Summer, 1936

Boys, boys, boys.

Let’s begin with Caveman. They have been getting along well for a while now even though Babu doesn’t see the way she can sure mix up a signal. She plainly tells Caveman that he should take her to the prom if he could learn how to dance. Well that explodes in her face when he doesn’t ask her. She calls him out on and he says that he is still learning how to dance. He comes in to see her, to return some magazines, and she is having a break out so she completely hides her face from him. How must he have felt? She at least admits to “Almost snubbing him.” She even get jealous of seeing him walk down the street with Francis. I know this doesn’t sound like they are getting along but through out the passages and in between the lines, they are closer than ever.

A nice ending to a Sunday. Zosh and I went walking and Caveman came with us. I told him he must learn to dance so he can take me to the prom. He’s different in the way that he walks with us. Before he wouldn’t have thought of it and now he even walked with two of us.

Then there is Jamie, used and abused as always. However she writes:

Jaime went to Boston Sunday. He sent me a card saying “Chicopee is still the tops.” I liked getting it very much.

I don’t blame the boys for being confused.

Then there’s W.B.Z. He is her C.T. This was a boy in middle school who I had the biggest crush on but he was way cuter and way more popular than me. Out of my league. I had a crush on the ideal, not the by, since I never even got the chance to know him. I’ll never forget the couples skate at “Interskate” when I had the balls to ask if he would skate with me and he did and his hand was so sweaty. I don’t know what bothered me more, how gross it was or that he didn’t even bother to dry his hand off on his pants first. I was over him right then and there. It was time for me to get into more “Alternative” boys anyway. I wonder if Babu will have a moment that like with W.B.Z. when he will just fall from his pedestal. For now, it’s this:

Tuesday, June 25th, 1936
My heart beat furiously tonight and I was all excited. I went to Sophie’s graduation and almost the first person I met was W.B.Z. We both said, “Hello.” Gosh but he’s nice. No really. He’s nothing extra, but to me he is. He won another Page scholarship so I suppose that means another year at “Mass. State.”

Wednesday, June 26th, 1936
W.B.Z. will continue to affect me for a while now. Since I saw him yesterday in my spare moments he comes to my mind.

She has to get some work done at the dentist in August and writes:

Friday, August 28th, 1936
One tooth’s been filled. Two more to go. Tomorrow came after all. While undergoing the pleasant ministrations of Dr. Good I tried to think of Walter to ease the pain. Sometimes it worked.

I just really wonder if she know how funny she is! (And does anyone else find it creepy that the dentist is “Doctor Good?”)

She seems to be getting over Maurice who she notes has skin problems on his chin but she’s nice enough to admit his acne isn’t as bad as hers.

Then, into the picture comes Frank. But First I must tell you about Babu’s trip to Vermont to visit Ernie. She has a great time. Babu meets droves of people including Ernie’s parents and friends. She receives a warm welcome by all, especially Frank, Ernie’s brother. The group of friends swim, eat, play tennis, ride horses, but mostly drive around fast:

Junior took us out again after supper. We went careening over all the roads imaginable.

Besides Frank insisting right along with Ernie and Ernie’s parents that she must come up to visit another weekend there are other signs that Frank and Babu are hitting it off:

Went to the dance at Lowell Lake in Londonderry. Junior got sick and we left although we were having a swell time. I rode in front with Frank (Cunningham, top down). It was wonderful. Such a moon. We sat in the car or over an hour. Frank fell asleep with his head in my lap.

But it’s not only Babu facing questions of love. Jeanette and Teddy are going strong:

I can’t get over Teddy coming to see Jeanette. He came up and they sit on the porch just as I used to sit with her before. It’s the first time I I’ve seem him on the porch but I’m seldom out so I don’t know.

I imagine hearing her voice as she says this and she would sound a little bit wistful. Babu strongly feels that they will get married. And Zosh! She seems to be finding love as well!

Zosh was up tonight and said she had a wonderful time last night. Said she feels hot and bothered when she thinks of how she acted. I must find out about this.

Two days later she gets the dirt!