Annie and Vince  Part 1 - First Meeting

How does a shy, 17 year old guy, soon to be a senior attending Tennyson High School meet, and fall in love with, an outgoing 16 year old girl soon to be a junior attending Hayward High School?

Sometime during the late summer of 1963, I was outside my family’s apartment on Gading Road in Hayward CA playing around with the 1952 Ford my mother had given me. It had a flathead V8 engine and an automatic transmission that no longer worked, which is why Mom dumped it on me thinking her mechanically minded son could do something with it. Although the car could not be driven, I spent my summer days sitting in my very first car, playing the radio until the battery died. My sharp looking, blue and white two door hardtop sat motionless, mocking its young owner who dreamed of possibilities. Little did I realize this car would soon become a major factor in my life.

On this particular day, date unknown, my slightly older neighbor, who lived with his parents in the apartment building opposite mine, came roaring into the parking lot in a big convertible with the top down that I assumed belonged to the girl sitting on the passenger side. Wendell Deaton, six foot four, easily 260 and a personality just as big, yells over to me “Hey Vince, get in! Let’s go for a ride.” After climbing into the back seat, I’m sure there was an introduction to his friend, a name I would never recall, we drove off on what I thought was a joy ride. We soon found our way into the Hayward hills onto Fairview Avenue, a path I was destined to travel many times.

We pulled into a driveway, I thought we were going to turn around, but the car stopped. Soon, a girl emerged from the house with a fair complexion and the most hair I had ever seen on a girl. She walked to the passenger side and talked to the girl with the forgotten name. She had a warm smile with pretty eyes, and wow... she was beautiful! Being so painfully shy, I suddenly found myself asking God to allow me to utter something, anything, if she happened to notice me. My cheeks turned red as I realized I was staring at her but I couldn’t look away. Something about this girl gave me a feeling I had never experienced before. Suddenly, Wendell says “Annie, say hi to Vince”. As Annie turned to say hello, she flashed the most beautiful smile as our eyes met, My heart was pounding, I may have stopped breathing. I struggled to say something. I knew words. I had 11 years of school. I had spelling certificates from the Oakland Public School District. I had a mouthful of cotton. Summoning all my courage to find just the right thing to say in hopes of not making a fool of myself, after a second or two that felt like minutes, I finally spoke: “Hi” squeaked past my lips. With that formality complete, my ordeal was over as we left Annie and Fairview Avenue. I never expected to return. I didn't know who she was. I didn't know where she was. I didn't even know where I was. All I knew was that she was beautiful, she made my heart race and she would be a memory I would never forget.

Some time later, perhaps a week or two, I was again out messing with my immobile, still mocking, poor excuse for a car when Wendell and his anonymous friend pulled up in his pickup truck and ordered me to get in. “Where are we going?” I ask with no response. The answer became clear when we again found Fairview Avenue and turned into the same driveway. Wendell honks the horn and this Annie girl walks out, as beautiful as I remembered. Wendell orders me to get into the back of the truck and motions to Annie to do the same. My heart is now pounding, what is happening here I wonder. Why does this girl affect me this way. I may have said something nearly unintelligible like “hi again” as Annie and I sat down behind the cab. Wendell backed the truck out of the driveway and drove slowly down the road. How is it possible that this shy kid finds himself next to such a striking girl. I have no game. I don’t know what to say. I repeatedly glance at her, wanting desperately to tell her how she was making me feel. We hadn’t traveled far when Annie slid her arm under mine and took my hand in hers. I turn to see her sparkling eyes and incredibly beautiful smile and realize she too feels something magical happening. The wind stopped. Time stopped. This strange emotion, this totally unfamiliar feeling wells up inside of us, flowing through hands to heart.

Suddenly, I was the luckiest guy in the world!

“Annie and Vince” were very much in love and desperately wanted to be with each other, but there was a serious geographical problem. She was way over there on the other side of town and I was way over here on this side of town. While we spent many hours on the phone, we needed to find a way to be together. To make this happen, I needed to do something... fast.

