Sweet Kisses: Memories of Hayden Chalmers

By Heath Buckmaster

Hayden Chalmers. Now that was one fine lookin’ man – tall, with dark hair, except for exactly three gray ones, even though he was just a young man. He had the most exquisite blue eyes that were as clear as my koi pond on a cool winter day. And those sweet kissable lips. My oh my, you could kiss those lips all day long, take a break for a quick dinner, then go right on back to kissin’ ‘em again like they were cherry pie dessert with whipped topping.

Tasty and delicious. That’s what he was from head to toe and I couldn’t get enough of him. I would never say it was love at first sight, but I would surely say it was love at first kiss. Oh there was a lot more to Hayden than those lips, but they were what started it all for me. We were in his daddy’s car, no less – an Oldsmobile Rocket, like a lot of middle-class folks on Herbert Street had in those days. And before you go thinkin’ that we were parkin’ out on Lost-Love Point, we weren’t. We were good Christian kids, sittin’ in that car right in front of my best friend Ellie’s house waitin’ for her to finish curlin’ her foot-long hair so we could all go to the movies.

I remember thankin’ her later for takin’ so long with her hair, because it gave me more time to fall in love with Hayden Chalmers’ lips. But eventually she came out to the car and we pretended that nothin’ had happened. It was our first date after all and I wasn’t that easy. Well, I was when it came to first base, but that’s all he was gonna get ‘til I saw an engagement ring. That’s just how you were in those days. A boy had to ask you good and proper and he had to ask your daddy first. Even then most girls I knew didn’t let their fiancé’s see ‘em naked ‘til the weddin’ night. I guess that’s a bit old fashioned these days, but my momma brought me up right.

I’m not sure I even remember the movie we went to that night. I think all I really remember was the soda drink I had hangin’ on the window next to the speaker. All I could do was drink that cola and think about those sweet lips I’d kissed, and how I was quite possibly in love. I was watchin’ Hayden while he was watchin’ the movie. He looked over at me a few times and gave me a big smile like he knew that I was gettin’ sweet on him. I think I must’ve gone through five or six sodas that night. I know when I got home I had to pee like somethin’ fierce.

Well that wasn’t our last date for sure. In fact, Hayden Chalmers and I became quite the hot item that year. Everyone at school talked about it – the girls mostly, because I kept tellin’ ‘em so much about his sweet kisses they wanted to give him a try for themselves. But Hayden knew better and saved ‘em only for me – which was good because I would have had somethin’ to say to those girls if they’d laid a hand on my Hayden.

But I guess I should start at the beginnin’ and tell you that I went through a few other boys before I met my Hayden.

From author Heath Buckmaster comes this trip through time, as an aging southern widow recounts her passionate life filled with heartache and Sweet Kisses.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heath Buckmaster
• Release date: Apr 2, 2010
• ISBN: 9781458062284

Heath Buckmaster

Often, it’s not about becoming a new person, but becoming the person you were meant to be, and already are, but don’t know how to be. – Heath Buckmaster

Book preview

Sweet Kisses – Memories of Hayden Chalmers

by Heath L. Buckmaster

Thank you for purchasing this eBook. You may enjoy other books by the same author.

The Princess Carrina Series for Young Readers

Box of Hair, a Fairy Tale

The Venus Diary

The Dragons of Tarnack

The Magical Adventures of Princess Carrina (Special Edition Collection)

General Fiction

Homo sarcasmus – Best of the Blog Volume 1.0

Sweet Kisses, Memories of Hayden Chalmers

Homo sarcasmus – On the Origin of the Species

The Guardian of TeraMagoria

Poetry Collection

God’s Pear in a Shadow Bowl of Love

Short Stories

The Peregryn

Thorn Valley

Midnight

Silent Kay and the Night Before Christmas

Maureen

Copyright © 2008 by Heath L. Buckmaster.

First Digital Edition

For Mom.

For showing me the difference between ‘em and ’em.

Beginnings

Hayden Chalmers. Now that was one fine lookin’ man – tall, with dark hair, except for exactly three gray ones, even though he was just a young man. He had the most exquisite blue eyes that were as clear as my koi pond on a cool winter day. And those sweet kissable lips. My oh my, you could kiss those lips all day long, take a break for a quick dinner, then go right on back to kissin’ ‘em again like they were cherry pie dessert with whipped topping.

Tasty and delicious. That’s what he was from head to toe and I couldn’t get enough of him. I would never say it was love at first sight, but I would surely say it was love at first kiss. Oh there was a lot more to Hayden than those lips, but they were what started it all for me.

We were in his daddy’s car, no less – an Oldsmobile Rocket, like a lot of middle-class folks on Herbert Street had in those days. And before you go thinkin’ that we were parkin’ out on Lost-Love Point, we weren’t. We were good Christian kids, sittin’ in that car right in front of my best friend Ellie’s house waitin’ for her to finish curlin’ her foot-long hair so we could all go to the movies.

I remember thankin’ her later for takin’ so long with her hair, because it gave me more time to fall in love with Hayden Chalmers’ lips. But eventually she came out to the car and we pretended that nothin’ had happened. It was our first date after all and I wasn’t that easy. Well, I was when it came to first base, but that’s all he was gonna get ‘til I saw an engagement ring. That’s just how you were in those days. A boy had to ask you good and proper and he had to ask your daddy first. Even then most girls I knew didn’t let their fiancé’s see ‘em naked ‘til the weddin’ night. I guess that’s a bit old fashioned these days, but my momma brought me up right.

