On a Date With My Brother

In 1956, I was a teenager living on the farm. I was a freshman in high school and really had no way of getting anywhere because I didn’t have a driver’s license. My Dad took me to the movies maybe once a week but that was about it. My brother George was five years older and if not for him, I would have stayed at home many more nights in those early teen years. He took me too many functions such as movies, dances, numerous church picnics in Ammannsville, Dubina, Plum, Holman and dances at Swiss Alp Hall.

On this one occasion, he even took me along on one of his dates. We went to see a good western movie. After the movie we, George, his girlfriend and I, drove around town for a while and then proceeded to take the girl home. Now this girl lived on a farm a few miles out of town. We veered off the main highway onto a cow path of a road going to her house deep in the woods. There were two gates across the road and at each gate, I had to get out of the back seat to open and close them. I had trouble unlatching one of them. One would think George would get out and give me a helping hand.

I guess he couldn’t because one hand was on the steering wheel and the other was tight around the girl’s shoulder! Now I know the reason for him taking me along!

P.S.: Upon opening the last gate, George shouted at me to stay by the gate and wait for him until he came back. He said that he would be back in a minute or so! Those “few minutes” was at least a half hour. Maybe he had a hard time operating the latch of the door – OR SOMETHING?!