes”, she said. Betty hadn’t seen the accident but said everyone was in bad shape. “Oh, dear God” I said and ran home as quickly as I could.

How could this have happened? I thought as I ran home. The snow was coming down heavy now. I could barely see through the snow and my tears. When I arrived home, my Mom asked me what was wrong, and why was I home so soon? I told mom, through my sobs, that there had been a terrible accident at school and a car had hit some kids and Bertie. The driver apparently had been unable to stop on the slippery road. They were now all in the hospital.

Later that night, around nine, the phone rang. I ran to answer it. It was Robert. Robert was Randy’s best friend. He was crying. He said Randy’s Mom had called and said Randy and another kid didn’t make it. Their injuries were too bad for them to survive. Thanks, I said to Robert, and I could barely hang up the phone. I began to sob uncontrollably.

Postscript

A plaque dedicated later that year in front of the school read:

We dedicate this plaque to our brave crossing guard and students who perished on February 14, 1973. May we never forget them and the loved ones they left behind.