TheBanyanTree: Patty Marsten

[R J Fernalld]

 Once a week or so, I read the hometown news via computer. The small towns
that make up my childhood "home" are still populated by family, friends, and
my history. The Sun carries births, engagements, weddings, the local comings
and goings, school news, local politics and the like.

I moved away from home thirty years ago. Been back for weddings, vacations,
emergencies, family reunions and funerals. In my mind I can traverse the
country roads, the Main Streets, the high school halls and haunts even now.
The picnics at the lake, the town team ball games at the roadside diamond
with the old fashioned covered seats, the Memorial Day parades, snowball
fights and sledding parties all live in my mind in crisp detail.
Occasionally the names of the people in the hometown paper are traceable to
children and grandchildren of my classmates or cousins. I haven't seen most
of them for many many years.

Patty Marsten's name appeared in that paper today.  She was Patty Green when
I knew her and was the town bully in Bryant Pond the year my family moved
into our first "home of our own". She and I hated each other on sight. A
wiry, muscular, foul mouthed nine year old, Patty was a rotten kid. Her
tough exterior was literally feared by every kid in town. Her reputation was
already known to me from others and I should have steered clear of her. But
I myself was no shrinking violet, and was not the nicest kid around either.
I was pretty sore at my parents for making me live in that little podunk
burg and was trying hard to make everyone pay. The clash of the titans was
inevitable. 

She harassed me every chance she got all summer. I ignored her like she was
dung. Best I could I avoided her and everyone else. I hated Bryant Pond and
everyone in it and to be left alone. But Patty was always looking to "get me
. She told everyone who'd listen that I was "dead meat". Everything came to
a head one hot August evening that summer. The town baseball team was
playing at home. My dad was the catcher and always insisted Mama drag us all
to the games. Bored and bitchy as usual, I refused to sit with Mama and the
kids, heading to the top tier of the bleachers, up under the slanted roof.
One could see the nearby lake from there and ignore the ballgame without
anyone's notice.

I saw her before she saw me. The weather clouds had accumulated and the
predicted confrontation between Patty and me was as inevitable as the
thunder and lightening due any minute. The game was nearly over. She
ascended the steps to where I was, and I turned away to watch the lake grow
dark under the clouds.

"Fat bitch."

It was what she said to any girl she didn't like. I shall refrain from
recounting the expletives she saved for the boys.

"Hey...fat bitch. I'm talkin' to you!" This she snarled with the
accompanying rumble of thunder.

As she stepped close to me, I swung my body and my arm with clenched fist as
hard as I could. My fist caught her jaw as the lightning flashed and she
tumbled the whole way down the bleachers. She landed unceremoniously at the
bottom, bleeding from the nose and out light a light. Everyone in the stands
and the men from both teams ran to her. I stood my ground on the upper level
 She came around after a moment, appearing to have no major injuries other
than a blackening eye, cut lip and bloody nose. She stared up at me and said
nothing.

I'd like to say that after that day Patty Green and I became friends. We
didn't. But somehow we were no longer enemies either. We went through all
the grades together, and high school. The closest we ever came to a
conversation was "Will you sign my yearbook?" "Sure."

I never saw her again after our high school graduation. I knew she married
and had a few kids and a divorce or maybe two.  Never bothered to go to the
class reunions, but I saw her in a photograph someone sent me from the 15th.
. or was it the 20th. I would have known her in a heartbeat...her looks hadn
t changed a bit. I heard from old friends that she had become a wonderful
woman with a heart big as a house. I believed them. 

I learned today Patty died a few days ago. I read her obituary in the Sun on
line. Not sure why I cried nor why I know I'll miss her, but I did and I
will.

R J Fernalld


 
 
A friend is someone who will bail you out of jail. 
A best friend is the one sitting beside you saying, 
'Damn that was fun.'