Queenie

While traveling through blogland I came upon a blog by a woman from England who goes by the name of Queenie. Her name brought back memories that made me curious enough to visit her blog.

Our older son went to a small Christian college in California. It was far from home, but we had relatives nearby and that is where he wanted to go. I missed this boy who was so bright and ready for college. He flew home for the Christmas holiday and we were eager to hear all his stories. While walking to baggage claim I asked how school was going. He said fine but he was going to sure miss someone. “Who is that?” I asked. “I've met a girl, Mom,” he replied. It was the first we had heard about this so I was full of questions.

Me. “Is she a freshman too?”
Son. “No, Mom, she is a sophomore.”
Me. “Oh, how old is she?”
Son. “She's twenty-five.”
Me. “Where is she from?”
Son. “She's from Thailand.”
Me. “What's her name?”
Son. “Queenie.”
Me. “Queenie?”
Son. “That's a nickname. Her name is actually ****.” ( Her name was too long and too foreign sounding for me to pronounce. I had to practice until I could say say it correctly.)
Me. “Does she go to church with you?”
Son. “She comes sometimes.”
Me. “What religion is she?”
Son. “She's a Buddhist.”

By the time we reached baggage claim I had discovered that my eighteen-year-old son was in love with a twenty-five-year old Buddhist woman called Queenie whose real name I could not pronounce. It was hard for me to process all this information.

That evening he was sitting in the living room telling me all about this wonderful girl who had stolen his heart. He didn't think I could possibly understand how he felt. “Mom,” he asked,”Have you ever been in love?” I told him that I loved his father. He replied,”No, Mom, I mean really in love!” He then rolled of the couch and did a back flip and gazed dreamily up to the ceiling.

That first love did not last. He later found the true love of his life and has been happily married for eighteen years.

Who was your first love?