I wasn't your first love. That honor goes to the 1968 Chevy Nova that you called 'The Brown Bomb.' It was a fickle thing but once you coaxed it to life, it took us where we wanted to go. Every chance we had, we went to Galveston. We sat on the seawall, legs dangling high above the sand. When it was cold, we snuggled together under a blanket that was no match for the cool ocean air. When it was hot we sported swimsuits and tanned bare feet. We made constant plans. We were going to live on a boat and explore the moods of the sea. Sometimes we would sneak a kiss, or count quarters for gas or Dr Pepper.
You were driving down Jensen Drive when you saw the fight. A car was pulled over in an empty lot, four boys were badly beating a skinny teen. You couldn't just drive past, could you? You roared into the lot, grabbed the injured boy (I found out later his name was Robert.) and shoved him in your car. You sped towards the hospital. You never made it. The four followed you and opened fire. The Brown Bomb took over twenty hits. You took only one, but it was enough. Robert wasn't touched.
The papers all agreed you were a hero.
Over thirty years later when I think of you I still miss you. Yet, sometimes I smile at the memory of sitting on the seawall with a seventeen year old boy, sharing Dr Pepper kisses and making plans to live on a boat.
You were driving down Jensen Drive when you saw the fight. A car was pulled over in an empty lot, four boys were badly beating a skinny teen. You couldn't just drive past, could you? You roared into the lot, grabbed the injured boy (I found out later his name was Robert.) and shoved him in your car. You sped towards the hospital. You never made it. The four followed you and opened fire. The Brown Bomb took over twenty hits. You took only one, but it was enough. Robert wasn't touched.
The papers all agreed you were a hero.
Over thirty years later when I think of you I still miss you. Yet, sometimes I smile at the memory of sitting on the seawall with a seventeen year old boy, sharing Dr Pepper kisses and making plans to live on a boat.