An Unanswered Prayer

Betty Jane slept with California and Texas, Oklahoma and most of Chicago.

*

I first met Betty Jane the first day of school in 4th grade. Dad had just bought our farm that spring, Mom and we children stayed behind to finish the school year in our old school. We had been living on Grandpap Harley's farm; where Dad had grown up.

Grandpap had died the fall before. Grandmom Irene did not want to stay on the farm. There were escalating problems with crop and property vandalism over the last few years and she was afraid.

Harley and Irene had 2 sons, My Dad, Terry, and my uncle Howard. Howard decided to open his own business installing and repairing machinery; he was very good at it. Dad worked the farm with Grandpap for many years before Grandpap got sick and eventually died.

Grandmom worked alongside the 2 of them; doing whatever she could do to help. You could see her eyes shining every time she and Harley were together. After he died she got the same shine when his memory crosses her mind. His death broke her heart; she swore that the farm killed him. "It was his life and his dream to run this place. He is gone and I need to be somewhere else." was all she said after the funeral.

The county bought 100 acres of the farm to make a park, the remaining 530 acres was sold in varying size parcels to developers for homes and a large industrial park.

Grandpap's will specified that Mom, Dad and Uncle Howard were to each get 1/3 of the money. Dad was to be allowed to take any of the equipment from the farm if he wanted to start his own. It was all older, but it ran well; Dad was grateful to get it.

Howard agreed to keep doing the equipment maintenance for Dad, just like he did for Grandpap. We paid for parts and fed him meals while he was there.

As the construction progressed the vandalism got worse and worse. One night the old house was torched, the fire spread to the barns and grain storage areas. The fire department managed to keep the fire from reaching the trailer we lived in. We were lucky Grandmom had moved in with Howard a week or two before. She told us that "...she was too old to uproot herself and move half way across the country." All her friends were here in town and she hated to leave them. She did promise to visit us each time Howard came to do maintenance.

The next day Dad and Howard were there to move the family's belongings to the new farm. Mom and we 3 children stayed in a motel for the last 2 weeks of school and then we moved 100 miles south to the new farm.

Betty Jane saw me the first day of school and laughed, then walked away. Her family lived in town; I was a scrawny farm boy who dressed and acted the part.

She was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. The red curls flowed down her back, her skin was as white as snow and her hazel eyes sparkled and shone like the stars in the heavens. I was dumbstruck. I was also devastated when she laughed and walked away.

I went home that night and prayed that I should spend the rest of my life with her. I was head over heals in love.

By the end of 5th grade we had both begun to mature slightly. The work on the farm helped my muscles to develop; I was starting to become less of a walking stick and she started to look more like a young woman.

By the last few months of 6th grade I was filling out nicely; she was gorgeous. She became the queen of the playground; she always had her court following her around to do her bidding. About 3 weeks before school ended for the year I was talking with some friends when I heard a sharp scream, then a slap. I sent a friend to get the teacher and went around to the back of the auditorium to investigate the sounds. Betty Jean was surrounded by many of the boys in her following. Tommy Powers, one of the more aggressive boys in the school, had his hand on one of her breasts. He was offering each of the other boys a chance to feel her up for a quarter, her face was red from crying and there was blood on the corner of her mouth.

I walked over and told Tommy to leave her alone. He turned and glared at me; then he hit her in the mouth with his fist. The look on his face as I launched myself at him was priceless. I was thoroughly pounding the hell out of him, lecturing him about hitting girls and generally making him look bad when a large pair of hands lifted me off of him. As I was being hauled away he got in a lucky, well placed, kick to my balls.

I was dragged into the office and Mom was called in to get me. She was told that I was suspended for the rest of the year and would be held back the next year for not completing the grade. Mom did not allow me to say anything in my defense at the school or on the entire ride home. That afternoon as I did my chores Dad came to see me.

"I have heard the report from the school; I understand you hurt that boy pretty bad. What do you have to say for yourself?"

