Puzzled

It was long weekend, meaning three days off from the rigors of continuous study. Michael Gorsline and I were invited to go spend some time at the Kelly Recreation Area north of San Antonio.

It was Tech-Sergeant Frank Joseph who had offered to take us out to the lake and he was also bringing a married couple along. Frank was the supervisor of Environmental Health Education at the School of Aerospace Medicine. 

We piled into his van and arrived at the lake’s edge around mid-morning. It was a typical central Texas summer day, hot and humid and we were all looking forward to getting into the water. 

After a day spent swimming and lounging in the sun, we had hamburgers and hotdogs, cooked over the campfire. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. 

While everyone slept in the van, I decided to take advantage of being outdoors and sleep under the stars. I chose a picnic table located near the van as my rack. 

The next day, Mike and I took a couple inner tubes we’d brought along for the occasion and made our way our way to the middle of the lake. There we got to talking about the regular stuff guy’s talk about. 

“I really think Becky’s cute,” I told Mike about the wife of the guy Frank had also invited. 

“Keep it down,” he scolded me, “Sound travels really well over water, you know.”

I poo-poo’d his notion as I believed we were too far out to be heard in camp.

It turns out Mike was right, and I’d find this out that night as I fell asleep on the table once again. Becky woke me up wanting to know if I really believed she was cute.

I told her that I did and I wouldn’t have said so, had I not meant it.

She then kissed me very gently on the lips, said goodnight and returned to the van. Neither of us spoke of it again for the remainder of the weekend.

I never saw Becky or her husband again after that weekend.

Both her question and her kiss left me puzzled for years after. I have since come to understand that there are something’s better not understood.