I’m not sure I even remember the movie we went to that night. I think all I really remember was the soda drink I had hangin’ on the window next to the speaker. All I could do was drink that cola and think about those sweet lips I’d kissed, and how I was quite possibly in love. I was watchin’ Hayden while he was watchin’ the movie. He looked over at me a few times and gave me a big smile like he knew that I was gettin’ sweet on him. I think I must’ve gone through five or six sodas that night. I know when I got home I had to pee like somethin’ fierce.

Well that wasn’t our last date for sure. In fact, Hayden Chalmers and I became quite the hot item that year. Everyone at school talked about it – the girls mostly, because I kept tellin’ ‘em so much about his sweet kisses they wanted to give him a try for themselves. But Hayden knew better and saved ‘em only for me – which was good because I would have had somethin’ to say to those girls if they’d laid a hand on my Hayden.

But I guess I should start at the beginnin’ and tell you that I went through a few other boys before I met my Hayden.

Twins and Milk Stains

Now when I say I went through a few other boys, I don’t mean I was easy. I’m talkin’ about havin’ a schoolgirl crush – you know those crushes because a boy’s got fine curly hair, or a Cheshire dimple, or maybe smiles at you sometimes. He doesn’t smile because he wants to marry you one day, only maybe your hair looked especially pretty, or your dress that your momma made for you was extra clean. Anyway, those are the kinda crushes I’m talkin’ about.

I remember there were a few boys at my church that made my heart beat so fast I thought I was the drummer in a crazy band. I think that’s about the only reason I liked goin’ to the Second Methodist over on Spring Street on an early Sunday mornin’. I don’t know where the First one was, but I was sure glad that those boys decided to come to the Second instead. Seein’ those boys dressed up in their dark suits and ties and shiny black shoes, well my heart just fluttered somethin’ fierce. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of ‘em.

Momma always dressed me up in some bright flowin’ skirt like a trailer park princess, but I would parade around whippin’ those hems back and forth and showin’ off like I was the daughter of the King and Queen of England. Daddy laughed at me every time, but then when it was time for church to start he took my hand and gave it a little squeeze lettin’ me know I had to pay attention. Well I paid attention to the boys in the pew across from me. Even at ten years old they looked like little gentlemen. Twin brothers – and they really did look exactly alike. In those days, parents would dress their twins up to look exactly the same. Same slicked down haircut, same freshly pressed suit-outfits, and oh they both had the same sweet dimples on their cheeks – you know those dimples where you want to just kiss ‘em and see how far down they go.

I remember that summer my daddy told me I had to go to Vacation Bible School and I was not too happy about that. But on the very first day, as soon as I got into the classroom, those twins came in after me and sat down right there across the desk. Well I opened up my little Catechism book and started readin’ like it was my favorite book in the world. I don’t know how much I learned about Jesus that summer, but I sure did look at those boys quite a bit. But wouldn’t you know it their family packed up and moved away to another town at the end of the summer. My twin boys who I’d never had the courage to say one single word to were gone. I cried my eyes out when I heard they moved, and when my momma asked me what I was so sad about I told her it was because Jesus died on the cross. I don’t think she ever knew that I was really cryin’ because my twins had left.

It was a few years before my next crush came along and that was a good lookin’ boy named Walter. Now I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone about Walter, but if there was any boy who could have given Hayden Chalmers a run for his money it might have been that curly haired Walter Haskins. I was thirteen and so was he and we were in English language class together. While I was tryin’ to learn all about spellin’ and grammar, I was also tryin’ to catch the eye of Walter. I think he reminded me of those twins a little since he had a big dimple on his cheek and always wore nice lookin’ outfits to school.

He sat a couple rows over from me and I was sure that he knew my name. I was too scared to actually talk to him directly, but I made sure I raised my hand and answered as many questions as I could just so the teacher would keep sayin’ Sophia. I figured if he knew my name it would be easier for him to just say Hi Sophia, if he saw me in the hallway or in the cafeteria. It was a silly girl thing to do, but eventually it paid off and he did finally say somethin’ to me. Unfortunately, I was a clumsy fool and spilled my lunch all over him. That’s why I’ve never told anyone about Walter, because I’d have to tell what a mess I made of his brand new pants that his momma bought him for his birthday. So don’t you say a word about what I’m gonna tell you.

Everything was goin’ just fine that day at school. I had my lunch bag with a jar of milk and a big sandwich momma made for me that mornin’ while I was washin’ up and gettin’ ready to leave the house. I had on a light blue colored dress that looked like a bluebird’s egg, and my shiny white shoes that I usually only wore to church. Most days I sat with one or two other girls in the cafeteria and we’d talk about which boys we thought were good lookin’ and which ones we thought were really smart. Most of the time those were two completely different sets of boys, and I was secretly hopin’ that one day we’d find one that was cute and smart at the same time. Well I think that first one was Walter. That curly hair of his was always in a big mop on top of his head. I don’t know if he ever combed it a single day of his life, but it made him look like one of those cherubs you see in antique stores with their curly hair and that bow and arrow shootin’ love into people.

Well I think he must have shot that love arrow right at my heart that day. He was lookin’ right at me as I sat there with Ellie and her sister Urna. I was just holdin’ that milk bottle right in my hand, not even drinkin’ it. I think the girls realized somethin’ was goin’ on because I was just starin’ across the room with wide eyes and not sayin’ anything, even though they were talkin’ right to me. Well of course they both turned right around and saw who I was lookin’ at. It didn’t take ‘em but a few seconds to start chatterin’ about Walter and how he was starin’ right at me. They both thought I should get up and walk over to him and say hello. I thought they were both crazy. There was no way I was gonna go talk to a