I was just about to begin the story when we heard a car flying up our lane. Dad went to see who came in at that rate of speed. I heard a voice saying "I am here to investigate an assault at the school today; I understand your boy was involved in it."

All Dad said was "This way."

The Sheriff followed Dad into the barn.

"Stop your chores, you have company." Dad said.

"Can you tell me what happened today at school?" the Sheriff asked.

I explained what we had heard and what I had seen. I told them about her bleeding mouth and Tommy hitting her for what I knew to be at least the second time. "The part that bothered me the most was the smile on his face as he did it again. He was trying to get the others to pay him to touch her body. That just isn't right!" I was almost shouting the last line.

"Now just calm down a bit there, son." He said. "We had a call from Betty Jane's father this evening. I just need to investigate. Your story agrees with hers. Can you tell me who was there with you?"

I named my friends who were there and then told who in her court was there, before I arrived on the scene. Well, I did it to the best of my ability, it all happened so fast.

"I hear you were suspended; my deputy will be here for you at 10 tomorrow morning."

Dad worked along side me to finish my chores that evening.

The next morning, one by one, all the children were interviewed to hear what they could add to the investigation. Children who were not involved and my friends were called out first. Those who had already been interviewed were sent to the auditorium to await the rest of the class. They were admonished not to talk.

At 10:30 I was marched into the office to find Betty Jane and her parents there. The sheriff and the principal soon arrived. We all went into the inner office where the principal apologized for her error the day before, I got hugs and kisses on the cheek from Betty Jane and her mother, her father shook my hand and said "Thank you for defending my Daughter."

I returned to class that day and completed the year.

Tommy was sent to juvenile hall.

We were in Junior High the next year. Betty Jane and I were becoming good friends. Her court was gone. We both still dated others.

By 11th grade we were a couple. Some said we were joined at the hip. We did all the usual junior and senior things together. Other guys asked her out but she always said "No."

After graduation she was going to attend beauty school 10 miles over in the next town. I went north to our old home town to get a certificate in Farm Management at the local junior college. A certificate is like getting a 2 year Associates degree without all the general study classes, like math and English.

One day after being there for a few months I got a letter with a picture of Betty Jane hugging and kissing Tommy Powers.

We had been talking on the phone every Friday evening since I had been gone; she seemed to be doing fine and professed her love for me over and over.

That Friday was my turn to call her. I called from the pay phone at the garage down the street from her parents' house. We talked for the usual 45 minutes. 5 minutes after we hung-up a brand new Corvette convertible pulled up and she ran out to get in. Her favorite place to date was the drive-in movie at the edge of town. I knew all the openings in the fence and found one close to the area where we liked to park. The movie started at 8:10.

After stepping through the fence I headed for our spot; there was the car. I was able to stand against the fence in the shadows and watch most of the evening's activities. After an hour of necking and petting he tried to get her to screw.

I heard her voice as plain as day. "You know I love you and I want sex so bad I can taste it, but you need to wear a rubber if we do it."

"Aww, baby you know I don't like them. I would have to go to the restroom and get one and you might not want to by the time I get back. I'll pull out, honest."

"I don't want to loose my cherry here. But you have me so worked up that I'll do it. But you need to have the rubber or the deal is off."

I followed him at a distance. It was about 9:45 when he stepped out of the bright lights of the men's room he was temporarily blinded by the surrounding darkness and had to stop until his night vision returned.

As he stalled I walked up right next to him, acting like I was heading to the restroom. When I reached him I hit him as hard as I could, he went down fast. I guess the brass knuckles I had were a little much; ahhh, who gives a shit. The gloves cushioned the impact on my hand from the blows. It took me less than a minute to empty his pockets to make it look like a robbery and mugging. I was not happy to find her favorite panties hanging out of his back pocket, under his jacket. Then I proceeded to stomp on him with the heavy work boots I had on. I broke both arms and smashed his nuts so hard that I figured he would be sterile if he was able to keep them. I grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him off the path and into a patch of poison ivy. As I left he was groaning and trying to get up.

