CHAPTER 12 -- THE FLOWER BEGINS TO BLOOM, Part II

         WE GOT THROUGH THE REST 

OF THE DAY,

   I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW

I felt like I had been punched.

God, how had I not seen this coming?

We had been SO fucking happy I guess.

and it all had happened so fast.

From the old iron bridge to now? 

Only a few months. Like two or so.
Three? I don't know and who cares.
WE ARE, that is all that matters.
But it HAS happened SO fast.

So I guess it had maybe just kinda escaped 
both of us.

Hell, a lot was getting past us 
these days I suspect. 
What else I wondered.

Course we had both been applying 
to universities for three years or so.

The process had started for me 
in 8th grade actually 
and I had started getting 
acceptance letters within a year at most.

I remember poring through them 
with the 'rents and trying to 
figure out which would be 
the best in terms of 
what I needed for the future 
as well as the stature and reputation 
of the schools.

After a LOT of agonizing and research, 
and even a few trips to visit and check 
some of them out up close and personal, 
I had finally settled on Stanford...
after a third trip out to 
Stanford CA near Palo Alto.

I figured that was that but 
that was of course BJ, 
aka BEFORE JAKE, 
and now what?

He told me that he and his folks had 
pretty much done the same thing.

I wanted to major in journalism and 
computer science, with a minor in communications.

Jake wanted to major in psychology 
and computer science with a minor in 
journalism 
Boston U was excellent for each of those
as Stanford was for my majors and minor.
The glaringly obvious truth was and is...
Stanford and Boston University 
are top-notch schools. No question but...

OH MY GOD...what now.

I sat in the car on the way home,

blown away. Near tears...
and pretty much of a wreck. 
Jake was driving without 
making a sound 
or so much as breathing, 
and I could feel him 
looking over at me almost constantly.

We were a mess by the time 
we got home and I guess 
we looked it cause mother 
immediately 
came over to us 
as we walked in, 
with that knowing look mothers get, 
and proceeded to get in our faces.

"Okay honeys...SPILL."

and we did...
and I lost it big time.

Course this time mother had had help. 
Mister Harrington had called her 
to clue her in so she was 
SPIT & POLISH READY 
for our sorry asses to get home.

Good thing too I guess. 
I was clueless and 
I could tell Jake was too as I could
see and feel his tears.

He wouldn't take his eyes off me,
and kept himself wrapped around me
the entire time.

GOD I LOVE HIM.
BUT...what in the HELL 
were we going to DO? NOW. 
HUH?

I was trying to tell her 
what had happened
amidst a whole lot of sobbing
and near hysterics
and that was causing Jake to
kinda lose it too.

Couple of real cuties we was.
and by now the three of us were in
FULL HUGGY MODE...until,
mother pulled back a bit and...

"Honeys, 1 & 2...
let me ask you something."

I mumbled something about 
'OK' but it was pretty unintelligible
I imagine by now and Jake just nodded.

"I went to college you know,"
and we nodded.
"Okay, here is the straight poop,"
and that caught us up short.
Damn near stopped sobbing to giggle.

"You know, do you, when you actually start working on your majors?"

"Uh...no?" I thought
and could see Jake shaking his head.
"I thought not," she said.
Hmmmm.

"End of Junior year. Usually. Not much
goes on before then except basics."

"Yeh," Jake said and I think he was 
beginning to catch on...
way before me but then. 
What else is new.

"Yes. SO, what does it matter 
where you go until Junior 
or even senior year?"

I looked at her, then at Jake...
and he was doing the same.

"Jake, were you accepted to Stanford?"
"Yep."
"I know you were accepted at Boston, honey,"
she said looking at me.
"So now...
all YOU two muttonheads gotta do 
is figure out which one will change for the
first three years or so. 
That gives you plenty of time to decide 
what to do that last year or so. Right?"

"I SEED DAH LIGHT, OH YED AH DEED,"
and I couldn't help it. 
Jake got smooched 
AND giggled all at once.

"GLORY HALLELUJAH, MISSY...
WE GOTS DAH ANSSAH 
TO OUR PRAYAHS.."
That got mother to giggling,
and thet is whar we was later found,
succumbed to death by giggles.

But right before we died, 
I pointed out the average temperature in Boston in February as compared 
to Stanford.

STANFORD EEET EEES, MON CHER
and it wasn't even a squeaker. LOL.