Annie and Vince 1963 - 1966
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!