Posted by TheProf on January 15, 1999 at 07:58
In Reply to: Question (How many times.....) posted by ecstasyZ on January 14, 1999 at 19:46
The scene is a Catholic grammar school in an ethnic enclave of a major US city some 35 years ago. Lucia was the best student in the class, I was the distant second. There were large classes in those days. She and I were good friends. Our mothers were also good friends. It was LOU-sha instead of the more typically Italian Lou-CHEE-ah. I don’t know why that was.
Anyway, one day a group of us were working at the black board in front of the class. I was paired with Lucia in one corner of the board practicing script letters. We were in the school uniform which for her consisted of the traditional navy blue jumper skirt with the initials SMS over a white blouse with Peter Pan collar. We were working for quite some time when Lucia began the familiar fidigiting associated with desperation. She walked the few paces to the nun sitting at her desk to ask to go to the girls room and I heard the nun refuse saying that the class had just “been”.
We continued writing on the board, all the while Lucia never verbally shared her predicament with me. Neither did the fidigitng increase dramatically. It continued to be obvious, however, without implying any impending catastrophe. Suddenly, without any verbal utterance whatsoever, Lucia quickly moved her hand from the board and thrust it into the front of her dress between her legs still staring at me motionless and quiet. Absolutely simultaneously I noticed a cascade of drops falling from under her dress straight to the floor over a broad area (ie not in a narrow stream). I didn’t notice anything dripping down her legs. It may be wishful memory, but I seem to think I also recall hearing a faint hiss at this point. When a small puddle no larger than the size say of a fist had formed, Lucia managed to stop. She then casually walked back to the nun’s desk and said something that, alas, I did not hear! After that, she walked out the door...........
Lucia did not come back into the classroom that day. When she did return, we never spoke about the incident. I’m not even aware if any other kids saw what happened, but they probably did.
So there you have it. My most vivid sighting ever! It is absolutely burned into my mind! Even as I think about it lo these many years later, my pulse rate increases considerably. What is it about such acts that captivates us so? I have heard many of you put forth theories which to me nibble successfully at the edges but fail to hit the bull’s eye!
Email: dongio1@hotmail.com