20 October 2005

My First Kiss

To satisfy Zilla I am posting about my first kiss, after a comment she left on the Pete Townshend post, below.

To exact my revenge I am turning this into a 'one question meme' and I want to tag you all; Steve, Milt, Doris, everybody, but particularly and specifically Zilla. I will be looking out for her response!

My first kiss was................... in a wardrobe, with a not-really cousin.

By that I mean that my mum and his mum had been friends when they worked for the Fire Service and drove Green Goddesses and all that after the war. His dad and mine had also been friends based at Acton Fire Station. Then they all met and once wed became honorary Aunties and Uncles to each others' children. Not-Cousin was two years older than me (and I am the eldest in my family) but once a month or so we would go to theirs for Sunday tea, which at some point involved the dads relaxing and talking theories in the den, the mums setting to, creating a big spread, and us ordered upstairs, out from under feet, to play.

There we were, crammed into the same single wardrobe, hiding from my brother, when he kissed me. It wasn't confident, but it was magical in its own way; more of a 'jump at the chance' head-butt. Arms didn't (couldn't) come in to it, not given the space, and we bumped noses and even teeth, but it didn't matter, we had made lip contact; we were big and we had a secret.

Then when our hiding space was discovered and we went back to the business of playing, not a word was said about it; I don't think we even looked at each other.

After that, however, my brother never minded being first to be 'it' so much, because he only had to find one of us, to find us both. We had an unspoken agreement, a monthly assignation in some cramped and dark corner of an airing cupboard or the like.

The situation never escaped the realms of blundering, innocent practice, we knew each other too well and couldn't snap out of being childhood friends, but when, years (and a whole world of experience) later, I attended his wedding, he brought his wife over, specifically to meet me. It was more for her benefit than mine, it seems, and I bless them both. For a brief moment I was shocked out of my self image and allowed to see myself from another perspective entirely. She wanted, needed to meet me because, to my surprise, I had the honour and responsibility of being 'the other girl that he had kissed'.


Zilla girl - your turn!
Anyone else? Leave a comment so I can come see :-)

11 comments:

Doris said...

Ooooo what things you unleash! I loved your story and will tell mine but not for a day or two so will let you know.

Might take a while for the old memory banks to screech into rewind and remember ....actually... I remember it like it was yesterday ;-)

She Weevil said...

Don't think I ever told anyone else about this but now the rest of the world knows.

ella m. said...

I don't really recall my fist kiss...isn't that awful?

i'm assuming it was one of the other little girls or boys in my kindergarten class, at recess behind the jungle gym, but I'm not sure.


I like your first kiss story better :)

Jennifer said...

I should have seen that one coming!

Homework's done. May I have a biscuit and some tea now, please?

Loved your story:-)

Doris said...

OK... I did the deed! ;-)

fineartist said...

I'm with Ella, I can't remember the specifics about it.

Hey Ella, could that mean that maybe we have been a little lose with our lips?

fineartist said...

Naaaaaaaaaa.

Oh Cheryl this was sweet and made me think of the smell of moth balls. My gandma's closets always smelled of moth balls.

fineartist said...

Gaaaaaaa, I am such a dork. I am suffering from a major sugar buzz and feeling really lousy.

Ella, I should only speak about my own lips, sorry if I came off as presumptuous.

Cheryl, I can't believe I reduced your lovely story to the smell of moth balls.

I am blaming the sugar for my nutso behavior tonight.

Ally said...

Done it! And I found a photo! :).

Bart Treuren said...

damn, cheryl... this is just such a lovely story and got me remembering the first real love of my life at 7 years of age... hihihi... you've left me speechless in the meantime...

(except, knowing myself, i'll probably be tempted to go and type another fifty lines or so without giving any thought to the consequences until I suddenly realise that I've just been blathing on inanely and then suddenly realising I've said anything and everything totally beside the point on whatever crossed my mind... on that note, however... %%(*^(^^$%#$#&&&*() )

short service announcement by the other half of an incorrigable MPD recidivist... writer of previous bit of post has been ordered off to bed, violation of said order is being tickled or snored at for a very long time...

Anonymous said...

This is soooooo sweet and romantic - but how old???? I like the connection with the years later too - you could get a novel out of this story :)