Unrequited Love

 For Valentine's Day I thought I would give you a personal story of unrequited love.

When I was nine I had my first marriage proposal and even a mock wedding but I‘m getting ahead of myself. As I said I was nine years old and attended a rural school so was transported each day by bus to the school. I had a small group of girls I hung out on the schoolyard during recesses.( morning lunch and afternoon ones). It was June and one of the girl’s Mary-Beth said “He likes you .”

“Who likes me?” I asked surprised.

“Someone likes Sheilagh?” asked Cindy.

“Yes John.” Grace answered then chanted “Sheilagh and John sitting in a tree, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Sheilagh with a baby carriage.”

“Yuck.” I answered. ”I’m not having babies for years and years and years.”

“So you do like John?” Mary-Beth asked.

“He’s okay.” I answered not committing myself looking over at the blonde headed boy.He was kind of cute and had nice blue eyes when he smiled.

“She likes him.” Grace said

I ignored them and walked away .If John wanted to like me that was okay but I didn’t want them to talk about it. The bell rang and we went in for class. Frankly I forgot about it as the teacher taught two of my favourite subjects History, then Music. Lunch came and I ate it quickly. it was an early spring day, the sun was out, and I wanted to skip rope and just enjoy the outdoors. I spotted my friends talking to some boys one of them John, and he smiled at me. What were they saying? Had they told him I liked him? I wondered my stomach hurting. I ignored them and walked back in to go to the washroom to wash my reddened face and get some composure back. As I put the cool water on my face my arms were grabbed I looked up water in my eyes to find several girls around me.

“You are getting married.” Grace said.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m only nine years old. Let me go.” I pleaded as I struggled. With three girls holding me and two others holding guard I wasn’t getting away. I was at the time smaller than all the girls at only about 4feet 8 inches, and they had a firm hold on my arms.

“John wants to marry you. This is your surprise wedding.” Grace answered. “My Dad’s a minister, so I know all the words and I’m going to marry you.”

“I don’t want to marry anyone and I don’t love him.” I continued to protest as they stuck toilet paper in my hair with bobby pins for a veil and started to wind toilet tissue around me for my gown.

“Well John does and we want a wedding.” Mary-Beth replied.

I glared at all of them and thought none of them were truly my friends or they wouldn’t be doing this to me. When they finished dressing me for the wedding they pulled me out to the playground and to a corner of the yard. Grace picked some dandelions and stuck them in my hands saying “There now you have some flowers. The girls let my arms go but stood close enough to grab me again.

John walked over smiling and said “I really want to marry you.”

I was flabbergasted this boy who had barely said two words to me wanted to marry me? I grew frightened what if because Grace’s father was a minister the ceremony was legal I didn’t want to marry anyone especially at nine years old.

“Do you John take Sheilagh.” I heard and then his agreement then it was my turn

“Do you Sheilagh take John.”

I felt my heart pounding in my chest as fear seeped into every pore of my skin.

“No,” I said but it came out as a yell and then like my feet had wings, I ran away.

John never spoke to me again after that and I felt bad about that. I think I might have broken John’s heart. As for the girls I forgave them and they realized that they couldn’t push me into something I didn’t want to do and respected me for it. And that dear readers is my story for you today Valentine’s Day.
© Sheilagh Lee   February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day