Somehow, this old broken Ford of mine would have to find a way down the road. As luck would have it, I ran into a guy I met at a previous school who told me about this 1949 Ford wreck he bought and was selling for parts. We determined that the standard shift transmission in the ‘49 could replace the defective automatic transmission in my ‘52. I scrounged up the $25 he wanted for all the parts that would work in my car. There was a lot riding on my ability to make this 1952 Ford road worthy… at least worthy enough to make it to Fairview Avenue. Every day after school, I would crawl under that car and work until it was too dark to see. I kept Annie informed of my progress and asked for patience. Having a goal was admirable, having that goal be my beautiful Annie added tremendous pressure. Swapping transmissions went smoother than expected, with trips to junk yards for needed parts the ‘49 couldn’t provide. The final touch was a floor mounted gear shift and this baby was ready! I called Annie. I’m on my way sweetheart!

It was at this point I was informed by my parents that I could not drive the car because it wasn't insured. After all that work! My head was spinning, there was nothing more important than Annie. Luckily, again, I had auto shop in school and convinced my folks to let me take the car to school “so I could work on it”. My plan was to leave the car outside the auto shop yard so that after school I could drive it to Hayward High, pick up Annie, take her home after spending time together, return the car to my school and walk home. Was this ingenious or what.

With the car now in the school parking lot. I anxiously waited through the longest school day ever knowing this was the day I would pick Annie up from her school for the first time.

As I drove down the street to Hayward High, my heart began racing when I saw my beautiful Annie waiting patiently by the curb. I stopped the car directly in front of her, she opened the door, slid across the seat and kissed me passionately. She knew what it took for me to reach her.


This moment describes one of my favorite memories. Annie would always enter my car, slide across the seat, kiss me, tell me she loved me and settle in close with her hand on my leg. What a great feeling having Annie next to me. God knows I loved her. She was exactly where she wanted to be, I was exactly where I wanted to be.

I was indeed, the luckiest guy in the world!

Annie and Vince  Part 3 - A Very Special Day

It was Friday, February 14, 1964, Valentine's Day. The one day of the year every high school guy dreads. Expectations ran high. Invite someone, preferably someone special, or someone you hoped would become special, to The Dance. Buy an overpriced corsage that in a few hours will be either in a memory book or a trash can. Figure out how to tie a tie and pay your kid sister to teach you the latest dance. Yes, it was a difficult day to be a guy. But not for me.

My date to this annual challenge would be the most beautiful girl in my life, the girl who made my heart race, the girl who stole my heart with the touch of her hand.

Although I have entered this house many times prior, this moment was different. I was nervous standing in the foyer wearing a coat and tie, holding my expensive corsage, looking around the room for what seemed an hour. Soon, Annie’s mother came down the stairs and said something about how nice I looked. “Thank you” came out clearly, a good sign. I liked Annie’s mom, she seemed pleased I was Annie’s boyfriend. Nothing in her face prepared me for what was about to happen.

As Annie made her way down the stairs, carefully holding her satin dress so as not to trip, my eyes widened, my jaw dropped. I’m not sure anyone heard my gasp as I tried to breathe. Stepping onto the foyer and slowly spinning around, stopping to face me was Perfection! She was stunning! Her smile. Perfect. Hair. Perfect. Dress. Perfect. Makeup. Perfect. White gloves hiding my class ring on her third finger left hand. Perfect. The small tiara in her hair made her look like the princess she was. No longer afflicted with cotton mouth, I bellowed loud and clear “Wow!” “Wow!” “And Wow!” Annie was always perfection in my eyes, but this… wow! The corsage was pinned in place, suddenly worth every penny, adding a finishing touch where none was needed.
“Take good care of my daughter!”
She had no idea.

There may have been others at The Dance. I’m sure there were. There was noise. Talking. Music. Decorations. I would have noticed more but I was with the most beautiful girl in the room and couldn’t see past her. As a slow song began, I led Annie to the dance floor, slid my hand around her waist to the small of her back, held her other hand in mine and wrapped it close to my heart while pulling her tightly to me. Feeling her arm across my shoulder and her fingers curling around my neck, I leaned back slightly while whispering I Love You. She kissed me softly before resting her cheek against my shoulder. We were one.The room simply disappears.

We walked slowly to the front door, not wanting this evening to end. Turning to face her, I gazed into her beautiful eyes before pulling her as close as I could, my hands sliding low and behind her hips, her arms reach around my neck while pressing herself to me. We kissed like this would be the last time. I could feel her body tremble slightly and press closer as I whispered in her ear "I couldn’t possibly love you more."

But I would.