A date for prom night gone wrong

A date for prom night gone wrong

By Jennine Donier

2/13/2020.

It was early May in 1967 and I was attending in my senior year. In Trout Lake, WA. Trout Lake was a small community in the Cascade Mountains in Klickitat county.  The school was K-12. It is a rural, dairy and logging community. 

I wanted to go to the prom which was in two weeks. So did my sister Candace.  All the girls in our small school of 120 students were talking about the prom and getting ready for it.   Many had been asked to go with various of the boys there.  We were not that popular in our school.  And so far no one has asked us.  

We attended a church that was 60 miles away in Vancouver Washington at the WW Church of God and went twice a month.  

There were a lot of young men we knew there.  But we did not think it was right to ask a boy being in the 1960's girls just did not ask boys for dates. However, Mom put a bug in the ear of some of her friends.  It was not long before my sister was asked by Hollis C if he could take her to the Prom at our school.  He lived about 30 miles from us. He was a tall, dark haired young man and liked my sister. 

I figured well at least my younger sister had a date and I would just go alone and watch.  But just before we left to go home.  Lloyd M hurried up to us when we were getting ready to drive the 60 miles home. He said he heard I was having a Prom at my high school and asked if he could take me. I really liked Lloyd he could play the bagpipes and was good looking. He was one of several boys who liked me as well. 

I agreed and he got our address from us and dad gave him the message phone to call us. We did not have a telephone in our house.  So the local grocery store would send someone with a message for us. He said he didn't have a car but he would catch the bus from Vancouver to Bingen, Washington and dad said he would meet him there Friday evening.   The Dance was Saturday evening.  

Mom took us girls shopping and we both got pretty gowns for the dance and our dates.  We were so excited and happy.  The girls at school were surprised but happy to hear we had dates coming from our church. That Friday the P.E teacher Mr. S wanted the girls P.E class to run the four miles from the school roads that were in the valley.  

I was a very fast runner and we all set off to run the course. Mr. S drove behind us and any girls that seemed to be flagging he would pick up in his car.  I was into the 3 mile stretch with another mile to go when my tennis shoe sole blew out.  The road was hot tar.  I just took off both shoes and kept running.  I was well ahead of all the girls.  

As I was running I saw three girls veer off across a cow pasture a short cut to the school across Trout Creek.  They were cheating.   I kept running and had a half mile to go. Mr. S drove up along side asked if I wanted to ride back as he saw I was carrying my shoes. I shook my head no.  But regretted I had not said yes.  

 When I got to the school and showered my feet felt very sore. Looking I had huge blisters forming on both feet from running on the hot tar.   But I came in first other than the cheaters who Mr. S had seen taking the short cut. He let them know they had cheated and it would affect their grade.

 With my sore feet I did not know what I was I going to do. Or how Lloyd would take the bad news. Tomorrow night was the big dance.  Mr. S had me hobble to the office where they put ointment and gauze on my feet and I put my socks back on and then my regular shoes but it hurt to walk. Thankfully we only had one class left before going home.   I hobbled out to the school bus and my brothers helped me onto and then when we got home off the bus.   

Mom felt bad for me she had me soak my feet in Epsom salts and the blisters popped. She again wrapped my feet in gauze and told me to rest for the night and she and my sister did my chores and fixed dinner.   Dad had gone to pick up Lloyd in Bingen at the bus stop.  So mom saved him some dinner.  

About 7:00 p.m Got home and came in he looked sad.  He said sorry Dautsy that was my nickname my parents called me, but your fella wasn't on the bus.  I stopped at the store and he had called that he had missed the bus due to a traffic accident en-route.  He would not be coming as the next bus out would not get him here on time. 

Wow what a horrible day it had turned out to be.  I went to bed with tears in my eyes and cried myself to sleep with aching heart and sore feet.  The next day around 1:00 p.m Hollis arrived and mom and my sister got things ready for my sister to go to prom that evening while dad visited with my sisters date.   

Hollis felt bad for me hearing Lloyd could not make it and also because of my sore feet.   He left the room for a bit and dad came and gave me a hug.  He said, I would take you but it would just not be right. 

 I was resigned to sit home and not wear that pretty dress mom had got for me.  Wondering when if ever I would get a chance to wear it.  Mom and my sister fixed dinner and we sat down to eat. My sister would finish getting ready for the prom after dinner was over. 

 Mom told my brothers they could do the dishes for a change. Both protested but dad gave them a stern look and told them any man should be able to wash a dish or two so stop grumbling.    

As we were eating. My sister smiled at me and said, Jenny; Hollis had an idea and I agreed if you are willing.   I looked at her wondering what was up.  

She looked at Hollis and he said well I thought maybe it would be alright if I took both you ladies to the dance. How often does a fellow get to take two pretty girls to a dance.  I felt sort of funny, but also had a glimmer of hope.  Then moving my foot felt the soreness of the blisters still healing.  I shook my head and said no I could not dance anyway.  

Don't worry Hollis replied I can dance you around the floor without you having to be on your feet or moving them.  My mom and dad started grinning and dad said well why not, Mom said come on both you. Lets get you ready to go.   

So I did get to go to the prom. Hollis took both of us and took turns dancing with us.  He just scooped me up and had me stand on his feet as he danced me across the dance floor and then just carried me in his arms a few times whirling me around.   

Though my feet were sore still, I got to go to the prom and had a pretty good time.  A few other fellows seeing what Hollis was doing also stepped in to ask me to dance. Just to get the thrill of carrying me about the dance floor in their arms.   

It turned out alright.   I never did get to go on a date with Lloyd. He did send a letter of apology and a box of chocolates.    Hollis and my sister never dated again either but we were all good friends.  We all married other people later.   It was a prom date I would never forget. It went wrong but turned out alright in the long run that was 53 years ago now.