Josh was six years old and Margaret Carew only a month or two younger when her family arrived in the bush town where he lived. The day she enrolled at his school he decided she was not just pretty but beautiful. It was not simply that she possessed artfully arranged, blond, blue eyed physical features. Her beauty also came from within and radiated through the confident but relaxed way she held herself, the glint in her eye and the lilt in her voice. All these years later he still thinks she is beautiful. But perhaps he is biased, having fallen in love with her the very first day he saw her. Even at that age he was prepared to be her slave for life but he was so overawed by her beauty that she knew nothing of his willingness to assume such a role.
When he turned eight his mother decided he should have a proper birthday party and asked him for a list of the friends he wanted to invite. He nominated Margaret, his three best mates and three of the other girls from their class to make up the numbers. Wanting to do things properly, his mother bought invitation cards from the newsagent and posted them out in plenty of time before his birthday. All the other mothers rang up to accept but Mrs Carew sent a short note on pale pink, deckle edge stationery to say that Margaret would be unable to attend as she would be visiting her grandmother in Sydney that weekend.
At school, on the Friday before his party, she passed him a package with a note attached.
Josh,
I'm sorry I can't come to your party. I hope you enjoy this book. I did.
Have a happy time.
Margaret
The following Monday it was his turn to pass her a note.
Margaret,I was sorry too that you couldn't come to my party. We had a good time but it would have been better if you were there. Thank you for the book. I will let you know how I liked it.
Josh
In this simple way their exchange of notes began. They wrote longer and longer notes to each other almost every day. These communications continued with the aid of the postman after Margaret's father was transferred to a larger town. They were, they told their parents, penfriends.
The change in their relationship occurred when they were 15 years old. After much badgering of her parents, Margaret was able to invite Josh to spend two weeks of the summer holidays with her family who now lived in a seaside town. They spent every day on the beach where Margaret's beauty, minimally covered by last year's skimpy bikini, caused an unfamiliar stirring in Josh's bathing trunks. While their bodies never touched as they lay side by side on the beach it was different in the surf as they danced and wrestled together in the breakers, especially when, in a break between the waves, Josh drew her to him and kissed her hard on the mouth.
Pulling back, he stammered, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."
She didn't reply but drew him towards her and returned his kiss passionately and enthusiastically until they were dumped by a breaker. When they spluttered to the surface he said, "I told a lie. I know what came over me. You did. You're so beautiful. There, I've finally said it. You're beautiful. You're so very, very beautiful and I love you."
Holding hands they jumped and skipped through the breakers back to the beach to lie on their towels, still clutching hands. As they dried off in the sun and the gentle breeze from the sea, they were aware that their lives had suddenly changed. Years later, looking back on their joyous years of courtship and marriage, Josh realised that it was after that fateful day on the beach that he began writing poetry.
(Copyright 2004 by Lincoln Donald - No reproduction without express permission from the author)
Table of Contents
Letter to the Author: Lincoln Donald at lincolndonald@hotmail.com