In search for the origins

Part 10

That night, Edith and Mary organized a small dinner, to celebrate my engagement to Sue. And even if I was happy as I never had been, a shadow of  restlesness came from time to time to haunt my feelings. I wouldn't admit it, but I was really scared with the idea of meeting my mother for the first time. It was not fear of her, really...both Edith and Mary had told me she regreted deeply having left May and me at the orphanage. It was mainly fear of myself, and of my reaction when I saw her.  I knew, I would have to try to take control of my pain and my anger, but what if I couldn't? She was supposed to arrive at noon, or so, and she had asked to meet May and me alone, before introducing us our siblings.  Tom and Emily. I wondered what would have they thought when they were told they had two more siblings. Maybe they already knew, if my mother had looked for us. And their father, how would he be? I hoped it wasn't another Richard Stevens, in any case.

-Hey...wake up, you're miles away from here. Wanna come outside?

-Yeah...thanks, Sue. Damn hell, I keep thinking  about tomorrow.  What kind of life could May and me have had, if...things had been different? 

-Well, I guess you'd never know...but think of something,  you would never had met someone like me-and she winked at me. I smiled back in return. Sue was right...she had always been my best support when things at home were bad. I had never told her, or May, but both of them were my only reasons for staying with the Spencers. 

-I don't know what would I have done if you or May weren't there...I thought so many times of running away! 

-And what would we have done without you near, Andy? We both need you...

-Hey, lovebirds! What do you think you're doing? You should wait till the wedding night?

That was Jerry, always the joker. No matter how hard things were, he always managed to make me smile. I had met him and Matt when we were six or seven, at primary school. I was rather shy at the time...still am, in fact, maybe because of my so called family life, and they were totally the opposite. Our teacher, Miss Wallace, had the great idea of having Jerry and me sat together at school, hoping that would help me being less shy. And it sure did. And about Matt, he was Jerry's neighbour. He went to another school. It wasn't long before the three of us became friends, and almost every weekend, we used to gather to play at Matt's house. Then, when I was fourteen or so, RIchard Stevens was offered a better job in San Francisco, and the whole family had to move. My first times were kinda hard...it was much bigger than Billings, and I longed for it awfully. However, things began to change when I met Sue.  

It was our first summer in San Francisco, and May and me were in China Beach, along with Jess and Allen. By our side there was a family, with two girls. One of them, the eldest one, was more or less my age, and the other one was younger,    she would be eight or nine. After a while, their folks went for a walk, and hold the elder one to take care of her sister. The youngest one started  playing with a rubber ball, and from time to time the ball ended right in my towel.  Finally, who seemed to be her older sister told her to stop.

-Becky, don't bother! Go play to the shore...-The girl turned to me, smiling-I'm sorry...

-Never mind, don't worry... 

-Andy, I'm going to take a bath. Watch my things, will ya?

-No, May, wait...I go with you, the sea's rising. -I looked at the girl-Wanna come?

 -Why not? I'm Susan, by the way...Sue if you prefer...

-Nice name. I'm...

-Andy, I know. I heard your..

-My younger sister, Marjorie. Or May, she prefers being called that way.

We walked to the shore, and sat by it, while May and Sue's sister played with the ball.  We started talking, and it was as if we had met each other for a long time.

-I would have never imagined San Francisco had beaches like this-Sue looked at me, kinda puzzled-You know, everyone talks about the beaches in Los Angeles, but...

-You're not from here, are you? 

-No, from Billings, in Montana. I've been here for some months only. 

-Then I'd bet you don't know San Francisco. I can show it to you, if...

-Oh,I'd love it.

She smiled once more, and it was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. 

-Great. Come, I'll give you my phone number...

The following day, as we had agreed, she showed me her favourite spots in San Francisco, and soon we started seeing  each other almost every day...It wasn't long before I talked her about how things were at my house.  Without even realizing, I felt I had fallen for Sue, and finally, after a month dating, I kissed her for the first time...She looked at me with her big, brown eyes, and kissed me back. And I felt as if I was in heaven.