When I met Lorraine

Back in 1961, that is a long time ago, and on the 4th of July.

Well, my brother was the new owner of a public beach, called Crescent Beach or The Show Boat. I was working for him at the time and was only 14 years old. I had just got out of grammar school that spring and lived in the hills of Albany Maine. Well, to start with I was painting and cleaning around the beach so to have it look nice and clean.

Well, hot summer weather set in and the beach was doing well. I was taking in the money from the people coming in on the beach. Girls and more girls, were coming in everyday. There was not so many girls in Albany and this was all new to me. I had met a lot of the girls that live around the area. It was fun; there was a pinball machine and jukebox in what everyone called the Showboat. Had a chance to dance and play the pinball a lot with the people that went to the showboat.

Well, one hot summer day, two nice girls walked in on the beach. I saw them and wanted to meet them so bad. I grabbed a rake and went down on the beach where they were laying in the sun on their blankets. I was making like I was cleaning the beach so I could introduce myself. Like Hi, my name is Wayne and I work here on the beach for my brother. They told me who they were, Lorraine fifteen and Armande fourteen they said. They both looked real good with their bathing suits on. Both were just a little over five feet tall and slim with long hair. I told them I was sixteen, had to be older you know, to meet two beautiful girls like these. They were sisters and had gone to the beach with out telling their parents. We talked a little back and forth and then I asked if they would like to come inside for a coke. We went in and I poured as all a coke and we sat down. We talked about school and where we lived. They had to get back home before their mom and dad got home from work. I asked if I could see them again when the came back to the beach. They said sure, they would be back.

I was thinking it was going to be a couple of days and they would be back. I went back to my other girls that came over everyday. We would dance all night. About two weeks later the girls, Lorraine and Armande came back to the beach. All the other girls I was hanging with were forgotten. I went to Lorraine and Armande and started talking with them. There was one bad thing, I'd forget which was which and what name went with what girl, they looked so much a like. Well after a coke, I found out who was who again. After we had talked for awhile, a man came to the Showboat and came to our table. It was their dad, and he said what are you doing here? Get your stuff and I am taking you home. After they had left, I said to myself, I would not see those girls again.

Well time passed, and you know if someone wants to see another, they will figure out something. In less than a week the girls were back, come to find out it was okay with Lorraine's dad for them to go to the beach. Okay, I am only going to say Lorraine, not girls. Lorraine is going to be my girl, I had told myself. I was in love with her already. Lorraine came over on her own one day. It was so nice to be with just her, I asked her if she would like to go for walk with me. She said, where and how long, like a nervous young girl on her first date. We walked down this camp road that is just down from the beach. Right away, I held her hand. There were camps with kids running around and people out cooking food on their grills. We were not going to be alone, she felt good about that. Well, at the end of the road was a camp with no one around. It was like they were not using the place. There was a nice but old boat dock in the front of the camp. I walked her out on it and gave here a big hug, like I was trying to protect her from falling. I asked her if she liked me. I told her, I really liked her a lot. We walked back to the showboat swinging our arms. I was hoping she felt the same of me as I did of her. That same day I told her that I was fourteen not sixteen.

The summer has passed and we are back in school. Albany, Maine is about forty miles from Auburn, Maine. I would call Lorraine on the pay phone at school almost everyday. On most weekends I would hitch rides to Auburn to see her. At first, I would hitch hike back to Albany after we went to a movie or just out to eat. It would not be too late and there was still traffic going home. After a while into the season it was just too cold to start out back to Albany where there is not any traffic. Lorraine's dad had a shed in back of their house. I told Lorraine I was going to sleep in the shed. It was just too cold and icy to go out to go home. It was cold in the shed, but one can sleep when it is down around 0 and out of the wind. I would get out of there and on the road on the first light, before Lorraine's parents would get up to have breakfast and then go to church.

About the same stuff goes on well, until I get my drivers license. I bought myself a 1950 Chevy for fifty dollars. It was so nice dating Lorraine with a car. Okay, a young man with a car, is for sure going to look around. I went to school things and dances with the guys at school. I met other girls but  could not even get to like them. Lorraine was my girl for sure. 

We got married on November 27th 1965

I can make this a very long loving story, but I will close for now. We have had our ups and downs, but mostly real high ups. We have a very good marriage.

Lorraine, I love you and always will.