Prom Night - My Own

After I post this blog, I'll have to remove my picture and my son's so my identity remains secret. hahaha.

Back in 1972 we were actively planning for our Junior-Senior Prom as Juniors in a hotel when suddenly, President Marcos declared martial law and attendant to it, imposed a curfew. So back to the drawing boards the planners went. The venue was transferred to a classmate's big house. I can't recall now why.

My date was the best friend of my cousin. Summer before the prom, my cousin stayed in our house for a few weeks and this friend visited him. They played pool in the house and I found him cute. Oh boy, this is embarrassing even after 34 or so years. So why am I writing this? I guess so I can laugh about the nightmare that ensued.

I can't recall now how I asked him to the prom because back then it was a no-no in the house for us daughters to call boys. So maybe, I asked my cousin to ask his friend to call? I think that's what happened. I can still recall where I took that call. Oh boy. In the clean kitchen where we had our meals. I was so excited. And he said he was too. this feels so bizarre. I think he called one other time to say what time he'd pick me up with his friend, etc.

It was a double date (I feel so silly doing this, haha). The car was tiny (Minca?) and when they picked me up, they meaning my date, his friend and my classmate, it was not that dark yet. Maybe it was around 6 pm. Rode the car and we didn't talk. Oh my. While on the phone we talked like friends, in person, it was utter silence. At the prom site, we had a picture together and both of us had arms crossed (what do psychologists have to say about that -- body-language interpretation, I mean). We still hardly spoke. We had dinner and at one point he and his friend excused themselves. Not long after, another classmate of ours approached us and motioned to us to follow her. In the bedroom of the host she proceeded to tell us that our dates had left. I can't recall now how our classmate found out. I can't recall now if we even thought of calling our houses to have ourselves picked up. But what happened was that classmate who informed us was the double date of another classmate whose date was the informer's cousin. She said they'd take us home.

The car was huge so we all managed to squeeze in. When I got home, my father opened the door and I told him what happened after I told him not to do anything about it, not even tell my Mom whom I guess I wanted to spare from the hurt. Our prom giveaways then were mugs with our names and our date's. We each got a pair so I remember bringing my prom date's to his house. I think I wrote a note but it's contents I cannot now recall.

A year or so later, there was a party in the house and this prom date of mine had the gall to gate-crash. I don't remember now what happened then.

Which brings me to why I thought of writing this piece. Last night my son was a Junior girl's date to her prom. They had never met but became dates because the girl's mom is the friend of a friend of mine. In the car on the way to the girl's house, even if I sounded like a nagger, I gave a few reminders to my son. Don't look bored. Be a good date. Never leave your date. If you can help it, don't use your cellphone (because then he'll be ignoring his date if he texted away) As I said these, I thought, maybe, my date back in 3rd year high wasn't reminded of such matters by his mom. So I felt I had to remind my son.

Background on that prom date of mine: he was the son of friends of my mom and dad. They belonged to the same civic club. Years after that fateful night, my sister told me that when the mom met her, she asked, "Are you xxx(my name)?" I have no idea if she ever found out what an awful date her son was. My friend who told us they had left said they most likely had or were going to have a pot session. Oh boy...

Now back to my son's 4th prom night et al.: the first was last year when he was invited by his classmate from nursery school, the second was my son's own, the third was for his date's. Car arrangements varied:

1st prom night: the mom of the girl said to bring our son to their place and they'd take care of everything including seeing my son home.

2nd prom night: my husband and I picked up the girl with my son because parents were strict and my son then wasn't yet driving. Going home, my husband picked them up and brought the girl home with my son.

3rd prom night: it was the graduation of a nephew so we got a driver to bring my son and his date to the prom venue in a hotel. After the dinner of my nephew, we went off to pick them up in the hotel though we waited a bit in the hotel lobby along with other parents of the girls. This set-up consoled me in the sense that we weren't an oddity.

4th prom night: we were at the girl's house on time but as the date of her friend wasn't around, the parents of the girl, the dad especially, offered to be the one to take them to the prom site. they also said they'd pick her up from the prom site. I didn't feel slighted by the arrangement because I understood their apprehensions. After all, in a sense, been there, done that.

I won't read this draft anymore as I don't feel comfortable about it, maybe another time. So excuse any errors you might find. Now I shall proceed to deleting the pictures I posted in earlier blogs that indicate my identity. (Then again, I shall not delete those pictures because I don't think my date will read this anyway and it's the truth to begin with. Nothing to be ashamed of on my part, right?)