I then walked back to my car and drove back to Howard's place where I was staying while in school. I stopped on the way there and dropped a large envelope addressed to Betty Jane's father in the box at the post office as I left town. In it were Tommy's driver's license, Betty Jane's panties and the rubber. I had taken the time to address the envelope before my trip, making sure the writing looked nothing like mine. Finger printing was available so I wore gloves every time I handled anything the police might be given.

At 11:30 when the movies were over Betty Jane had to call her father to come to the drive-in and get her. He was pissed. By the time Tommy was found it was almost dawn. He died the next day, they were not sure if it was the beating or being allowed to fall off the stretcher on his head that killed him. The story made the local paper. 3 friends sent me copies of the article.

Later the next week a detective came around to speak to me about the assault. They placed the time of death at about midnight.

I had walked to the local drive-in restaurant as soon as I got back to town, and stayed until after midnight. I made sure I spoke to everyone I passed and the crowd of college students who were there. Just to be sure I was noticed I ordered a burger with extra mustard and sent it back with the comment that "...I did not want ANY mustard on it." I did give the girl a nice tip to make sure she remembered me too. It was Tommy's money I was spending. I got over $400 from his wallet.

I had thrown the wallet and all the other items of Tommy's, as well as the brass knuckles, into the river as I crossed it on the way out of town. I tied the wallet to a brick to be sure it did not show up for a while. The work boots I wore when I kicked him were purchased from a second hand store; they were donated to a drop box before I got home.

The next weekend was her turn to call me. Uncle Howard answered the phone that evening. He told her that I did not wish to ever talk to her again and quoted from the news article about her activities that evening.

I ran into her when I came back for Christmas that year. She looked terrible. She convinced me to stop for a cup of coffee with her at the diner. I told her she had ½ hour to say what she wanted to tell me. The tears started and she cried for almost 5 minutes.

"You now have 25 minutes to say your peace."

She got to work doing the best sales job of her life. "You know I only love you. Nothing happened that evening. He went for sodas and popcorn and was mugged on the way back. I was desperately lonely and missed you, I just needed to talk to someone and get out of the house." She went on and on sometimes repeating herself, sometimes contradicting what she had just said.

I sat and listened to her with no expression on my face.

After she was done I spoke. "We talked on the phone that evening; you professed your love for me. 5 minutes later he pulled up and you came running out, got in his car and he drove off. I know this is true. He took you to the drive-in and parked in your favorite spot."

She started to shake her head to indicate "No."

"He had you worked up real good. You refused to give up your virginity without him wearing a rubber. He went to get one and never came back. Don't shake your head NO; you know this is the truth.

I loved you from the first time I saw you. I prayed that you would be mine. Just when I was starting to believe in you this happens."

She was crying with big heaving sobs.

"Betty Jane, I still love you; I'll have to deal with that. But we can never be together I have no trust in anything you say. The best we can ever be is friends." Then I stood up, laid $5 of Tommy's money on the table to cover the coffee and tip and walked out of her life.

She never asked or figured out how I knew those things.

I spent 3 semesters at the college before I had all the credits necessary to receive my certificate. I returned to the farm to work with Dad.

Soon after I returned I met a girl who had the brightest smile every time we met. She worked at the grain elevator with her grandfather. One slow day in March, after bringing in some winter wheat, I asked if she would like to go for some coffee. She shot into the back and came back out with her coat and a bigger smile on her face. I turned on the way out the door to see her grandfather watching us leave.

She did not care for coffee but settled for a slice of pie and a glass of milk. We talked for about an hour before she started to watch the clock.

"Do you need to get back?"

She frowned and said that her lunch was almost over.

As we walked back across the street I asked if she would like to go to dinner with me on Friday.

"My grandfather will want to get to know you a little better before we have any dates. Could you come over to dinner at our place, this time?"

If this was what it took to get a date with her I was all for it. "What time would you like me?"

