COTILLION TIME

 

9TH GRADE.....THE SOCIAL SCENE IN HUNTSVILLE....AT THE HOTEL RUSSELL ERSKINE WHERE, ONLY A WEEK BEFORE, I HAD SEEN TALLULAH BANKHEAD IN A PEWTER-GRAY METALLIC EVENING GOWN...WITH NO UNDERGARMENTS.......THIS LITTLE BALL AND PREPARATORY FOR THE "BALL OF ROSES" IN BIRMINGHAM.... WAS AN EVENT THAT I ALWAYS EAGERLY ANTICIPATED...MY DATE, THE BEAUTIFUL ALICE BRIGMAN, AND I...OF COURSE. BY THE WAY, I'M NOT THE ONE IN THE WHITE JACKET OR THE ONE WITH A NECKTIE....THEY'RE JIMMY STUMP AND THOMAS RYAN.....THOMAS' DATE WAS THE RED-HAIRED SHARON McMAHEN, WHO...IN ADDITION TO DOING A GOOD RHUMBA...PLAYED THE OBOE.....AND I ACCOMPANIED HER ON PIANO....THE BRUNETTE IN THE OFF-THE-SHOULDER GOWN AND LONG GLOVES WAS ANDEA LITTLE.  ALICE ALWAYS WORE THE MOST GLAMOROUS GOWNS.....I ALWAYS WORE

A HANDKERCHIEF.....MY GRANDMOTHER THOUGHT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE PREPARED FOR DROPS AND SPILLS.....LOOK WHERE ALICE ASKED ME TO PIN HER CORSAGE! SUCH WERE THE THRILLS OF FOURTEEN YEAR OLD ME........THE VERY NEXT WEEK, I KNEW THAT I HAD BECOME AN ADULT......FOR AS I WAS WAITING ON MISS IRENE, THE TAP, BALLROOM, ACROBATIC, AND TOE INSTRUCTOR......GAZING, NEAR-SIGHTEDLY INTO THE TINY DIAMOND IN MY FIRST "EVENING RING", AN

OVAL BLACK ONYX SET WITH A MINISCULE DIAMOND, IN PLATINUM.....WATCHING

THE FRONT ENTRANCE LIGHTS REFLECTED INTO ETERNITY, I SAW, BY CHANCE.....

THROUGH THE HEAVY CURTAINS THAT COVERED THE TALL WINDOWS.....MISS IRENE,

BRUSHING THE FLOOR LENGTH HAIR OF MISS ALTA TROUTMAN....."SOMETHING'S

HAPPENING, AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, DO YOU ......MR JONES?"

I WAS STILL A SWEET, PROTECTED BOY, I GUESS........MABRY MILLER AND

I WON THE VIENNESE WALTZ CONTEST, COMPETING WITH MARILYN ELLIS, ANOTHER

GIRLFRIEND OF MINE AT THE TIME, AND BOBBY VAN VALKENBURGH, MY ARCH

RIVAL FOR DANCE KING....