Fifteen years ago, I went from a daughter of a working cowboy in Nebraska, to a nanny living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.. Every Tuesday night without fail, my friend, Jules and I would go to small local bar, for ladies night. Well, for one drink anyway, the first one was free.
While we were planning the rest of our evening three young Marines came in.
“Sis, check out the one in the black hat”, Jules gushed.
“The one in the straw hat is much better looking”, I said and returned to the story I was telling.
Soon the one in the straw was over to ask Jules to dance. That was typical.
When she got back she said, “You’re in luck, Sis, he’s interested in you.”
“I’m not interested.”
“No, really, he’s a Marine. Isn’t your brother a Marine?”
“Yep, and he said never marry a Marine. Strike one.”
“No, Sis, really, he’s a cowboy. He can rope and stuff, like you. Your dad’s a cowboy, right?”
“Yep, and Mom said never marry a cowboy. Strike two.”
“C’mon, Sis, he’s from Kansas, isn’t that close to Nebraska?”
Yep. I would never live in Kansas. Strike three, he’s out.
“Excuse me, ma’am, would you like to dance?”
Helloooo handsome! I set my beer down and turned looked into his eyes for the first time and lost my breath, words, all sense of time and all sense.
I had never seen anyone so…steamy. I mean GQ steamy. Those eyes. And lips. Perfect Beverly Hills lips. The kind of lips people pay good money for. I took a deep breath and as I opened my mouth to say something a thought ran through my mind, it was just a whisper at first…’this is HIM’.
“I would love to…” was all I managed say.
Evidently that was enough.
After sharing every move on the dance floor for an hour, he decided he needed to play the guitar up on stage and went up to commandeer the position.
Oh Jeez, I can really pick ‘em. This isn’t Hamburger Hill, Marine, this is a bar. You can’t just get up on stage with the band anytime you want to. Maybe he’s not really ‘the one’. I started thinking about leaving while he was preoccupied. Then I heard him play. Wow he’s good. Really good.
Hours later, the bar was closing, but I didn’t want the night to end. Ben, was gracious enough to invite us back to his apartment.
“So, what do you think?”Jules said with a yawn.
“He’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’m gonna marry him. Let’s go.”
“Sis, are you sure? You just met. You really don’t date much…I mean really…”
“Nope. I’m sure, he’s the one. Let’s go…”
“I don’t think this is a good idea…”
“Aw, he’s a Marine. If you can’t trust a Marine, who can you trust?”
So we went, against Jules’ better judgement. Which at the time, was the only judgement we had, as I had misplaced mine.
At his apartment, Ben and I soon found ourselves alone. He picked up his guitar. My heart was pounding in my chest and my mind was racing. He’s so magical…are there really people like this…is he even real…is this a dream? He was singing a song I had never heard called Knoxville Girl. (click to hear)
“I met a little girl in Knoxville, a town we all know well. And every Sunday evening down in her home I’d dwell…”
Awwww, this is nice little love song. He’s so different from what I usually date, this is sweet…
“We went to take an evening walk about a mile from town…”
I was getting weaker by the moment. I sat mesmerized and day dreaming about us walking hand in hand as the sun set…
“I picked a stick up off the ground and KNOCKED that fair girl down…”
Oh Crap! Did I just hear him right? Jules. JULES! It’s time to go. Oh good Lord, where is JULES? Oh God, she’s gone. She gone and he is smiling. Smiling a very sadistic smile. Oh this is it, this is the end.I started to shake violently on the inside and felt like I could throw up.
“She begged and pleaded on bended knee, for mercy she did cry… ‘Oh, Ben my dear, don’t kill me here, I’m unprepared to die’…”
This IS it. “Oh God, please. If you just get me out of this, I promise I’ll never…”
“She never spoke another word. I only beat her more. Until the ground around her, with her blood did flow…”
Okay. That’s it. It’s either me or him. And it darn sure isn’t going to be me. I think I can take him. As Kate used to say…”Partner, you best get up to yer fighting weight.”
All he could do was smile that smile. The same one that got me to that point in the first place.
I wish I would have known then…If the woman is still alive at the end of the song, it ain’t bluegrass.
(to be continued)
From the grave,
Sandhill Sis
P.S. Happy Anniversary, Ben. Thanks for 14 adventurous years. I respect you greatly.
Tags: bluegrass, Bluegrass Music, Knoxville Girl, love story
Happy Anniversary, you two lovebirds.
I couldn’t have picked a better pair. You go together like PB & J.
Thanks! Yes, like peas and carrots, like wheat and Kansas, like an abcess and a toothache…I love your family, and glad I got to marry into it.
Sis
Happy Anniversary…………hope its a good one!!
Thanks, my friend, it will be when he gets back off business
Sis
Happy Anniversary! ps – that song is scary – cant believe you didnt pull out your famous kung fu on him! LOL
Hiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee Yaw! My famous kung fu move? Aren’t you a comedian.
He probably wishes now, I had.
Sis
[...] help me, Rhoda. If Ben wasn’t such a stud, I might run off with a salad [...]
[...] I spent time dreaming of my knight, I didn’t know He was going surpass what I had dreamed. I didn’t know then that relationships morph and are far from static. What started out as a [...]
[...] there anything this magic wonder can’t do? It makes me almost want to marry it. I use it to clean windows, the bathroom, the coffee maker, in the laundry, and on the floors. Did [...]
My mother used to sing that song to me when I was a kid. I always liked it…..
[...] Until I married Ben, I was a dog person. I mean straight up, honest to God, dog person. I grew up hunting dogs, working cattle beside them and sharing meals with them in the evening. My life with Ben has been a blur of various dog problems, habits of going on tour, and renting from one fat gray cat for eleven years. After all that I’ve been transformed into a cat person. [...]
[...] my evil twin, and I have a birthday coming up here real soon. Ben, in typical Ben fashion, has surprised me. Well kinda. As much as you can surprise someone [...]
[...] of it and so far it hasn’t stuck around long enough to have it’s picture taken. Ben has been known to tap his foot while I’m clicking away and then say, “Can I eat it now [...]