"Is 6:30 OK with you?"

"Absolutely". I walked her into the scale office and smiled as she disappeared into the back.

I now knew that her name was Laura; she grew up 25 miles from Grandpap Harley's farm. She loved to go to the park that was built on the 100 acres we sold the county. We both had certificates in farm management from the same school. She graduated after my first semester. She had met my Mom and Dad when they brought in the grain to sell to the mill. She lived with and cared for her grandfather after her grandmother died a while back.

Friday I was there at 6:28; I knocked on the door frame and was escorted in by her grandfather. She came out of the kitchen about that time.

"Dinner will be ready in about 5 minutes."

I held out the flowers I had brought and said "Thank you for the gracious invitation to dine with your family."

She blushed.

We ate and talked and ate some more, then talked some more. Finally her grandfather stood up, held out his hand and told me to call him Joel. He apologized for needing to turn in so early and told me that I needed to leave by 10.

"Yes sir, Joel. Thank you for the warm welcome to your home. I will honor your wishes."

I helped Laura clear the table and dried the dishes as she washed. We talked as we worked; then went back to the dining room to continue our conversation.

"If he did not like you he would not have asked you to call him by his name. If you want to go out in the future he will accept it."

At about 9:55 I pointed to the clock and we walked to the door. She stood on tip toe and gave me a light kiss on the cheek. When I looked like I might return the affection she whispered "Not this time, we need to go slow."

I smiled and took her hand "When I come into town could I take you to the diner again?"

She nodded a vigorous "Yes'. Her smile lit the entire front yard.

I thought about her all the way home that evening.

Wednesday Dad decided he didn't want to run the grain load into town and asked me to do it. He had a huge grin on his face. I nodded yes and went to put on a clean shirt.

Mom and Dad both watched as I drove out of the drive and into town. Laura was busy with customers, so I had to wait about 30 minutes before she was able to get away.

"I can only take a half hour break today because we are so busy."

We had a light sandwich and a Pepsi before I had to walk her back.

"May I pick you up for dinner on Friday this week?"

She smiled, quickly nodded yes and turned to run into the office. At the door she turned and asked "Is 6:30 OK again"

"Absolutely." I replied.

As I drove the empty truck back home I saw a familiar person driving the other way down the street. As Betty Jane passed me she waved; I felt a slight tug on my heart. It was a lot weaker than the last time I saw her.

That evening I thought about the 2 of them as I fell asleep; Laura was sort of plain, smart as a whip and very conservative. Betty Jane was gorgeous, wild as you could get and not too bright. She was also engaged to one of the local bad boys; and pregnant with his child (so I heard she claimed). I knew there was no need to think about who the better choice was.

We dated through the summer and fall. There were rules set forth by Joel. No sex was the biggest. No hanging out anywhere you would not take your mother. No kisses could last any longer than we could hold our breath. When we returned if we wished to continue the date we had to get out of the car and sit on the porch or come inside. Any more than 2 minutes in the car and the front lights came on and the date was over.

Those were the same rules he had to live with when he dated. He told us "They didn't hurt me, I lived through it and it won't hurt either of you." If she did not like the rules she could move out and find another job. Neither of us had any problem with his rules. I respected him even more for it and told him so.

Christmas came around. We agreed to keep the giving to one gift; it had to be simple and tasteful. She bought me a heavy duty Carhart jacket, with a hat and gloves to match.

The look on her face, as I handed her a very small package, was one of great joy. She opened the wrapping foil to find a small jewelry box inside. She made wonderful noises over the diamond earrings inside, but I could tell for just a split second that she had hoped it might be a ring.

I do not believe that an engagement ring is intended to be a birthday, Christmas or any other kind of present. The engagement ring is given as a sign of commitment between the parties involved. It is given in love and received the same way. If the commitment is broken the ring should be returned. To make it a present changes the dynamics of the occasion. Besides that, it just seems cheep to me.

We had Christmas at her place and then went to see my family. Joel came along with us for dinner.