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I have had many an embarrassing moment in my time, but I will never forget this one. I was 18 years old, my friends know, but for anyone reading this who doesn't know me personally, I am registered blind. At the time of this incident, I had some vision still but not a lot. I was going through the stage of coming to terms with my disability and hated to admit to my friends and especially new boyfriends that I had a sight problem.
There was this young man of whom I thought was just the best thing since Mars bars! He was tall, dark and handsome, his name was Louis, he was in the merchant navy and I thought he was so mature and sophisticated, not like most of the other guys in my neighbourhood. Louis was home on leave and used to visit the family of my best friend. I would dress up and try to be around my friend's house whenever he was there. One day there was a gang of us at my friend's house and we decided we would go out dancing that night. My friend and I made an extra special effort to look good. We had the hair done, bought something new to wear, slapped on the face packs, soaked in the bath and applied all the appropriate lotions and potions we could lay our hands on, think you get the picture girls.
That night we strolled in to the dance hall feeling like a million dollars. Louis must have thought so as well, as he asked me to dance quite a number of times throughout the evening. Finally it came time for the last dance and he asked me to dance, then asked if he could walk me home. Well, of course I said yes, he walked me home and he asked me if I would like to go to the movies the next night with him. He kissed me goodnight, and girls, it wasn't bad at all, *smile*.
The next evening we met as planned. We were 5 minutes late in arriving at the movie theatre. Louis quickly bought two tickets for the best seats in the theatre and we hurried upstairs and in to the theatre. Well, you may have guessed by now, the place was in pitch darkness, the movie had begun. We were in such a hurry, Louis rushed in front of me and oh dear, I quickly lost sight of him in the darkness. I sort of fumbled my way to a seat and sat down with a thump. I haven't got a clue what the film was that night, I just sat there in torment, wondering what he must think of me. When the lights went up at the interval, he came and sat beside me. Oh my God, what was I going to say. He turned to me and said, "what is it, is there somebody back there you don't want to see?" Ureka! There is a God! Thank you, thank you God, I screamed to myself. I put on my sweetest smile and said, "yes, my mother". *laughs*
The relationship, didn't last very long after that. Louis went back to his ship and we drifted apart. He's a bus driver in the outskirts of Glasgow now. *chortle*