Lest It Be Forgotten After I Am Gone: The Adolescent Years - 8
...When I had my first serious encounter with the opposite sex at my first all-night party, which nowadays I would suspect as being so basic, I did not realise what was required of me until, in the dark, the girl placed my hands firmly on her breasts where she undoubtedly wanted them to rest, indicating to me in no uncertain terms what she wanted me to do with them...
Raymon Benedyk, back in civilian life after enforced employment in a coal mine, continues to learn the lessons of life.
To read earlier episodes of Raymon's engagingly frank autobiography please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/lest_it_be_forgotten_after_i_am_gone/
Back at work, the pains in my back began to show the first signs of what has plagued me ever since. When on some strenuous task, it would sometimes 'go' leaving me stuck in a bent position from which I could barely move, in considerable pain and danger. On several occasions I had to be helped from the pit totally incapacitated. Following a few days rest, and after I had returned to work, it would more often than not re-occur, or conversely not manifest itself for several weeks. After some months, and following medical investigation, the management decided that my back pains were genuine, and there were many cases that proved to be otherwise, and I was demobbed after about a year. In any case, the war was over and things were returning to normality with the pit managers wanting experienced men returning from the war working for them.
I recall with some amusement the medical examination that took place that resulted in my discharge. The doctor was in a large examination room and, whilst he was checking me over, possibly accidentally or more than likely on purpose, dropped his pen by me, causing me spontaneously to attempt to pick it up for him. After a yelp of pain from me, he said, "Go to the end of the room and repeat what I shall say to you". I did as I was told and, when he said something I quite genuinely could not hear, he instructed me to turn the other way, which I did and, following his repeating his special message, I said again quite truthfully that I still could not hear what he said. I was then discharged from mining work because I was officiously designated as being deaf! It was as arbitrary as that.
So, at the end of 1945, after a year working in the mines, I was back home and working in the family business again. By now, I was able to drive and began to have an adolescent social life. I got to know girls! Although I went out with a group of boys and girls my own age, I did not have a girl friend of my own. I was also probably looked upon as weird as I now realise I had one or two unusual 'hang-ups' for the times, one of which was that I did not, and in fact still don't, drink tea or coffee, drink beer, wines or spirits or smoke, a most important social necessity of the time, although I always carried a lighter for those that did. Another 'odd' thing was that in any parlour games I took part in, I gave instructions that I was not to be kissed on the mouth, which was, for most of them, the whole point of the game!
Still, my fun and enjoyment in life was being with people my own age, an experience of which I had unknowingly been lacking previously. When I had my first serious encounter with the opposite sex at my first all-night party, which nowadays I would suspect as being so basic, I did not realise what was required of me until, in the dark, the girl placed my hands firmly on her breasts where she undoubtedly wanted them to rest, indicating to me in no uncertain terms what she wanted me to do with them, causing me totally unknown and embarrassingly painful difficulties. What an education that night! It was fun!
