Unusual Date

Donna Swagerty Shreve

My freshman year at University of the Pacific offered me many new experiences. One of those was a very unusual date to a fraternity party. I had a freshman English class with the guy. We shared hellos but not much beyond that. One Monday after class he surprised me by inviting me to the annual bell dance that was a special occasion for that fraternity. I knew a few of the stories about previous dances but not much more. I accepted and then he was not in class for the rest of the week. His friend came up to me Friday and said Jay was out of town and I was to go to a certain room at my dorm where I would descend a ladder into a firetruck for a ride to the dance. He also handed me the pajama fireman costume I was to wear. The costume was a sleeveless top that did not even come to one’s knees. I realized I would need a top to wear under it and some kind of bottoms. The year was 1964 so our wardrobes were limited as we were not allowed to wear pants on campus.

I went to the room at the time given in costume and waited with a group of girls. I didn’t know any of them and already I was questioning my wisdom in accepting this date. Sure enough the firetruck arrived on time with much noice from the clanging of the bells and the guys hooping and hollering. It was a vintage, antique firetruck from another age. A ladder was raised to the second floor window and we were to descend in turn to the waiting firetruck. Fortunately I saw my date so I descended into the truck. It was difficult to chat for all of the noise. We were delivered to the fraternity’s second floor window where we then were supposed to slide down a ramp placed over the stairway.

It was my turn to make my dramatic entrance. I slid down and when I hit the bottom I was horrified as I had just lost one of my contact lenses. I voiced my dismay and the lights were turn on and I was now on my hands and knees hunting frantically for my lost lens. By some miracle I found it and the lights were once again dimmed and the party continued. 

I do believe we might have actually danced a bit before my date asked me to accompany him out on the porch. He had to leave on a secret mission and would be back in a bit. Could I please make myself look busy until he got back. Again I did not recognize anyone in the room. Couples were dancing or chatting away and I was the sore thumb. I noticed someone going into a side room. Out of curiosity I followed and found a few students and the chaperones. I found a seat and listened to the current conversation. My teacher for Western Civilization was present and was bragging about his college days and how he had to get married when his careless girlfriend got pregnant. I was not impressed. 

Time dragged by and finally my date and two of his friends returned with great fanfare. They had returned with a huge bell they had found in an old fire station up in some small northern California town. Obtaining bells was a grand tradition for this fraternity and this bell was considered a big deal. The large bell had been held down with ropes. One rope got loose and was interfering with the clapper which was the size of a large fist. Somehow when my date reached in to get the rope out of the way, the clapper swung loose and hit his middle finger and split it open.

Now he had to leave to go to the emergency room. He begged me to wait for him as he would return soon. He left me with the dates of his two friends. The three guys left for the hospital and we girls were to wait. The two girls were friends and they were not very interested in including me in their conversations. Again I was at loose ends.

After another few hours he returned with a heavily bandaged and splinted middle finger. He was going to be flipping off everyone for a while. He apologized and was full of pain pills. I suggested it would be best if I went back to my dorm and he go lie down. He appreciated my sympathy and let me go.

I returned to my dorm room to find my bed stripped and my mattresses stacked on top of my roommate’s stripped bed. On top of the mattresses were my bananas and oranges I was eating for my current diet. The fruit spelled out R F. How appropriate! My roommate came to our room from her date and we put our beds back to their original state. I was exhausted. Was there a second date? No! I found out later that I was asked out to make his former girl friend jealous. She can have him.

860 words

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2/4/23